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

Instagram today soft-launched its new Snapchat competitor Bolt in Singapore, South Africa, and New Zealand. First hinted at last week, Bolt is a one tap photo and video messaging app that allows users to send ephemeral images to friends, much like Snapchat. As described by The Verge, Bolt is a "carbon copy" of Taptalk, another ephemeral messaging app. Users tap on a friend's profile photo to...

Open source software group Open Whisper Systems today released a new encrypted phone app called Signal, which is designed to allow its users to make secure calls on the iPhone at no cost. Using end-to-end encryption, Signal secures iPhone conversations so third-parties cannot listen in. Signal uses a caller's standard phone number to make and receive calls, and all Signal calls function like a ...

Amazon today updated its Kindle for iOS app to version 4.4, adding several features that have been requested by Amazon customers to make both sync and navigation within the app easier. Books will now sync to the most recent page read across all Kindle devices and Kindle apps that are registered to a single Amazon account, making it easier for users to swap between various Kindle devices. A...

Apple today expanded its AppleCare+ program to two new countries, bringing the program to cover iPhones and iPads in Mexico and Sweden. In Mexico, AppleCare+ coverage for the iPhone and iPad are priced at 1,599 pesos. Meanwhile, AppleCare+ for the iPhone and iPad in Sweden are priced at 799 kronor. Apple last expanded its AppleCare+ program in September 2013, raising service fees for...

Yelp today updated its iPhone app with the ability to shoot and upload 3 - 12 second videos, allowing users to show off their restaurant and local business experiences in yet another way. They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, well now on iPhone you can take 3-12 second videos of your experiences at your favorite local businesses. So that's worth like... 30 frames per second multiplied by...

Facebook is planning to motivate people to download and use its standalone Facebook Messenger app by removing messaging capabilities from the standard Facebook mobile app. Currently, users can chat through the Messages tab located on the bottom toolbar in the main Facebook app, but that tab will soon redirect users to download the Messenger app instead. When installed, a message received in...

Back in January, Apple removed popular Bitcoin app Blockchain from the App Store, after cracking down on several other apps that allowed users to send and receive bitcoin, including Coinbase and Gliph. Apple's official policy prohibits content that "enables, facilitates, or encourages an activity" that not all countries deem legal, which has left Bitcoin-based apps in a bit of a gray area...

Beats Music for iOS was today updated to version 2.2.0, adding several user-requested features. It's now possible for Beats listeners to change their Just For You recommendations through a new "Tune Your Taste" feature in Settings that allows users to select new favorite genres and artists. Listeners are also able to track their most recently played songs from The Sentence feature, which lets...

Reports from within Apple's Asian supply chain (via GforGames) again suggest the company is planning to launch the 4.7-inch iPhone separately from the 5.5-inch model, with the latter model entering mass production in September. This staggered launch would allow Apple to debut the highly-anticipated 4.7-inch iPhone 6 early this fall and then follow with the iWatch and the larger iPhone model later ...

Apple Retail Stores will soon allow customers to purchase an iPhone through U.S. carrier early upgrade programs including AT&T Next, Verizon Edge, and T-Mobile Jump, reports 9to5Mac. Apple is aiming to implement the new initiative right before the launch of the iPhone 6 this fall, as both Genius Bar workers and store employees will receive training on the program from Sunday, August 10 to...

Following a report by Droid Life yesterday, Verizon has now confirmed to Gigaom that starting October 1 the carrier will begin spot throttling of certain high-usage customers connecting to carrier's LTE network. The policy affects users on grandfathered unlimited data plans that are no longer offered and who rank in the top five percent of data users at Verizon. While Verizon has had a...

Hello Inc's new Kickstarter project Sense is an iOS-compatible sleep tracking system that allows users to monitor their sleep patterns and bedroom environments without the need for intrusive hardware. The primary Sense device is a glow-in-the-dark polycarbonate orb that derives data from factors such as noise, light, temperature, humidity, and air particles to measure sleep quality. Sense...

Google today updated its Gmail for iOS app to version 3.14159, adding improved integration with its Google Drive storage solution. It's now possible to save email attachments directly to Google Drive, making them accessible everywhere and saving storage space. Users are also able to insert Google Drive files directly into messages. Google has also included new account management options and...

Late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel covered Apple's upcoming smart watch on last night's show, airing a humorous segment that featured the team showing pedestrians on Hollywood Boulevard a $20 Casio watch with an Apple sticker on the back. The people were told the cheap watch was Apple's new smart watch and predictably, Kimmel's team received some hilarious reactions. "It's very lightweight ...

While several high-profile smart deadbolt systems such as Lockitron and August have experienced significant delays, Kwikset has been shipping its Kevo Bluetooth deadbolt for some time now, and today the system is receiving a software update to provide new access options for users. Similar in appearance to other electronic deadbolt locks with a relatively large housing on the inside of the...

Our forum members are building a comprehensive list of all the apps that function in iOS 8 beta 4, which may be helpful for users who have installed the beta or who plan to install it. The list also includes apps that are known to be broken and apps that work but have specific issues. Notable apps that fully work with the beta include 1Password, Dropbox, Deliveries, Google Chrome, Instagram, ...

Fantastical 2 for the iPhone and the iPad were today updated to version 2.1, adding several new features to both mobile apps including a new Snooze feature, event invitation notifications, birthday notifications, and more. The biggest new feature, Snooze, allows users push back notification times for calendar events or reminders using either preset times or custom set durations, a useful...

As hinted at in an earlier report from Nikkei, Sony today confirmed it is investing 35 billion yen ($345 million) to increase the production of image sensors for smartphones and tablets, reports Reuters. The electronics firm will use the 35 billion yen to boost production of stacked CMOS sensors at two factories in Kyushu, Japan as well as complete work at a factory it recently purchased...