MacRumors

Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming watchOS 7.4 update to developers for testing purposes, with the new beta coming two weeks after the release of the first beta and three weeks after the launch of watchOS 7.3 with "Time to Walk" functionality, expanded ECG availability, and a new Unity watch face.

To install the ‌watchOS 7.4 beta, developers need to download the proper configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center. Once the profile is in place, the watchOS 7.4 beta can be downloaded through the dedicated ‌Apple Watch‌ app on the iPhone by going to General > Software Update.

To update to the new software, the ‌Apple Watch‌ needs to have 50 percent battery life, it must be placed on the charger, and it must be in range of the ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌‌‌‌‌.

Alongside iOS 14.5, watchOS 7.4 introduces a new "Unlock with Apple Watch" feature that lets an ‌iPhone‌ with Face ID use an unlocked and authenticated Apple Watch as a secondary authentication measure when you're wearing a mask, alleviating the need to enter a passcode to unlock the ‌iPhone‌.

‌Face ID‌ does not work when wearing a mask, but this new Apple Watch feature provides an easy but still secure way to access the ‌iPhone‌ without the hassle of a passcode. It's similar to the Apple Watch unlocking on Mac and can be enabled in the Settings app under ‌Face ID‌ & Passcode.

An unlocked Apple Watch paired with ‌Face ID‌ can unlock the ‌iPhone‌ when a mask is worn, but it's only for mask usage. The Apple Watch cannot be used to authenticate Apple Pay or App Store purchases, nor can it be used to unlock apps that require a ‌Face ID‌ scan. In these situations, the mask will need to be removed or a passcode/password will need to be used instead.

When the Apple Watch unlocks the ‌iPhone‌, you'll feel a haptic tap on the wrist and will receive a notification on the watch, similar to how it works when using the watch to unlock a Mac.

For those who use Apple Fitness+, the watchOS 7.4 update combined with iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5 enables AirPlay 2 for Apple Fitness+, so workouts can be streamed to an ‌AirPlay‌ 2-enabled TV or set-top box. Apple Watch metrics do not show up on the screen when AirPlayed, however, and that feature is limited to ‌iPhone‌/iPad/Apple TV.

watchOS 7.4 is going to be available in a beta capacity for several weeks, with Apple planning to release the update in the early spring.

Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming tvOS 14.5 update to developers for testing purposes, with the new beta software coming two weeks after Apple released the first tvOS 14.5 beta.

Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV, the tvOS 14.5 developer beta can be downloaded onto the ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌Apple TV‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌ via a profile that's installed using Xcode.

tvOS 14.5 brings support for the latest PlayStation 5 DualSense and Xbox Series X controllers, which can be used to play games from the tvOS App Store and Apple Arcade.

Support for the new controllers has also been included in iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5, so the latest gaming controller options from Sony and Microsoft are now compatible with Apple's product lineup.

We don't yet know if there's anything else included in tvOS 14.5 in terms of features because tvOS updates are often minor in scale, but the release of tvOS will see Apple begin enforcing its new App Tracking Transparency rules, with developers now required to ask for and receive a user's permission to access their random advertising identifier (known as the IDFA) to track user activity across apps and websites for ad customization purposes.

Going forward, when an app wants to access a person's advertising identifier on tvOS, users will have a prompt with options to "Allow Tracking" or "Ask App Not to Track." Selecting "Ask App Not to Track" will prevent the app's developer from accessing the user's IDFA, and developers will also have to respect the user's tracking preference and refrain from using other invasive cross-app tracking methods.

The main tvOS 14 update released in September brought expanded Picture in Picture support, new HomeKit integration with HomeKit Secure Video cameras, support for multiple ‌Apple Arcade‌ profiles, and more, with details available in our tvOS 14 roundup.

If you've logged into the App Store this morning and have noticed that there's no update button next to apps that you want to update, you're not alone.

