Apple today seeded the sixth beta of macOS 10.15 Catalina for testing purposes, more than two weeks after seeding the fifth macOS Catalina beta and over a month after the new Mac operating system update was first unveiled at the Worldwide Developers Conference.
The new macOS Catalina beta can be downloaded using the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences. As with all new betas, macOS Catalina should not be installed on a primary machine because it is early release software and has bugs.
macOS Catalina eliminates the iTunes app, splitting it into Music, Podcasts, and TV apps. The Apple Music and Apple Podcasts apps are available now, while the Apple TV app is coming later this year.
The three new apps offer similar functionality to iTunes, but are split up by feature. iOS device management is still available on the Mac, but it's now done through the Finder rather than iTunes.
With a new Sidecar feature, you can turn your iPad into a second display for your Mac with just the click of a button. The Apple Pencil works with Sidecar, so you can turn your iPad into a drawing tablet in apps like Photoshop and Illustrator.
Your Apple Watch can be used to approve security prompts for passwords and other info in macOS Catalina, and Macs with a T2 chip now support Activation Lock, making them more secure. There's a new Find My that brings the Find My Mac app to the Mac for the first time and even lets you track your devices when they're offline, or, in the case of notebooks, closed.
Screen Time is available on the Mac as well as iOS devices, and Project Catalyst, a new Apple initiative, will let developers easily port their iPad apps over to the Mac to increase the number of Mac apps available.
There's a new Photos interface that surfaces your best photos organized by day, month, or year, there's a new start page in Safari, Mail has new tools for muting email threads and blocking senders, and the Reminders app has been overhauled. 32-bit apps no longer work in macOS Catalina, which is something to be aware of before installing the beta.
Apple plans to start selling Powerbeats Pro in Ivory, Moss, and Navy starting starting on August 22 at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time from the online Apple Store.
After orders for the new colors open on August 22, Apple plans to ship the headphones out on August 30, the same day the Powerbeats Pro will be available in retail stores.
Apple started selling Powerbeats Pro in May after introducing them in April, but only the black color was available at launch. Apple said that it would make the other colors available at a later date.
Powerbeats Pro are a wire-free version of Apple's popular fitness-oriented Powerbeats earbuds. Like the AirPods, Powerbeats Pro feature a dedicated charging case that offers 24 hours of battery life and an H1 chip for fast connectivity to your devices, device switching, and Hey Siri support.
Apple's Powerbeats Pro are priced at $249.95 in the United States. For more on the Powerbeats Pro features, make sure to check out our guide.
Apple is going to charge $4.99 per month, according to details about the service discovered by 9to5Mac. Screenshots of an early Apple Arcade test were found over the weekend, and now prospective pricing has also been leaked.
The $4.99 price point is apparently listed in one of the APIs used in the App Store app. A promotional message says that Apple Arcade will cost $4.99 per month, with one-month free trial available.
Apple previously said that the monthly subscription price for Apple Arcade will provide access to all members of the family who participate in Family Sharing, which means that up to six people will be able to play games for the $4.99 fee.
$4.99 per month is very affordable for a subscription service that provides access to dozens of games. Apple has said there will be somewhere around 100 games available at launch, with no ads or additional in-app purchases.
Apple hasn't officially announced Apple Arcade pricing, so the price could be changed ahead of when it becomes available. Apple Arcade games will be available on iOS devices, Macs, and the Apple TV.
There's no word just yet on when Apple Arcade will launch, but an ongoing employee internal test is set to end when iOS 13 launches, so that could be when Apple plans on rolling out the service.
Apple in iOS 12.4 mistakenly unpatched a vulnerability that was fixed in the iOS 12.3 update, leading to a new jailbreak available for iOS 12.4 devices, reports Motherboard.
Hackers discovered the vulnerability over the weekend and Pwn20wnd created a publicly available, free jailbreak that works on devices running the latest version of iOS or any version of iOS below iOS 12.3.
Most jailbreak code is kept private to keep Apple from patching it, so this is the first time that a public jailbreak has been available in a while. It was apparently discovered when a user tested an older jailbreak on iOS 12.4 and found the patch had been reverted.
Security researcher Jonathan Levin told Motherboard that the accidental vulnerability also once again makes iPhone users vulnerable to a "100+ day exploit," referring to how long the bug has been around.
Ned Williamson from Google Project Zero said that the bug could be exploited to install spyware on a target iPhone.
