iOS is Apple’s operating system for the iPhone and iPad. It’s also the basis for tvOS for the Apple TV and watchOS for the Apple Watch. It’s even beginning to infiltrate the Mac in some ways. Apple has worked hard to keep iOS private and secure, and it has a huge ecosystem of apps via its official App Store. Some have argued that it is too locked down, but the trade-off is that it’s fast and stable for most users.
This morning, Mark Gurman wrote for Power On subscribers that the iOS 18 home screen would be “more customizable,” but didn’t say how.
Now, MacRumors’ sources say this means Apple is loosening up its restrictive app icon arrangement in a way that sounds closer to the way things work on Android — that is, with blank spaces allowed between apps.
WSJ reports Apple’s held talks with Baidu to power AI technology for iPhones in China. That’s not surprising, given China’s strict rules for AI bots covering their output, data used for training, and storage of user data.
So instead of ChatGPT or Google Gemini (like Apple reportedly discussed using everywhere else), Samsung similarly partnered with Baidu to bring its AI chatbot Ernie to the Galaxy S24 in China earlier this year.
Small point updates were released this afternoon for iPhones and iPads running three different operating systems (9.9, 16.7, and 17.4), as well as the Vision Pro headset (visionOS 1.1.1), but there’s very little information on what’s changed.
Apple hasn’t added the details of security fixes in the new software, and the only other note we’ve seen is this support page saying 17.4.1 fixes a QR code scanning bug on iPads.
The company credits the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) for the 164 percent increase in new iOS users it saw from March 5th to the 7th. Opera also saw significant user growth in specific countries, including a 402 percent spike in France and a 143 percent boost in Spain.
Apple started letting iPhone users choose their default browser as part of its compliance with the DMA earlier this month. Besides Opera, Brave and Firefox are also seeing more iPhone users in the EU.
A Reddit commenter posted a screenshot today showing what they said is the Hum to Search option in the YouTube Music on iOS
Google has let you search by humming a tune for years and started testing it in the Android YouTube app in August. Like 9to5Google, I’m not seeing it on my own iOS or Android devices. Are you?
The app, which lets you get the latest on your favorite sports teams, view stats, and find betting odds, will now let you follow the NCAA’s March Madness tournament as part of its version 1.1 update. Apple Sports will also add data from the MLB when the season officially kicks off later this month.
Brave says its browser is having a hockey stick moment after the release of Apple’s DMA-compliant iOS 17.4 last week, which immediately nags users to choose their default browser from a randomized list upon startup.
Or so says Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in his latest Power On Newsletter, advancing Apple’s hearing-related accessibility features like Live Listen and Conversation Boost. Hearing aids cost an average of $2,300 per ear.
It’s supposedly coming with iOS 18 which is shaping up to be a big release with RCS messaging support and generative AI. We’ll know for sure at WWDC this summer.
MacRumors’ sources say the new OS releases will include the ability to create custom voice shortcuts for accessibility features like VoiceOver and Voice Control. Live Speech could also get user-created categories for you to organize the phrases spoken by the text-to-speech feature. MacRumors also says that Apple is exploring using eye-tracking for accessibility, although it’s unclear how far along those plans are.
With iOS 17.4, iPhone users in the EU can now access third-party app marketplaces — pending availability which is expected any day — but extended overseas travel could change that. According to Apple:
If you leave the European Union for short-term travel, you’ll continue to have access to alternative app marketplaces for a grace period. If you’re gone for too long, you’ll lose access to some features, including installing new alternative app marketplaces. Apps you installed from alternative app marketplaces will continue to function, but they can’t be updated by the marketplace you downloaded them from.
Apple hasn’t clarified how long this “grace period” is, which is deeply unhelpful for anyone trying to cope with the restriction.
It’s DMA day in Europe, and I’ve immediately been prompted to choose a default browser after updating to iOS 17.4. The list is populated with “the most downloaded browsers on iOS in that country in the prior year.” I picked Chrome, but quickly switched back to Safari because I’m not crazy. But instead of finding the default setting under something like “Browser” it was under “Safari” instead — confusing.
Maybe I’ll really switch if/when Chrome ditches WebKit for Blink in the future.
The visionOS 1.1 release candidate that’s now available to developers includes some upgrades to the Personas avatars, such as improved rendering of eyes, mouth representation, and hair and makeup appearance.
MacRumors points out that this release also has updates for the virtual keyboard, Mac Virtual Display, mobile device management, and more. With the iOS 17.4 update close to a public launch, Apple also put out release candidates for tvOS, macOS, watchOS, and Xcode.
[MacRumors]
New CAD renders at 91mobiles purport to show what Apple’s next budget iPhone will look like.
The next iPhone SE could represent the first major shift in design since 2020. It’s expected to pick up where the iPhone 14 left off — complete with a notch — likely adding USB-C and maybe even an OLED display.
Apple is preparing to release iOS 17.4 soon with many changes, including those meant to comply, to some degree at least, with Europe’s Digital Markets Act.
According to Bloomberg today, the company has told support staff not to engage with customers about whether or not the iPhone will get changes like third-party app stores outside of the EU.
Sources tell MacRumors that Apple is testing a rebrand of “Apple ID” to “Apple Account.” The company could reportedly implement the new name later this year alongside the launch of iOS 18 and macOS 15. If true, the new name might take some getting used to.
If you have one of Rivian’s electric trucks and an iPhone, you can keep an eye on the status of your charging progress a little easier with the version 2.7.0 update.
As 9to5Mac points out, support for the Live Activities feature added in iOS 16 keeps the charging information pinned on your lock screen or in the Dynamic Island on iPhone 14 and 15 Pro models.
That’s the claim Cook made during Apple’s annual shareholder meeting on Wednesday, where shareholders also voted down a proposal for an AI ethics and transparency report, according to a report from 9to5Mac.
During an earnings call earlier this month, Cook confirmed Apple is putting “tremendous time and effort” into AI, and that the company will launch generative AI software features “later this year.”
The feature enables Maps users to track their journey via the lock screen, or in the app via the route overview provided before hitting “start.” It’s now rolling out widely to both iOS and Android devices over a year since Google first announced it, according to Android Police.
The toggle to enable glanceable directions is located under Navigation settings, within the main Google Maps Settings menu.
The platform started rolling out passkey support on its iOS app last month, but now it’s available to all iPhone users in the US. That means you can use Face ID, Touch ID, or your device’s passcode to log in to your account instead of entering a password. You can learn how to enable passkeys on X from this support page.
Premium users on iOS will see the feature first, according to X designer Andrea Conway. The feature will let you sort through posts based on the date, language, location, and more.
Earlier today, iSoftware Updates (via MacRumors), spotted a new prompt in the iOS 17.4 beta 4 that asks EU users to “verify the information before installing” an app on the App Store. However, Apple spokesperson Peter Ajemian tells The Verge the feature is just a bug, and it will be disabled before iOS 17.4 rolls out.
Update February 23rd, 3:16PMET: Noted that this notification is a bug.
