MacRumors iPhone and iPad Blog: Apps, News, and Rumors

Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming watchOS 3.1.1 update to developers for testing purposes, one week after seeding the first watchOS 3.1.1 beta and two weeks after releasing watchOS 3.1, the first update to the watchOS 3 operating system. watchOS 3.1.1 can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General --> Software Update. To install the...

Facebook's popular messaging app WhatsApp for iPhone was updated over the weekend with long-overdue support for animated GIFs. WhatsApp users can now send and receive their own animated GIFs, or discover and share GIFs from built-in services such as Giphy and Tenor -- which one exactly appears to be dependant on your region. Likewise, videos that are shorter than six seconds and Live...

Ahead of Election Day in the United States tomorrow, November 8, a collection of popular iOS and Android ride-hailing apps have launched promos for customers to more easily make it to their polling location before the 8PM deadline (via BuzzFeed). As the biggest ride-hailing app in the U.S., Uber [Direct Link] recently announced that starting tomorrow an action sheet will pop up when users launch...

Gmail for iOS received a major update today with a brand new look, improved search with instant results and spelling suggestions, Undo Send for retracting accidental emails, and swipe to archive functionality for easier inbox management. The app now more closely resembles Inbox by Gmail and Gmail for Android with a Material Design makeover, including an all-new pop-out side menu with a...

In a new Bloomberg interview with Steve Ballmer, the former Microsoft CEO revisited his famously dismissive remarks about the iPhone when it launched back in 2007. Shortly after Steve Jobs revealed the first iPhone, then-Microsoft CEO Ballmer was asked what he thought of the device during a press conference. 500 dollars? Fully subsidized? With a plan? I said that is the most expensive...

India's Forensic Science Laboratory is in negotiations to purchase the security bypassing technology used by Israeli mobile software developer Cellebrite, the company that the FBI enlisted to help unlock the iPhone of the San Bernardino shooter earlier in the year (via The Economic Times). The FBI needed Cellebrite's "mobile forensics solutions" to bypass the lock on the iPhone 5c in question, ...

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame singer Neil Young's full back catalog has returned to Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer, and elsewhere, less than two years after he pulled his collection from all streaming services due to his belief that streaming delivers the "worst quality in history," according to Music Ally. Young stopped streaming his songs in July 2015, and at the time said "it's not because of...

Honda has announced its 2017 Pilot will be available with CarPlay and Android Auto in models EX and above in the United States. The software platforms will be built into an improved 8-inch touchscreen with a new anti-fingerprint coating. The three-row SUV is the latest Honda vehicle to support CarPlay after the 2016 and later Accord, 2016 and later Civic, 2016 Clarity Fuel Cell Sedan, 2017...

Chase has announced its payments service Chase Pay will launch at Walmart stores in the United States in 2017. The digital wallet will be integrated into the Walmart app for in-store purchases, allowing Chase Visa credit and debit cardholders to pay at the checkout by showing a QR code to the cashier. Chase Pay will also be added to Walmart's website next year, allowing customers to make...

Canadian carrier Bell has announced that its Fibe TV app is now available on the fourth-generation Apple TV in Ontario and Québec. The app allows Fibe TV subscribers to watch up to 450 channels live or on demand, with the ability to record, pause, and rewind live TV coming later this year. The app features trending and on demand TV shows, a programming guide for live TV, and search...

During a quarterly earnings meeting yesterday, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg briefly commented on the status of the company's mobile app experience, mentioning a belief that "a text box is still the default way we share." As reported by Bloomberg, the CEO said that the next step for Facebook on smartphones is a camera-first experience that changes status updates from simple written...

The creators of discontinued short-form video service Vine have announced a new live streaming app for iOS called Hype. Hype will have to compete with existing live video streaming platforms including Periscope and Facebook Live, but its creators Colin Kroll and Rus Yusupov are betting on its success because it offers some additional features that the others don't have. Going in its favor,...

Elgato today announced the latest product in its line of HomeKit accessories, debuting the Eve Motion wireless motion sensor. The Eve Motion is a small square-shaped accessory that can be put anywhere in your house, indoors or outdoors. It works in tandem with other HomeKit accessories, allowing you to create scenes that can be set off using automatic triggers. When placed in an entry way, for ...

The latest data from market research firm Strategy Analytics claims Android captured a record 87.5% share of the worldwide smartphone market in the third quarter, reflecting the period between late June and late September. Strategy Analytics director Woody Oh on Android's continued dominance:Android's leadership of the global smartphone market looks unassailable at the moment. Its low-cost...

Microsoft today debuted its latest product, Microsoft Teams, which is a chat-based workspace designed for Office 365 users. Designed to compete with chat platforms like Slack and HipChat, Microsoft Teams provides a chat interface that integrates with Office 365 apps and services and other third-party services like Zendesk, Asana, Hootsuite, and Intercom. According to Microsoft, Teams is...

Twelve South today unveiled its latest Apple accessory, a headphone charging stand designed to cut down on desktop clutter. Available in black or silver, the Fermata is crafted from aluminum and is designed to house a set of on-ear or over-ear headphones such as Apple's Beats Solo2 and Solo3 wireless models. The headphones rest on a leather-covered hook, which is designed to make sure the...

Wireless headphone company Bragi today announced an incoming update to its flagship Bluetooth device, The Dash, which will bring with it an all-new way for users to interact with Bragi's "Kinetic User Interface." Coming November 21, Bragi OS 2.2 will introduce users to a beta of "MyTap," which lets them control the headphones through tap-based gestures placed directly on their cheek and not on...

Announced back at CES earlier this year, Netatmo today is officially launching its smart outdoor security camera, called "Presence," for $299.99. Using a "breakthrough deep-learning algorithm," the Presence security camera detects people, cars, and animals that appear outside the home, and reports all activity via notifications and recordings through the connected Netatmo Security app. [Direct...