The researcher told Motherboard that "somebody could make a perfect spyware" taking advantage of Apple's mistake. For example, he said, a malicious app could include an exploit for this bug that allows it to escape the usual iOS sandbox--a mechanism that prevents apps from reaching data of other apps or the system--and steal user data.
Another scenario is a hacker including the exploit in a malicious webpage, and pairing it with a browser exploit, according to the researcher.
A third security researcher, Stefan Esser said that people should be careful what apps they download from the App Store right now. "Any such app could have a copy of the jailbreak in it," he wrote on Twitter.
Multiple users have confirmed that the jailbreak works and that their devices have been jailbroken using the new software. Apple has not commented on how or why the vulnerability was unpatched, but the company will likely have a fix available soon.
Earlier this summer, Mophie announced and launched a new line of Juice Pack Air cases for the iPhone XS and XS Max, which promise to add extra hours of battery life to your iPhone while providing drop protection. The cases offer many of the same features as Apple's 2019 Smart Battery Case line, but there are a few key differences that I found in terms of their physical design and day-to-day usefulness.
Performance
In regard to daily battery life, I found the Smart Battery Case and Juice Pack Air similar in terms of performance, with an edge given to Apple's case. The Juice Pack Air has a 1,720 mAh battery, while the Smart Battery Case has two 1,369 mAh batteries that allow it to run at a higher voltage to yield a total of 10.1 Wh of energy.
On average, the Juice Pack Air lasted until 4 p.m. during a day of normal use, and one day when I was streaming music from my iPhone to my HomePod for a few hours in the morning, the case died at 1 p.m. that afternoon. Although I found that Mophie's accessory died a bit too early in the day, my iPhone's battery was always able to make it to bedtime so I still never had to worry about finding a charging source at night, which is the entire point of battery cases.
Still, in terms of all-day battery Apple's case routinely beat Mophie's in my testing. The Smart Battery Case usually died around 6 p.m. or 7 p.m. on my normal usage days, and I'd go to bed with my iPhone at around 70-80 percent battery, compared to 30-50 percent battery with the Juice Pack Air.
On the plus side for the Juice Pack Air, it never faced repeated connection issues that are well known with the Smart Battery Case. This problem sees the accessory connect and re-connect to the iPhone randomly when it's being jostled in a pocket or a bag. Likewise, the Smart Battery Case can sometimes cease charging overnight when it's on a Qi mat, so that you'll wake up to only a half-charged case. I never faced any such issues with the Juice Pack Air, although its Qi hotspot was a bit more difficult to find on my Belkin charging mat, especially at night.
Although Mophie's Juice Pack Air for iPhone XS is not officially certified to fit the iPhone X, it functions as expected. I had no trouble with the case fitting my iPhone X or facing performance issues, so iPhone X owners interested in Mophie's new accessory don't need to worry about this side of things.
Design
The new Juice Pack Air continues Mophie's click-together design, where you slip your iPhone into the bottom portion of the case and snap the top half of the case to the top of your iPhone. This creates a visible seam on the back of the case, just above the enlarged battery portion and below the camera cutout.
The battery bump on the Juice Pack Air is smaller than Apple's, but the reason for that is because the Mophie case has more length to it -- and thus more surface area to spread out -- due to the large chin on the front of the case. While I liked how thin it felt for a battery case, I didn't like the trade off of having the large chin on the case.
Otherwise, the Juice Pack Air design is standard for an iPhone case, with a passthrough Lightning port, raised front edges, bumpers for the volume and lock buttons, and a satisfying matte finish. The case also performed well when I accidentally dropped my iPhone on concrete one day, with only one small nick near the case's camera bump cutout showing any signs of damage (my iPhone was unscathed).
It's worth noting that this is Mophie's first case that includes charging through a passthrough Lightning port. Previously, Mophie's battery cases included a MicroUSB port for passthrough wired charging. With a Lightning port -- and wireless charging -- keeping the Juice Pack Air topped off is far easier.
Juice Pack Air vs Smart Battery Case
The biggest issue I had switching from Apple's case to Mophie's was the lack of iOS integration with the Juice Pack Air. Apple's Smart Battery Case displays the battery life of the case itself every time you charge it, and in the iOS Widgets screen, making it a cinch to quickly see how much battery you have left in total. It's a small bonus, but one that became so wholly integrated into my day-to-day iPhone X usage that I felt a bit hindered without it.