There appears to be an ‌App Store‌ bug that is preventing the "Update" button that's normally displayed alongside apps from being visible, preventing apps from being updated one by one.

The update button bug seems to come and go, and not all users may be seeing it. Those that are will not see the individual update buttons when viewing app updates under their profiles in the ‌App Store‌.

If you want to update your apps, the "Update All" button remains available and functional, and you can also tap over to any app's ‌App Store‌ description page to install an update.

Password management software LastPass is changing for free users, with the company today announcing that it no longer plans to provide free access on both computers and mobile devices. Instead, those using the free plan must choose a device type to use the service with.

Starting on March 16, 2021, those who do not pay for LastPass will need to decide if they want to use LastPass on mobile devices like the iPhone and iPad or on computers. Choosing ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌ will disable access on laptops and desktop computers, and choosing computers will disable access on mobile devices.

To use LastPass on all devices, a LastPass Premium account is required. LastPass Premium is priced starting at $3 per month when billed annually. LastPass is offering a discount at the current time that brings the price down to $2.25 per month.

For free users, the first login on or after March 16 will set the active device type, and LastPass is providing three opportunities to switch preferred devices.

Along with the access change, as of May 17, 2021, email support will be limited to Premium and Families customers. LastPass free account holders will have access to the Support Center with self-help resources and access to the LastPass Community.

Accessory maker Hyper today announced the release of the HyperJuice Magnetic Wireless Charging Stand, a MagSafe-compatible mount for charging any iPhone 12 model and AirPods in a wireless charging case simultaneously.

While the mount is compatible with the MagSafe system, it is not an official MagSafe accessory, so iPhone 12 charging speeds are limited to up to 7.5W like other wireless Qi chargers. For faster wireless charging up to 15W, options include Apple's MagSafe Charger and MagSafe Duo Charger, and Belkin's 3-in-1 Boost Charge Pro.

Hyper's mount features a stainless steel and aluminum design with adjustable iPhone viewing angles, an LED charging indicator, and a 20W USB-C input.

The mount is available starting today on Hyper's website and at select retailers for $59.99.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner Hyper Shop. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

A new Apple patent published today by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office describes an iPhone display that, with high refresh mode enabled, may be capable of updating content at two times, three times, or even four times the native refresh rate, as reported by Patently Apple. For example, an ‌iPhone‌ with a 60Hz display would be able to increase its variable refresh rate to 120Hz, 180Hz, or 240Hz automatically.

For those unfamiliar, refresh rate refers to how many times a display refreshes every second. (The higher the refresh rate, the smoother the content on the display will be.) All current iPhones have a refresh rate of 60Hz, but since 2017, all iPad Pro models have featured ProMotion technology, enabling a variable refresh rate of up to 120Hz.

Rumors of 120Hz coming to the ‌iPhone‌ 12 proved to be untrue, but there is renewed confidence that ProMotion will make an appearance on the iPhone 13. During the rumor cycle last year, some claimed that the ‌iPhone‌ 12 would automatically switch between 60Hz and 120Hz depending on what the user was doing on their device in an effort to preserve battery life. While the ability for a device to switch between 60Hz and 120Hz is not new, the patent describing the ability for an ‌iPhone‌ to push the refresh rate to as high as 180Hz or 240Hz is.

The lack of a 120Hz refresh rate on the ‌iPhone‌ so far could be linked to the fact that Apple tends to treads carefully when adding features such as ProMotion that could be detrimental to battery life or systemwide performance. Rumors suggest that Apple will overcome this power consumption dilemma by adopting low-power LTPO display technology for iPhone 13 models, allowing for 120Hz without a significant impact on battery life.

A higher refresh rate could be beneficial for several use cases, such as gaming and augmented reality. If a user is simply watching a movie or messaging a friend, the display could switch back to its 60Hz native refresh rate as a means to save battery life.

