iOS

iOS 16.4 beta 1 is here, coming three weeks after the release of iOS 16.3 to the general public. We’re still waiting to dive into iOS 16.4 to find out what’s new, but there are a few possibilities based on features Apple has already announced but not released.

iOS 16 was released back in September of 2022. It brought plenty of visual changes to the iPhone and also changed how we interact with it, especially the lock screen. This update was all about personalization and customization. It brought features like lock screen customizations, widgets, the ability to edit & undo messages, and much more. So what could Apple possibly have in store for iOS 17? Parker Ortolani is back at it again with some new concepts and renders of what the future of iOS could look like, and it seems like refinement is the name of the game.

We all know that banking apps have revolutionized the way we manage our finances, making it easier and more convenient than ever before to keep track of our money. However, with new Fintech apps releasing every week, it can be hard to know which one is right for you. Whether you are new to banking and need a first bank account or a banking veteran who has 10 different checking accounts, we’ve put together a list of the top three banking apps based on how well they work on iOS, so you can choose which best suits your needs. I have personally been a user of all three of these institutions and currently use one of them as my main form of banking. We’ll be provide detailed reviews of each app, including features, pricing, customer service, and more.

Apple announced that they officially have two billion active iPhone users globally, which is an absurd amount of smartphones out in the wild. With each of those iPhones, whether you love it or hate it, they come pre-installed with Safari as the default browser. So if you have had an iPhone since 2007, that means that you have used Safari on an iPhone for over 15 years (unless you switched your browser). Most people are not aware of how much you can do within Safari; here are some features that I think every Safari user should know!

Popular recipe/cookbook iOS app Pestle is out with a big update that brings a number of upgrades. Headlining the release is Smart Folders plus new ways to import recipe cards and cookbooks via PDF, existing images, and more.

If you’re anything like me, then you might have gone through your fair share of task management or to-do list apps. I have tried them all, from simple to-do list managers in my notes app all the way to the big hitters like Monday, Todist, Asana, ClickUp & Notion. They all did what I needed them to do, but there was always something that made me stop using them, whether it was just offering too much or not enough.

All users can now enable iCloud Advanced Data Protection, an opt-in feature to get end-to-end encryption for almost all data stored in iCloud, including messages, photos, and device backups.

The feature is activatable once users upgrade to iOS 16.3, currently in developer beta, with a public release of the new software update expected to arrive next week.

Mark Gurman reports that Apple has prioritized development of the operating system for its upcoming AR/VR headset, which is expected to be named “xrOS.” This means Apple has diverted engineering resources away from work on features for iOS 17 and macOS 14, in order to get the headset software over the line in time for a planned product launch later this year.

As a result, Gurman says that iOS 17, iPadOS 17 and macOS 14 may have fewer major new features than originally planned. Separately, work on new augmented reality features for the Apple Store app are apparently almost ready for release.

For years, people have been able to run macOS on non-Apple computers thanks to Hackintosh tools. But when it comes to iOS, pretty much no one has been able to run it on other platforms – at least until now. One developer has successfully emulated the first version of the iPhone OS (remember that name?) on a computer using QEMU.

Instagram this week rolled out a new feature to users they are calling “Notes,” a way for users to leave a sort of status update – or Away Message – to their followers or to their Close Friends.

Sofa for iPhone and iPad is a beautiful app that offers a single place to organize all the movies, TV, music, books, podcasts, apps, and games you’d like to check out. With a major update, Sofa now has shared lists (in beta), Lock Screen widgets, Shortcuts support, and more.

The StoryGraph – an app that lets you track, rate, and review the books you’ve read amongst many, many other things – is something every book lover should have in their app library. Complete with beautiful analytics, personalized recommendations, and a 1.2 million-member community, The StoryGraph is everything Goodreads isn’t. We spoke with cofounders Nadia Odunayo and Rob Frelow to dig more deeply into everything we love about our new favorite book app.

Update: We can confirm that this is indeed a test and not an actual security fix.

Apple has released a software update to iOS 16.2 beta 3 and iPadOS 16.2 beta 3 today that claims to include an important security fix. Details of the problem are not currently available, but the update is marked clearly as a security-specific fix.

It’s also possible that there is no actual security fix. The update could be a test to demonstrate Apple’s Rapid Security Response system. This new feature allows security updates that do not affect the device firmware to optionally be installed automatically.

While iOS 16 fronts a snazzy redesigned lock screen, underneath, the latest operating system hosts a slew of new security and privacy features built to help protect you and your data. Here are five new features to better secure your iPhone from hackers and give you greater peace of mind.

Earlier this week, Spotify ran to the press to complain that Apple had rejected the latest version of its iOS app for skirting in-app purchase rules as it worked on adding audiobooks as a new feature. As we all expected, Spotify has now given in to Apple’s demands, but it couldn’t resist taking one more jab along the way…

Apple released iOS 16.1 and macOS Ventura to the public this week. In addition to headlining new features and changes, there are also essential security fixes as well. One of the most notable fixes is for a bug that allowed applications to eavesdrop on your conversations with Siri. Here are the full details…

Just over one month after the release of iOS 16 to the general public, Apple is now releasing iOS 16.1 to iPhone users everywhere. iOS 16.1 includes a number of new features and changes, including support for Live Activities, Clean Energy Charging, iCloud Shared Photo Library, and much more. Head below for all of the details…