In comparison, the Juice Pack Air has four small LED lights on the lower back of the case. A button to their left can be pressed and the LEDs will activate to represent how much battery is left in the case, and holding it will turn the case on to charge your iPhone.
I had an ongoing issue with guessing what battery was left in the Juice Pack Air, particularly as the LEDs would dwindle down to two or three lights fairly early in the day, and then stay at one light until around 4 or 5 p.m. For those afternoon hours, I never knew exactly how close the case was to being dead.
Turning on the two cases is also very different. With Apple's, the case simply activates the minute it's charged and is always providing battery to the iPhone. With Mophie's you have to manually activate it with a long press of the button next to the LEDs.
This is a difference that can either be a pro or con, depending on how much control you want over your battery case. I liked not having to think about turning the case on, but those who would prefer to run out their iPhone battery a little bit before it begins charging would find advantage in the Juice Pack Air.
Bottom Line
Mophie's new line of Juice Pack Air cases for the iPhone XS and XS Max offer the battery life and solid craftsmanship that's expected from Mophie, but a few of its design choices keep it from being the absolute best iPhone battery case on the market.
At $99.95, you're essentially doubling the battery life of your iPhone in an accessory that has a sleek body but unattractive chin design. For $30 more at $129.00, Apple's case just nudges out Mophie's in terms of battery life, and has a more subtle design, barring a slightly bigger battery hump.
If you need a battery case for an iPhone X, XS, or XS Max that can barely make it through the day on its own, the Juice Pack Air is still a solid choice in its price range.
How to Buy
The Juice Pack Air for iPhone XS and XS Max is available to purchase for $99.95 on Mophie.com. Colors available include Black, Gold, Navy, and Deep Red.
Note: Mophie provided MacRumors with the Juice Pack Air for iPhone XS for the purposes of this review; no other compensation was received. MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Mophie. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
After posting a brief teaser last week, Apple today shared the first official trailer for "The Morning Show" starring Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, and Steve Carell.
The trailer provides the first glimpse at each character on the show, which centers around a struggle for power behind the scenes of a network news show.
Aniston plays one of the anchors of The Morning Show, while Carell plays a former anchor who was fired following accusations made against him on the show. The trailer also reveals that Witherspoon will play a reporter who begins rising up the ranks, potentially threatening Aniston's job.
"The Morning Show" will launch this fall on Apple TV+, but Apple hasn't yet provided a release date for its new streaming service. There are quite a few other shows that will be coming out on the platform, all of which we've rounded up here.
After offering a look at its upcoming streaming service Disney+, and announcing a bundle with ESPN+ and Hulu, Disney today confirmed the devices that will support Disney+ at launch. For Apple device owners, this means that you'll be able to stream Disney+ video on Apple TV (tvOS-supported models), iPad, and iPhone on launch day (via The Verge).
The rest of the full launch lineup for supported devices includes: Android mobile devices, Android TV, Chromecast, web browsers, PlayStation 4, Roku streaming players, Roku TV, and Xbox One. Disney made no mention of supporting Amazon's Fire TV platform at launch.
The company also confirmed that customers will be able to subscribe to Disney+ on iOS devices, and several other platforms. For Apple TV, Disney said that it will integrate its content with the Apple TV app and allow users to keep all of their movies and shows organized in the Up Next list. For now, Disney said that it has nothing to announce regarding an integration with Apple TV Channels.
Today's news comes out ahead of Disney's annual D23 Expo in Anaheim, which will start this Friday, August 23. It's likely more information about Disney+ will be revealed at the event. For now, Disney has created a new Twitter page dedicated to Disney+ and shared a new introduction video about the streaming service.
Disney+ launches in the United States on November 12 at $6.99/month. Customers in Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, and New Zealand will all gain access to Disney+ in November as well.
Apple today revealed job creation figures in South Korea for the first time since entering the country two decades ago, as noted by The Korea Herald.
In a new page on its website, Apple says it has created and supports 325,000 jobs in South Korea, including 500 direct employees, 125,000 jobs through partners in the country like component manufacturers and product distributors, and 200,000 jobs through the App Store ecosystem.
Apple's direct employees in the country include designers, customer service representatives, marketing specialists, hardware and software engineers, and retail staff at its Garosugil store in Seoul.
Apple adds that Korean developers have earned 4.7 trillion won in worldwide revenue through the App Store since 2008.