This week, new rumors claimed that alongside a 120Hz refresh rate, the ‌iPhone 13‌ lineup will also have an always-on-display. Always-on displays allow users to see certain information, such as the time, date, or battery life, at all times. All high-end iPhones since the ‌iPhone‌ X have featured OLED displays, meaning each pixel is individually controlled, allowing the device to only light up the pixels needed to show users limited information, preserving battery life.

Apple today announced the launch of its inaugural Entrepreneur Camp for Black Founders and Developers with leaders and their teams from 13 app companies.

Apple says the program is designed to give developers the opportunity to improve their existing apps through hands-on technology labs, one-on-one code-level guidance from Apple experts and engineers, and mentorship from top Apple leaders.

"These incredible app creators and business leaders embody the entrepreneurial spirit that runs so deep in the Black community," said Lisa Jackson, Apple's vice president of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives, including Racial Equity and Justice. "Their work already demonstrates the power of coding to build a better world, and we're honored to support them as they blaze a trail we know so many more will follow."

In addition, Apple is partnering with New York-based venture capital firm Harlem Capital to offer guidance and mentorship to the participants. This partnership is part of Apple's $100 million Racial Equity and Justice Initiative, which is focused on advancing racial equity in education, the economy, and the criminal justice system.

Apple's press release includes a "Meet the Developers" section highlighting the participants.

Apple may launch a foldable iPhone with a 7-inch OLED display and Apple Pencil support as soon as 2023, according to global technology research firm Omdia.

In analysis cited by investment research firm EqualOcean, spotted by iPhone in Canada, Omdia predicts that Apple will launch its long-rumored foldable iPhone in 2023. The device is said to have a display size in the range of 7.3 to 7.6-inches and feature an OLED panel.

Omdia, a global communications and digital media research organization, predicts that Apple may launch a 7.3-7.6-inch foldable OLED smartphone in 2023 and add an activity pen to its foldable iPhone.

While the machine learning translation of the original report predicts support for an "activity pen," it seems likely that this is actually referring to the ‌Apple Pencil‌, or at least a variant of the existing iPad accessory of the same name.

Apple Pencil support has been rumored for the iPhone intermittently for some years, but the feature has never materialized. In spite of this, there is a clearer motive behind bringing ‌Apple Pencil‌ support to a larger foldable iPhone. With a display as large as 7.6-inches, the foldable ‌iPhone‌ would be almost as large as the iPad mini, which has a 7.9-inch display. The ‌iPad mini‌ has supported the ‌Apple Pencil‌ since 2019, so it would make sense for a foldable ‌iPhone‌ with roughly the same display size to support it too.

The ‌Apple Pencil‌ excels in illustration, handwriting, and productivity tasks that demand fine control, so Apple may have determined that its main utilities could not be significantly taken advantage of on smaller iPhones in recent years. With a display said to be almost as large as the ‌iPad mini‌, there is a much clearer use-case for the ‌Apple Pencil‌ on a 7-inch foldable ‌iPhone‌.

The report mirrors previous speculation when it comes to the OLED display panel. Apple's rumored foldable ‌iPhone‌ has been said to feature an OLED display, namely from Samsung, according to reports of internal durability testing and display sample orders.

In January, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that Apple was testing foldable iPhones with a range of display sizes. A recent report from Taiwanese website Economic Daily News claimed that two prototype foldable iPhones had passed internal tests, and said that the device could launch in late 2022 or 2023.

Rumors about Apple working on a foldable ‌‌iPhone‌‌ date back to 2016, and the company has filed a significant number of patents related to a foldable ‌iPhone‌. There has been an increasing number of reports surrounding the device in recent months, with more details emerging and even a timeframe for launch gradually taking shape.

Doppler is getting a significant update next week, bringing some notable track and album features to the increasingly popular third-party music playing app for iPhone.

For those unfamiliar, the Doppler app offers users an alternative way to experience their music library, sporting an adaptive minimalist interface with an emphasis on album artwork/metadata editing on ‌iPhone‌ and support for importing MP3, FLAC, AAC, and WAV file formats without having to connect to a computer.

