Apple today seeded the third betas of upcoming iOS and iPadOS 13.3 updates to developers, one week after seeding second betas and three weeks after the release of iOS 13.2 and iPadOS 13.2 with new emoji, Siri privacy controls, Deep Fusion, and more.
iOS and iPadOS 13.3 can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center or over the air after the proper developer profile has been installed.
iOS 13.3 introduces Communication Limits for Screen Time, a feature that Apple promised would be coming in an iOS 13 update. Communication Limits allow parents to control who their children are able to contact both during downtime and during Screen Time.
Communication Limits include FaceTime, Phone, and Messages, along with iCloud contacts. Calls to emergency numbers are always allowed and will turn off communication limits for 24 hours when placed.
The update includes support for NFC, USB, and Lightning FIDO2-compliant security keys in Safari. That means physical security keys like the Lightning-equipped YubiKey can be used for more secure two-factor authentication in place of a software-based two-factor authentication option.
In the Keyboards section of the Settings app (under General), there's a new toggle that prevents Animoji and Memoji stickers from being displayed as an option on the Emoji Keyboard, and when editing a video, there's an option to save the edited version as a new clip rather than saving over the original.
Apple has also tweaked the Apple Watch app icon, changing the color of the Digital Crown from black to gray.
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle.
Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
Language learning app Duolingo has apparently been using the iPhone's Live Activity feature to display ads on the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island, which violates Apple's design guidelines.
According to multiple reports on Reddit, the Duolingo app has been displaying an ad for a "Super offer," which is Duolingo's paid subscription option.
Apple's guidelines for Live Activity state that...
The company behind the BlackBerry-like Clicks Keyboard accessory for the iPhone today unveiled a new Android 16 smartphone called the Clicks Communicator.
The purpose-built device is designed to be used as a second phone alongside your iPhone, with the intended focus being communication over content consumption. It runs a custom Android launcher that offers a curated selection of messaging...
Apple plans to introduce a 12.9-inch MacBook in spring 2026, according to TrendForce.
In a press release this week, the Taiwanese research firm said this MacBook will be aimed at the entry-level to mid-range market, with "competitive pricing."
TrendForce did not share any further details about this MacBook, but the information that it shared lines up with several rumors about a more...
Apple is planning to release a low-cost MacBook in 2026, which will apparently compete with more affordable Chromebooks and Windows PCs. Apple's most affordable Mac right now is the $999 MacBook Air, and the upcoming low-cost MacBook is expected to be cheaper. Here's what we know about the low-cost MacBook so far.
Size
Rumors suggest the low-cost MacBook will have a display that's around 13 ...
Apple today announced a number of updates to Apple Fitness+ and activity with the Apple Watch.
The key announcements include:
New Year limited-edition award: Users can win the award by closing all three Activity Rings for seven days in a row in January.
"Quit Quitting" Strava challenge: Available in Strava throughout January, users who log 12 workouts anytime in the month will win an ...
Govee today introduced three new HomeKit-compatible lighting products, including the Govee Floor Lamp 3, the Govee Ceiling Light Ultra, and the Govee Sky Ceiling Light.
The Govee Floor Lamp 3 is the successor to the Floor Lamp 2, and it offers Matter integration with the option to connect to HomeKit. The Floor Lamp 3 offers an upgraded LuminBlend+ lighting system that can reproduce 281...
Why do you have to type in your iPhone password when starting the software update? I mean, isn't FaceID secure enough???
Apple explains this in their security white paper:
In the case of an Over-The-Air (OTA) software update, the user is prompted for their passcode when initiating the update. This is used to securely create a one-time Unlock Token, which unlocks the user keybag after the update. This token can’t be generated without entering the user’s passcode, and any previously generated token is invalidated if the user’s passcode changed.
There's more details there, if you're curious. Look for Escrow keybag. I pulled the text from the iOS 12.3 white paper. If there's one for 13 I haven't seen it yet.
so after all the fuss about animoji & memoji and emojis, someone came to their senses over there and now we can turn the whole bloody show off via a keyboard toggle. Thank goodness. Granted a couple of the emoji are useful (red dot, green check etc) but it has become so overwhelming that I never wanted to open up that Pandora's box anymore.
Why do you have to type in your iPhone password when starting the software update? I mean, isn't FaceID secure enough???
FaceID can handle 2 faces. Let's say I decide to give my child one of those slots so they can play on my phone. Do I really want a 5 year old deciding to install an update? Probably not. Or the other face belongs to my wife. Again, I wouldn't want her to install an update on my phone without my knowledge.
My boys are actually 17 and 22 and have their own devices and I don't let ANYONE else into my phone. But it's a possibility that ought to be considered. Especially with the older TouchID system where you could in theory have 4 other people who could unlock your phone.
The other explanation I've heard is that your passcode is your security. FaceID is a quick and easy way to bypass that security. It's a biometric convenience, not the actual security itself. Which is why you need to enter your passcode after a reboot or when doing something as important as updating the entire OS.
There's some (possibly) lame excuses that may or may not satisfy your curiosity. Honestly, it's a question I've asked myself and I all I could come up with was "extra security". Like asking "Are you sure?" before deleting a file.