Spotify is launching a new content filter feature for its Family Plan to give parents and guardians better control over what their children listen to.
The owner of the family plan master account will be able to set an Explicit Content Filter on individual sub-accounts, which will prevent the user from playing anything in the Spotify library marked as explicit.
The filter is accessed from a new Family Hub, where the master account holder can add and remove family members and update the family address. The ability to set the content filter will be password protected to add an extra layer of security.
Apart from the new content filter, Spotify is also introducing a new Family Mix feature, which gives the whole family access to personalized playlists. The changes are rolling out today in Ireland and coming soon to other regions and territories where the family plan is offered.
Spotify's $14.99 Family Plan allows up to six people to jump on board the same subscription to the streaming service, although Spotify does expect all members to live under the same roof.
The German site has published several marketing images of what's apparently going to be called the Sonos Move, the first speaker of its kind by the audio electronics company.
As the pictures reveal, the speaker comes with a stationary base station, while an integrated handle allows the Sonos Move to be easily undocked and used as a Bluetooth portable speaker.
A Bluetooth/Wi-Fi toggle switch is located on the rear of the speaker in a recessed space, along with a power button and a pairing button. Below that is a USB Type-C port for charging the device and two pins for docking the speaker in the base station.
The existence of the device was confirmed last week in an FCC filing. Shortly afterwards, The Verge learned that it's both taller and slightly wider than the Sonos One, and that it supports AirPlay 2 as well as hands-free voice commands from Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
We still haven't heard any details about the battery life or possible waterproofing, but Sonos has sent out media invites for a press event on August 26, when we expect the Sonos Move will be officially unveiled.
Version 17 of Ulysses was released today, bringing some much-requested features to the popular Mac and iOS app for writers.
First up, the developers have brought keyword management to the iOS app, following the introduction of the feature on Mac in spring.
You can now edit or delete keywords, customize colors, and merge several keywords into one, whichever device you're working on.
You can also mark your most-used keywords as favorites for easy access within the app, with full keyword sync across Mac and iOS.
Regular Ulysses users will be familiar with the app's ability to export their texts as a formatted PDF or DOCX document. In this latest release, four new export styles are included.
Business is for laying out reports and strategy papers. Academica is for lecture notes. Review is suited for on-paper editing (the style reproduces comments and text deletions and comes with a large margin for hand-written notes).
Finally, Manuscript is geared to the U.S. layout standards used for submitting literary works to publishers.
In addition to the above, this version shows image captions in image previews, and for iPad users, there's a completely overhauled fullscreen mode that puts your text front and center.
There are no onscreen toolbars, and sidebars slide into view for quick interactions before sliding out again to keep you focused. With an external keyboard attached, the same Mac shortcut Command-Control-F opens and closes fullscreen mode, and the shortcut bar is hidden.
Elsewhere in this update, there's added support for previewing image captions in the editor and exporting them to PDF and DOCX documents, and a handful of bug fixes have been implemented.
Ulysses can be downloaded for free on the App Store and the Mac App Store, with version 17 rolling out to existing users today.
After a 14-day trial period, a subscription is required to unlock the app on all devices. A monthly subscription costs $4.99, while a yearly subscription is $39.99. Students can use Ulysses at a discounted price of $11.99 per six months. The discount is granted from within the app.
Apple CEO Tim Cook and U.S. President Donald Trump met for dinner on Friday evening, and Trump has since told reporters that the two discussed the impact of U.S. tariffs on Apple products imported from China.
Melania Trump, Donald Trump, and Tim Cook in August 2018
Trump said Cook "made a good case" that tariffs could put Apple at a disadvantage given that rival Samsung's products would be less impacted by the tariffs, according to Reuters. "I thought he made a very compelling argument, so I'm thinking about it," Trump said, speaking at an airport in Morristown, New Jersey.
The U.S. plans to impose an additional 10 percent tariff on approximately $300 billion of Chinese imports on September 1, but last week it delayed the tariff to December 15 for products including the iPhone, iPad, and MacBooks. Other products like the Apple Watch, AirPods, and HomePod are still set to be impacted September 1.
In a letter to the Trump administration in June, Apple urged against the tariffs, claiming that they would reduce the company's contribution to the U.S. economy and weigh on its global competitiveness.
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Apple today sent out emails to customers about its latest Apple Pay promo, which will see the company donating $10 to the National Park Foundation for Apple Pay purchases made from the Apple Store.