In December, Doppler Listening reports were added, offering users an elegant overview of their listening habits over the course of the year.

And in the latest v2.3 update due to roll out on February 23, Doppler users will be able to ask Siri to play specific albums, songs and playlists within Doppler. ‌Siri‌ commands like "Play all songs by James Blake in Doppler" or "Play my Liked Songs playlist in Doppler" are now supported in English, French, German, and Spanish.

Users will still need to include "in Doppler" at the end of commands so Siri knows which app to use, but the developer says this should change in iOS 14.5.

Doppler will also support ‌Siri‌ Suggestions from next week. As Doppler is used, ‌Siri‌ can learn patterns around how and when music is listened to. For example, when headphones are connected, ‌Siri‌ can intelligently suggest music to play.

In addition, Doppler 2.3 will integrate with Spotlight search. Songs and playlists show in search results on the Home Screen. Results can be tapped to open in Doppler, or to start playing without having to open the app.

The third and final integration is Doppler for CarPlay — a custom ‌CarPlay‌ app to access and play content from the Doppler library. The ‌CarPlay‌ interface offers library-wide playback and shuffle buttons, as well as Recently Added albums and usual artists, albums and playlists. ‌Siri‌ support is also included, so Doppler can be controlled in ‌CarPlay‌ with voice alone.

Doppler costs $6.99 and is available to download for ‌iPhone‌ from the App Store. [Direct Link] Interested readers can subscribe to Doppler's email list to get a notification when the v2.3 update is live.

Accurate and rapid COVID-19 testing has become a critical hallmark in the battle against the pandemic. Unfortunately, getting tested on a mainstream level currently requires a trip to a clinic or government instituted site.

However, in a possible breakthrough of what it means to get tested, Kroger Health today announced it's planning to obtain FDA approval for the first smartphone-enabled COVID-19 rapid antigen test.

According to a press release, patients will administer a nasal swab themselves and complete a rapid antigen test. Then, patients will scan the rapid test using the app on their iPhone, and using AI technology, the app will provide their results "within seconds."

What the app aims to do is remove any doubt of the actual results of the test by using AI to correctly determine the location of the results line. In COVID-19 rapid antigen tests, the presence and location of a line in different areas determines whether the patient tests positive or negative for COVID-19, and some patients may misinterpret the lines, leading to a false understanding of what their result actually is.

In compliance with U.S. law, the app will automatically share the results with appropriate public health agencies and abides by all HIPAA rules and regulations. The hope is that this new test will increase the number of people who can get tested for COVID-19 themselves with a higher level of accuracy.

The new test is awaiting FDA approval, and clinical trial results submitted to the agency shows the test has a "93% positive agreement and 99% negative percent agreement compared to high-sensitivity, emergency-use-authorized PCR tests," according to Kroger Health.

You can learn more about the test here.

TikTok on Tuesday was targeted by EU consumer protection groups for allegedly violating the bloc's consumer laws and for failing to protect children from hidden advertising and inappropriate content (via Reuters).

The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) lodged a complaint against the short video-sharing app with the European Commission, citing several issues in its complaint, one of which relates to its terms of service.

"They are unclear, ambiguous and favor TikTok to the detriment of its users. Its copyright terms are equally unfair as they give TikTok an irrevocable right to use, distribute and reproduce the videos published by users, without remuneration," it said.

Other complaints include TikTok's virtual currency, which allows users to purchase coins to use as virtual gifts for TikTok celebrity performances, as well as the company's allegedly misleading practices relating to processing personal user data.

In addition to BEUC's complaint, consumer organisations in 15 countries alerted their consumer protection authorities and urged them to act.

Details of the alleged breaches are set out in two reports, one of which accuses the Chinese-owned app of failing to protect children and teenagers from hidden advertising and potentially harmful content shared on the platform.

