Apple today released the first beta of iOS 14.2 to developers for testing purposes, and the new update introduces a Music Recognition control for the Control Center.
The new feature lets you discover music playing around you and it recognizes the music playing with in apps, even when you're wearing AirPods. Songs pop up as notifications, and you can tap to listen in Apple Music.
Shazam's Music Recognition feature can be added to Control Center through the Control Center options in the Settings app. To use the feature, open up Control Center and then tap on the Shazam icon to initiate a single recognition.
Apple devices have long been able to recognize songs through Shazam, but doing so at the current time requires asking Siri to identify a song or opening up the Shazam app for iOS devices. The new Control Center feature will make it easier to get a song recognized with minimal effort.
With today's update, Apple has also added a new music feature that displays Apple Music suggestions in the Control Center Now Playing widget when music is not being actively played. Redesigned media controls also make it easier to see and control AirPlay-connected devices like Apple TVs and speakers.
For those who have low vision, Apple introduced a new "People Detection" feature in the Magnifier app that is designed to use the camera to let iPhone users know how far away other people are.
The new iOS 14.2 beta will likely be in testing for some time as Apple works on releasing new iPhones. We're expecting new iPhones to debut sometime in October.
Monday January 26, 2026 1:55 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today introduced its first two physical products of 2026: a second-generation AirTag and the Black Unity Connection Braided Solo Loop for the Apple Watch.
Read our coverage of each announcement to learn more:Apple Unveils New AirTag With Longer Range, Louder Speaker, and More
Apple Introduces New Black Unity Apple Watch BandBoth the new AirTag and the Black Unity Connection Braided...
Thursday January 29, 2026 10:07 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today confirmed to Reuters that it has acquired Q.ai, an Israeli startup that is working on artificial intelligence technology for audio.
Apple paid close to $2 billion for Q.ai, according to sources cited by the Financial Times. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone and audio brand Beats in 2014.
Q.ai has...
Monday January 26, 2026 3:56 pm PST by Juli Clover
Alongside iOS 26.2.1, Apple today released an updated version of iOS 12 for devices that are still running that operating system update, eight years after the software was first released.
iOS 12.5.8 is available for the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 6, meaning Apple is continuing to support these devices for 13 and 12 years after launch, respectively. The iPhone 5s came out in September 2013,...
Tuesday January 27, 2026 2:39 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Update: Apple Creator Studio is now available.
Apple Creator Studio launches this Wednesday, January 28. The all-in-one subscription provides access to the Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Motion, Compressor, and MainStage apps, with U.S. pricing set at $12.99 per month or $129 per year.
A subscription to Apple Creator Studio also unlocks "intelligent features" and "premium...
Friday January 30, 2026 5:40 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple CEO Tim Cook believes that his company will have opportunities to deliver "innovations that have never been seen before" this year.
"As I said at the beginning of my remarks, this was, in so many ways, a remarkable quarter for Apple, and we're excited for all the opportunities we'll have in the year ahead to deliver innovations that have never been seen before and enrich the lives of...
LMAO i was just bitching about Shazam removing the widget and not adding a new widget to replace it. I went as far as posting a shortcut as a widget just for them to pull this out the bag! ?