From August 17 to August 25, Apple will make a $10 donation with every Apple Pay purchase made at any Apple retail store, the Apple.com website, or the Apple Store app.
The National Park Foundation is the charitable partner of the National Park Service, and it aims to "enhance everyone's ability to enjoy the natural, cultural, and historic treasures within America's national parks."
Apple's new Apple Pay promotion comes ahead of a National Park Fee-Free day, which takes place on August 25. On this day, admission is free for all national parks that normally have a fee for entry.
On August 25, earn an award inspired by Grand Canyon National Park’s 100th anniversary. Record a walk, run, hike, or wheelchair workout of at least three miles (4.8KM) - the distance of the South Kaibab Trail to Cedar Ridge and back. #AppleWatch#CloseYourRingspic.twitter.com/JygWIXcnzP
— Kyle Seth Gray (@kylesethgray) August 14, 2019
August 25 is the date of Apple's next Apple Watch challenge, which will ask participants to record a walk, run, or hike of at least three miles to win a Grand Canyon-themed award, and it is also the National Park Service's birthday.
Apple Arcade, Apple's upcoming subscription-based gaming service, was first introduced in March and is set to launch this fall.
Ahead of the upcoming launch, Apple has debuted an early access program for its employees, with screenshots and details shared by 9to5Mac this morning. Apple employees are able to access Apple Arcade for $0.49 per month, with a one month free trial available.
Apple Arcade games will be available on the Mac, iOS App Store, and Apple TV, with the screenshots shared today sourced from the Mac App Store. The Apple Arcade tab in Apple's App Stores will feature a selection of highlighted games and different game categories.
Many of the games in development for Apple Arcade have been previously announced, but here are a few Apple is highlighting, along with their descriptions:
Way of the Turtle: "Play as two curious turtles lost on a cursed island in the middle of nowhere. Obtain shells containing special powers such as dash and attack to defeat enemies and overcome different challenges."
Down in Bermuda: "Adventurous aviator Milton left his loving wife and daughter to voyage across the Atlantic on the journey of a lifetime."
Hot Lava: "Hot Lava transports you back to your childhood imagination. Relive those moments of excitement, joy and chaos. Run, jump, climb and surf in first person across nostalgia-packed environments flooded with hot molten lava."
According to 9to5Mac, most of the games right now are still in-development builds, and other titles available to employees include "Sneaky Sasquatch", "Kings of the Castle", "Frogger in Toy Town" and "Lame Game 2."
Apple hasn't shared details on what Apple Arcade will be priced at when it debuts, but it looks like there may be a one-month free trial available for those who would like to try it out.
Apple has said there will be somewhere around 100 games at launch, with no ads and no additional in-app purchases. A single subscription will also allow for up to six family members to access games.
There's no word on when Apple Arcade will launch, but the internal employee test is set to end when iOS 13 launches, so that could potentially be when Apple Arcade will be made available.
New leaked assets from the watchOS 6 beta suggest Apple plans to launch new ceramic and titanium Apple Watch models as early as next month.
Discovered by iHelpBR, the assets belong to the initial Apple Watch setup screen animation, which resembles the rear design of the watch including the model type and the words "Designed by Apple in California."
The firmware assets clearly reference a 44mm titanium case and a 44mm ceramic case. iHelpBR has also found analogous assets for the 40mm size Apple Watch model.
Back in February, respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted Apple would introduce a "new ceramic casing design" to its Apple Watch line-up, and these assets do appear to back up that claim.
Apple introduced "Edition" models with the Apple Watch Series 2 that were made from ceramic. Prices started at $1,299, which it continued offering when the Series 3 Apple Watches came out, but Apple discontinued the Edition models when the Series 4 launched last year.
Current Apple Watch models do have a ceramic back, but the assets indicate Apple will revisit a new high end ceramic model in 2019. And it looks like we can also expect an entirely new titanium model – a material perhaps currently in favor at Apple following work on its just-released titanium Apple Card.
Apple Watch Series 2 ceramic model in white
It's not clear if the titanium casing will replace stainless steel or become an additional option. Another unanswered question is whether these materials will be exclusive to a new Apple Watch Series 5, or also be offered as extra case material options for existing models.
According to the latest prediction from Kuo, Japan Display will supply the OLED displays for new Apple Watch Series 5 models slated to launch in the second half of 2019. Beyond that, we know very little about what to expect about the Series 5.
