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.
The new version of Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp -- free of in-app purchases -- debuted last December at $9.99 for a limited time.
For those who have been dragging their feet on buying the new Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete for either iOS or Android, that limited time offer runs out before the end of this week. At 1AM ET on January 31st, the game will increase in price to $19.99.
You can log into multiple WhatsApp accounts on one iOS device in a recent iOS beta version, writes WABetaInfo.
In the case of Android phones, which have had the feature since 2023, you need a multi-SIM card phone and a second phone number to register another account.
And 76 percent of iPhone introduced in the last four years are on it, too, according to Apple’s iOS adoption stats that were spotted by 9to5Mac. The figures, from Apple, are “As measured by devices that transacted on the App Store on January 21, 2025.”
[developer.apple.com]
You can catch the national mood from time to time using the iOS App Store’s top free apps list.
After today’s TikTok chaos, the top 20 apps there are taken up mostly by VPNs and video editing or social media posting apps, with a little ChatGPT and Temu sprinkled in for good measure.
The Apple Mail app in macOS 15.4 will be able to use AI to sort your emails by categories like transactions or promotions, as well as surface “Priority” emails at the top of your inbox, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in today’s Power On newsletter.
The features have already been part of the iPhone mail app since iOS 18.2.
Before, it only took one step to eliminate audio processing and extend battery life on newer AirPods.
Apple removed the “Off” toggle from the default modes after introducing hearing protection features to noise control in iOS 18. To restore it, open the Settings app, tap your connected AirPods, and toggle on “Off Listening Mode.” They will still default to Transparency mode when you connect, however.
A recent update to the Disneyland and Walt Disney World mobile apps now lets users track the status of mobile food orders (from select venues in Disney’s US parks) on the iPhone’s lock screen or in the Dynamic Island. Users can also notify a restaurant to start preparing their order once they’re nearby, without having to open the mobile app.
Bleeping Computer points out why so many of those phishing texts about packages or unpaid tolls urge you to reply with something like a “Y” these days.
It’s because when the iOS Messages app’s “Filter Unknown Senders” option is on, links from those senders are disabled by default. Replying activates the link so you can tap it, which savvy Verge readers know you should never, ever do.
[BleepingComputer]
Per NBC reporter Scott Budman. As a “one-stop shop for everything needed during a fire emergency,” the Watch Duty app has become a lifeline for people trying to navigate the wildfires around Los Angeles.
iOS 18 had removed the ability to continually tap the Calculator app’s equals button to recalculate using your last solution, according to 9to5Mac, which says it’s back in the latest iOS 18.3 public beta update.
That’s good news for fans of the calculator app. Now, if only Apple would bring back the “C” button.
They address “important” bugs for iPhone and iPad owners, but Apple’s patch notes don’t explain which ones. Apple has iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3 public beta out right now, which MacRumors notes may launch in a regular release later this month.
Apple launched iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS 15.2 in December, which include ChatGPT integration, Genmoji support, and more.
The iOS app is now listed on Apple’s App Store, and is currently available in beta in “Australia and a few countries” according to TechCrunch.
This confirms rumors that started circulating in November regarding X developing a standalone app for its Grok chatbot. There’s no word yet on when a version will be made available to Android users.
[App Store]
Google is rolling out a set of shortcuts to the top of the Photos tab that take you to Favorites, Recently Added, Trash, and a recent album, according to 9to5Google.
The outlet reports spotting the change in version 7.11 of the app on iOS, though I don’t see it there quite yet. The change hasn’t made it to the Android version.
I talked to Allison Johnson about my home screen for her guide to living off the iPhone app grid. But I forgot to mention something: one reason I use iOS Shortcuts icons on my home screen is so I can remember what badly-named apps do.
Take the “Library” Shortcut below. It opens “CountyCat,” my local library’s app. Why is it called CountyCat? Who approved that? Doesn’t matter; it’s just “Library” to me.
The developer beta of iOS 18.3 (and associated updates for software on iPads, Macs, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and Vision Pro) just launched, and now they’re available in the public beta too.
However, you may not have much to try, as the only noticeable changes we’ve heard about include Genmoji in macOS Sequoia 15.3 and hints of robot vacuum support in Apple Home.
[Twitter]
The feature was recently pushed into 2025. With the feature, Apple says the Home app will support “the core functionality of robot vacuum cleaners, such as power control, cleaning mode, vacuum, mop, and charge status.” Robot vacuums will also be able to “participate in automations and scenes, and respond to Siri requests.”
Now that iOS 18.2 and Apple’s associated software updates with Apple Intelligence and ChatGPT are widely available, it’s followed up with a new round of developer betas released Monday afternoon.
iOS / iPadOS 18.3, macOS Sequoia 15.3, tvOS 18.3, visionOS 2.3, and watchOS 11.3 are all available now. The listed release notes are sparse, but 9to5Mac reports that macOS 15.3 adds Genmoji.
In iOS 18.2, Voice Memos now lets you record a second audio track over an existing recording, which is mostly meant for music demos. My colleague Owen Grove and I had some fun with it in this video, but you can only record a total of two tracks per memo and its currently only available on the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max.
After Apple announced iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 this morning, the updates are now going out widely starting at 1PM ET as they’re usually scheduled.
That also goes for new 18.2 updates for the HomePod and Apple TV, and visionOS 2.2 for the Vision Pro.
While investigating apps that let livestream viewers pay to watch child abuse, The New York Times reports that it found “more than 80 apps that advertised children” on the Apple and Google app stores.
The livestream apps downloaded from Apple and Google illustrate an even darker aspect of the social media technology boom, particularly for children living in poverty in developing countries. There, with the ease of a smartphone, parents and other adults can connect with pedophiles in the United States and elsewhere who pay to watch — and direct — criminal behavior.
Trigger warning: This Times story includes descriptions of child sexual abuse.
[The New York Times]
If you’ve changed your mind (or have a family member who accidentally backed up their entire camera roll) Google Photos now offers an “Undo device backup” option in the settings.
Images and videos will be removed from the cloud but will remain on the device and backup will be turned off. The feature is now available to iOS users, and is coming to Android soon.
