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

Five months after launching to the public, iOS 9 has now been installed on 77 percent of active iOS devices as of February 22, according to the newest chart shared by Apple on the App Store support page. That adoption rate has remained static at 77 percent since the last update on iOS numbers occurred on February 8. Compared to the first adoption rate status update of the year on January 11,...

Regularly creating iCloud or iTunes backups should be routine for every iOS user, but if you want to upgrade to a beta version of iOS or if you think you might want to downgrade shortly after installing a new iOS update, you'll want to make sure create an archived iTunes backup beforehand. An archived iTunes backup is essential because it saves the current state of your iOS device and...

Last month's CES saw French wireless tech company Parrot demoing the third model in its Zik range of popular Bluetooth headphones, aptly called Zik 3.0. Now shipping at a price of $400, the Zik 3.0's inherit the active noise-canceling (ANC), capacitive touch and HD telephony features of the earlier Zik 2.0's, but add some new functions like auto-adaptive ANC and Qi-compatible wireless...

There are some photos circulating around the Internet today that supposedly picture a new Modern Buckle Apple Watch band in a color combination that doesn't currently exist, but it appears the image is simply a Pink Modern Buckle in poor lighting. In the original photo, a yellow tint causes the Pink Modern Buckle band to look tan, a shade similar to the existing "Stone" color of available with ...

The YouTube app for iOS was today given a small but significant update, adding support for the iPad Pro to improve video quality on Apple's newest tablet. Since the iPad Pro was released in November, people have complained about the poor video quality of YouTube videos within the app as the content was scaled up to match the iPad Pro's resolution. Three months later, the app is finally getting ...

After an announcement last August and a successful pilot program in October, MasterCard recently announced that the company will begin expanding a feature which allows facial recognition software to act as biometric security in mobile payments (via Fortune). Unofficially dubbed "selfie pay," the program lets users confirm an online payment by holding up a smartphone's camera to their face and...

Apple Music today announced that it'll stream a concert for the band The 1975 Thursday at 9 a.m. Pacific on Beats 1. Apple Music has been teasing the announcement all day on its Snapchat account, displaying the band's lyrics and teasing the concert's set as preparations for the event are completed. Apple isn't a newcomer to live streaming concerts, as it broadcasts its annual Apple Music...

IBM has announced that it is bringing Apple's Swift development language to the cloud to simplify end-to-end development of enterprise apps. Swift will be available as a server-side language on IBM Cloud, and today's phase of the rollout includes a preview of a Swift runtime and a Swift Package Catalog.Developers can start exploring the benefits of Swift on the IBM Cloud in three ways: - Experi...

In January of 2015, WayTools announced the TextBlade, a compact, collapsible keyboard that sparked a lot of interest with its unique multilayered layout that replaces a full keyboard with eight large smart keys. Refinements, production issues, and other hiccups have long delayed the release of the TextBlade, which was originally scheduled to ship out to pre-order customers in the early months...

Donald Trump, a leading Republican candidate in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections, has called for a boycott of Apple until it complies with a court order to unlock an iPhone 5c used by shooter Syed Farook in the 2015 San Bernardino attacks, according to Reuters."Boycott Apple until such time as they give that information,” Trump said at a campaign event in Pawleys Island, South Carolina. "It ...

Smartphone users in China are facing a number of system errors trying to sign up for Apple Pay after it was officially released in the country yesterday. Apple's mobile payment service became available on February 18 through a partnership with China's state-run interbank network, UnionPay. However, it appears that the sheer amount of users attempting to sign up to the platform during the first ...

North Carolina Senator Richard Burr, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, is working on legislation that would penalize companies that don't comply with court orders to unlock encrypted devices, according to The Wall Street Journal. The move comes a day after Apple announced that it would oppose an order to unlock the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone 5c. The bill could reportedly be...

Apple's iPhones have long been protected by numeric passcodes, giving iOS users a way to protect keep their devices safe from hackers and prying eyes. Over the years, passcodes have been supplemented by Touch ID, Apple's fingerprint recognition system, but the passcode is still the iPhone's main line of defense. A passcode is required to set up Touch ID, and Touch ID is automatically disabled...

Earlier in January, Microsoft announced that it would bring a group chat feature to the Skype app on mobile devices over "the next few weeks," but never locked down a specific launch window. Today, the popular video chatting app will begin to support group video calling, similar to its web counterpart, on iOS and Android (via Engadget). The new feature will allow as many as 25 participants...

Apple updated its Apple Pay participating issuers list today with 45 additional banks, credit unions and financial institutions supporting the contactless payment service in the U.S. Apple Pay now has 1045 participating issuers nationwide, including 1043 U.S. banks and credit unions and store card support at BJ's Wholesale Club and Kohl's. The newly added Apple Pay participating issuers are...

Late last year, Mophie unveiled its latest lineup of Powerstation external batteries, offering a number of slim new options for recharging mobile devices on the go. The lineup includes five models: 1X (2,000 mAh), 2X (4,000 mAh), 3X (6,000 mAh), 5X (10,000 mAh), and 8X (15,000 mAh), with prices ranging from $40 to $150. Mophie's Powerstation batteries are available from a number of outlets,...

Apple today announced that developers are now able to include short videos in their tvOS App Store descriptions, allowing users to see a tvOS app in action before deciding to download it. Preview videos can be between 15 and 30 seconds, providing a quick look at an app's functionality or gameplay. Showcase your tvOS app in action by bringing its features and functionality alive with a short...

Philips Hue today tweeted an open call for beta testers to join in putting the company's new and overhauled lighting app through its paces. Users will help Philips "shape a whole new lighting experience" through the beta test, which has already mostly been tested by the company and is seeking fans of Hue to help "with the last finishing touches." Great news! We’re running a beta program for ...