Apple is expected to unveil its new iPhone lineup on September 10, so it's likely these Apple Watch models will be unveiled during the same event.
We're just a few weeks away from the unveiling of this year's iPhone lineup as well as the official release of iOS 13 and Apple's other new operating system versions, and we're continuing to hear hardware rumors as Apple tidies up its software.
Apple Card continues to roll out to more users in the U.S., while there's a new controversy over Apple preventing users of its latest iPhones with batteries replaced outside of authorized sales channels from seeing battery health information. As always, read on for a full recap of the biggest stories from this week.
'iPhone 11 Pro' Rumored to Be Name of High-End 2019 iPhone
Apple is widely expected to unveil a trio of new iPhones next month, and ahead of time, an anonymous Twitter account with a proven track record has suggested that at least one of the models will have "Pro" within its name, such as "iPhone Pro" or "iPhone 11 Pro."
This year's iPhone lineup is expected to include two higher-end 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch OLED models and one lower-end 6.1-inch LCD model. Rumored features include triple-lens rear cameras on the higher-end models, larger batteries, two-way charging of AirPods, and more.
In a YouTube video this week, we highlighted the Apple Card sign up process, how it works, what it looks like, and how the titanium card feels in person for those who haven't yet had a chance to sign up.
On a Chinese Q&A website, the person also claimed that at least one of the new iPhones will be available in an all-new dark green color with a matte appearance, in line with a few previous rumors.
This information has not been confirmed and could certainly be faked, so this falls into the "sketchy rumor" category for now.
Triple-Lens Rear Cameras Rumored for Next iPad Pro Range, Dual-Lens for New Entry-Level iPad
Meanwhile, the rumored 10.2-inch iPad is said to feature a dual-lens rear camera array like the iPhone XS series. This model is expected to succeed the low-cost 9.7-inch iPad in Apple's tablet lineup.
Reports are conflicting about whether the next iPad Pro models will be released in the fall, like last year, or in spring 2020.
Apple on iPhone Battery Locking Issue: We Want to Make Sure Battery Replacement is Done Properly
While repair website iFixit described the feature as a "dormant software lock," Apple has responded by saying "we take the safety of our customers very seriously and want to make sure any battery replacement is done properly." Apple also says the notification does not impact the ability to use an iPhone after an unauthorized repair.
MacRumors Newsletter
Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.
Apple in iOS 13 made changes to the way location tracking permissions work, and there's no longer an option for apps to ask to "Always Allow" location tracking.
Instead, Apple allows users to select "Allow While Using the App," "Allow Once," or "Don't Allow," which some app creators have taken offense to. The leaders of seven companies that make apps for iOS devices banded together to write an email to Apple CEO Tim Cook to speak out about the changes, with the details shared by The Information.
There's no longer an "Always Allow" option on privacy popups in iOS 13 for enabling permanent location access
The companies that wrote to Cook are upset that there's no longer a readily available "Always Allow" option. Users can still turn on "Always Allow" in the Privacy section of the Settings app, but it's not available by default and requires additional steps.
As an example, Zenly, a location tracking app owned by Snap, needs to have location tracking on permanently to function. Since there's no option to turn on "Always Allow," Zenly has to have a clunky secondary display screen that instructs users to open up the Privacy settings on their iPhones to change the location setting. This makes consumers more aware of apps that are tracking them continually, but it is an extra step that app developers must contend with.
Apps that want continual location data must instruct customers to enable it in the Settings app
According to the companies who wrote to Cook, the changes could potentially lead users to think their apps are broken unless they're "savvy enough" tweak Privacy settings. These are the companies whose leaders wrote to Cook about the privacy changes:
Tile - Makes tracking devices for wallets, keys, and other objects.
Arity - A company owned by Allstate that developers technology for measuring driver risk.
Life360 - An app for sharing location with family and friends.
Zenly - A location sharing app owned by Snap.
Zendrive - A company that makes driver assessment apps.
Twenty - A social networking app for finding friends nearby.
Happn - A dating app.
The app creators suggested Apple create a two-step process that would let users grant apps access to locations as a solution, but it's not clear if Apple has plans to implement changes.
The companies were also concerned about changes Apple is making to a VoIP feature designed to let apps run in the background to listen for calls, but that was being abused for other tracking purposes. Apple doesn't plan to let developers use Apple's PushKit API for anything beyond voice calls in iOS 13.
