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

In March, Reddit released an updated version of its Alien Blue app for iOS, which included a free four-year Reddit Gold subscription gift for all Alien Blue users with Pro accounts. At the time, Alien Blue users were able to redeem the gift in the app, with Reddit promising to send the Reddit Gold credit at a later date. As of today, Alien Blue users have begun receiving private messages...

On April 1, Apple celebrated its 40th anniversary, marking four decades since Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne co-founded the company. To mark the occasion, Apple shared a 40th anniversary video, flew a pirate flag at its Cupertino headquarters, held a beer bash, and launched an Apple Music playlist filled with songs that have been used in past Apple advertising spots. Apple's...

Twitter today announced the addition of a new "Message" button to the Twitter apps for iOS and Android, giving users a simpler method for sharing tweets through Direct Messages to start private conversations. Sending a tweet to a user through a Direct Message is a feature that was originally implemented in 2014, but using the feature required long pressing on a tweet in the timeline and...

Apple Maps has been updated with all-new transit data in Montréal, providing users with bus, subway, and train routing in Canada's second most populous city. The public transit information is supplied by the city's public transport agencies Agence métropolitaine de transport (AMT) and Société de transport de Montréal (STM). Montreal Metro subway and STM bus directions are available...

Paid-cable network Starz today announced a new standalone monthly streaming service that will be available to users as an app on iOS, Apple TV, and Google Play stores. Starz's entry into the standalone service market follows fellow networks HBO ($14.99/month) and Showtime ($10.99/month), but will come in at a cheaper price of $8.99/month. The new Starz app can be authenticated as a companion ...

T-Mobile announced today that its free unlimited music and video streaming programs Music Freedom and Binge On now support an additional sixteen services. Binge On is a free incentive that enables T-Mobile customers on a qualifying Simple Choice plan to stream unlimited 480p video from dozens of partnered services, including Netflix, HBO NOW, Hulu, and YouTube, without any of the data...

Pebble owners that link the smartwatch to an iPhone on the Verizon network can now use the iOS app's Text Reply feature to respond to text messages that show up on their wrist. Previously the feature was only available to users on AT&T, but the newly released version 3.11 update to the Pebble app brings the same functionality to Verizon users as well. After enabling the option via the updated...

Facebook has introduced a new accessibility tool to its iOS app for blind and visually impaired people to help identify images posted on their social feed. The function, called Automatic Alternative Text, works via VoiceOver and generates descriptions of photos that are spoken out loud as a user swipes past photos in the Facebook app. Previously, people using VoiceOver would only hear...

In our latest video review, we went hands-on with two iPhone cases from Moshi, a well-known accessory maker that develops cases, cables, screen protectors, and more for Apple's line of iOS devices. Moshi's iGlaze Armour and iGlaze Napa, two of the cases we looked at, are available for both the iPhone 6/6s and the iPhone 6/6s Plus. The iGlaze Armour, with its aluminum backplate, is solid and...

Apple has upgraded Siri to improve answers to baseball-related questions in time for Major League Baseball's new season (via The Verge). Apple's voice-activated assistant is now able to draw on an updated database that includes statistics going back to the beginning of the sport's history. Siri users can also enjoy more detailed Major League Baseball career stats as well as additional...

Early last month we reported that Apple was planning to sell refurbished iPhones in India and had submitted a formal request to the country's government in order to allow it to begin importing pre-owned iPhones into the country. This morning, however, news has surfaced that major smartphone makers in the Indian market including Samsung, Karbonn, Micromax and Intex are actively opposing Apple's ...

In January of 2015, Belkin said it was working with Apple to add HomeKit compatibility to its popular line of WeMo smart products "in the very near future," but more than a year later, HomeKit-compatible WeMo products have not debuted. As it turns out, Belkin appears to be putting its plans to introduce HomeKit compatibility on hold because there is no way to add HomeKit to products that are...

Starting today, Walmart is offering $100 off its selection of Apple iPhones, including the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, and newly released iPhone SE, making the already affordable device available at an even lower price point. The discount applies to iPhones purchased through AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint and is available on devices bought using a monthly installment plan. The discounted price will...

Dyson recently launched the Pure Cool Link, a fan that looks and functions similarly to the company's previous line of high-end oscillating personal air controlling devices, but now with the added bonus of cleaning the air in a home (via The Guardian). Thanks to its HEPA filter, the Pure Cool Link promises to remove 99.97% of particles as minuscule as 0.3 microns, so potentially hazardous...

Apple has filed a patent application hinting that the company could be working on modular smart bands for the Apple Watch, allowing users to add functions such as wireless charging battery packs and GPS receivers to an existing timepiece (via AppleInsider). The application, titled "Modular functional band links for wearable devices", was published yesterday by the U.S. Patent and Trademark...

Since the launch of iOS 9.3 last week, some Sprint users have been unable to connect to LTE networks, according to reports on Twitter and reddit. After updating, affected users say their iPhones will only connect 3G, and there appears to be no clear fix with resets and reinstalls not solving the problem for most people. According to one reddit user in California, he's having issues when his...

Apple launched the iPhone SE today in the United States and eleven other countries and territories, prompting a number of early adopters looking to get their hands on the refreshed 4-inch smartphone to line up over the past twenty-four hours. Early morning lines for the iPhone SE could be found in a handful of major cities, ranging from Sydney, Australia to Miami, Florida, but many other Apple ...

Facebook released a new feature today for its iOS Messenger app that allows users to receive booked flight information updates. The instant messaging service's first 'airline bot' enables KLM Royal Dutch Airlines customers who have booked tickets through the airlines' website to have all their flight information delivered to a dedicated thread within the app. The bot is designed to...