While the companies admit that apps used this feature for tracking user location and for gathering data, they claim the change will hurt important app features. As an example, Life360 reportedly uses the feature to access a user's location to dispatch emergency services when a customer is involved in a car accident.
The email ends by pointing out that Apple's own apps do not need to get user permission to access user location, such as for Find My, which is built into the iPhone as a way to keep track of iOS and macOS devices.
"Like you, we are committed to ensuring that privacy is a top priority, but are concerned that the current implementation will create user confusion that actually undermines this goal," the e-mail to Cook reads. "The changes also have the added effect of removing critical geolocation functionality while simultaneously not applying to Apple's own apps, some of which compete with the products we develop."
In response to questions about the email, an Apple spokesperson told The Information that Apple's goal is to make the App Store a safe, trusted source for apps and to give its users the best products and ecosystem in the world.
We take responsibility for ensuring that apps are held to a high standard for privacy, security and content because nothing is more important than maintaining the trust of our users. Users trust Apple--and that trust is critical to how we operate a fair, competitive store for developer app distribution. Any changes we make to hardware, software or system level apps is in service to the user, their privacy and providing them the best products and ecosystem in the world.
In addition, Apple said that it is working with some of the companies that signed the email to find alternative methods for features that are being obsoleted, such as background tracking for purposes other than voice calls.
Apple also says that while system apps like Find My don't need to make location tracking requests from users, some Apple apps distributed through the App Store will abide by Apple's processes for requesting user permission to access location information. The full report with additional details can be read over at The Information.
Along with many new features for the iPhone and the iPad, iOS 13 brings updates to CarPlay, overhauling the interface for the first time in years and adding useful new functionality.
In our latest YouTube video, we went hands-on with CarPlay in iOS 13 to give MacRumors readers an idea of what's new with Apple's in-car platform.
CarPlay in iOS 13 has a redesigned and revamped Home screen with new table views, rounded corners, and an updated Home button that swaps between a dashboard icon and an app row icon depending on what app you're using.
The new tile-like user interface displays the Maps app, Shortcuts, Siri suggestions, Music Now Playing interface, and upcoming Calendar events all at a glance, which is convenient. Tapping on any of the tiles opens up the relevant app. You can, of course, still access the standard icon list from previous versions of CarPlay with a swipe.
In the new Calendar app, you can see all of your upcoming events for the day, which is useful for when you get in the car in the morning. If a calendar event has a location associated with it, you can tap on the event and get directions to where you need to go.
Maps has an updated look and feel, and it takes advantage of all of the features in iOS 13. In supported areas, there's better detail for roads, buildings, parks, and more, and you can use the Favorites and Collections features to route to saved locations. It's also easier to find points of interest along your current route in Maps.
Siri in Maps uses more natural language, which is a great update. As an example, instead of hearing "Turn right in 1,000 feet," Siri might instead say "turn right at the next traffic light."
Updates to the Music app make it easier to navigate through your music library, playlists, radio stations, and more, so you can find just what you want to hear with little effort. The Now Playing UI has also been updated with album art throughout the entire CarPlay interface, which is an improvement over CarPlay in iOS 12.
There's Siri support for third-party navigation apps, so you can ask Siri to do something like route you home using the Waze app instead of Apple Maps. In the future, Siri support could also come to music apps like Spotify in CarPlay thanks to new SiriKit APIs. You're also now able to use "Hey Siri" across all vehicles for easier Siri activation.
For those with HomeKit products like garage door openers, there's a handy Siri suggestions feature that does things like bring up an icon to open up your garage when you approach home. There are multiple Siri suggestions like this that are going to vary based on your CarPlay usage, but it's definitely a neat and useful addition.
CarPlay has a Settings app in iOS 13, so you can adjust Do Not Disturb While Driving, turn Siri on and off, turn off album art, and switch the appearance between the default dark mode and a new lighter user interface.
Also new to CarPlay is support for using CarPlay and your iPhone at the same time. In earlier versions of CarPlay, if you had Maps up but wanted to do something like change the music on your phone, it would kick you out of Maps on CarPlay. That's not the case anymore, so now you can have Maps up while doing other things on your iPhone.
All in all, iOS 13 brings some much needed changes to the CarPlay experience, and it should be a welcome update for CarPlay users. Know of an iOS 13 CarPlay feature that we left out? Let us know in the comments.