As a press release by the BEUC put it:

“TikTok's marketing offers to companies who want to advertise on the app contributes to the proliferation of hidden marketing. Users are for instance triggered to participate in branded hashtag challenges where they are encouraged to create content of specific products. As popular influencers are often the starting point of such challenges the commercial intent is usually masked for users. TikTok is also potentially failing to conduct due diligence when it comes to protecting children from inappropriate content such as videos showing suggestive content which are just a few scrolls away."

Previous regulatory intervention in Europe occurred in Italy, where TikTok was forced to apply an age verification process in the country, after the death of a ten-year-old girl who participated in a "black out" challenge propagated on the the platform.

ByteDance-owned TikTok has also introduced an in-app summary of its privacy policy, which the company says makes it easier for teens to understand its stance on privacy.

"We're always open to hearing how we can improve, and we have contacted BEUC as we would welcome a meeting to listen to their concerns," a TikTok spokesman told Reuters.

Vivid Money now supports Apple Pay in France, the neobank has announced.

As spotted by iGeneration, the Russian-German mobile bank announced the development on its Twitter account, and users have already confirmed that they're able to add their Vivid Visa card to Apple's Wallet app this morning.

Launched in France last November, the neobank offers 25% cashback on daily expenses as well as a commission-free shares and FCBs investment mechanism that allows users to buy fractions of shares from 1 euro cent, which makes it more a rival for the likes of Revolut rather than a traditional bank.

Apple maintains a complete list of the countries where ‌‌‌‌Apple Pay‌‌‌‌ is available on its support site, and we have a detailed Apple Pay roundup with everything you need to know about Apple's payments service.

Antivirus software developer Malwarebytes today shared its 2021 State of Malware Report, which found that malware threat detections on Macs fell a total of 38 percent in 2020.

In 2019 Malwarebytes detected a total of 120,855,305 threats, which dropped to 75,285,427 threats in 2020. Consumer threats were down 40 percent, but as businesses operated remotely and shifted to online work, threat detections for business users grew 31 percent.

There was a drop in detections of Adware and potentially unwanted programs (PUPs), but Malwarebytes says that malware, which includes backdoors, data stealers, and cryptocurrency stealers/miners, increased by more than 61 percent.

That number sounds high, but malware still only accounted for 1.5 percent of all threat detections on the Mac, with the rest still coming from Adware and PUPs.

Potentially unwanted software represented more than 76 percent of detection in 2020, while Adware represented approximately 22 percent. These are overall numbers, and the breakdowns varied somewhat by country, but most Malwarebytes users are in the United States. Business machines saw a bit more malware and adware, with less unwanted software.

Of malware found on Macs, the top 10 malware families accounted for more than 99 percent of the total, with more than 80 percent detected due to suspicious behaviors. OSX.FakeFileOpener, malicious apps designed to open files, accounted for the second highest number of detections.

Malwarebytes says that the most unusual Malware detected on Macs in 2020 was ThiefQuest, which spread through installers found on torrent sites. When infected, Macs would start to have files encrypted, with the malware providing ransom instructions.

These instructions went nowhere, though, and didn't provide a legitimate contact for removing the encryption. Instead, the ransomware was a cover for something more malicious.

Upon further investigation, we learned that the ransomware activity was really a cover for massive data exfiltration, including MS Office and Apple iWork documents, PDF files, images, cryptocurrency wallets, and more. This kind of malware, known in the Windows world as a "wiper," had never before been seen on Macs.

Even more interesting, the malware would inject malicious code into executable files found in the Users folder, such as components of Google Software Update, in a virus- like manner, another rarity in the Mac world. The combination of these features made ThiefQuest not only the most unusual Mac malware in 2020, but perhaps the most unusual Mac malware ever.

Sophisticated adware techniques were also spotted on Macs in 2020, including phishing for admin passwords, using synthetic clicks to automate browser extension installations, modifying the sudoers file to maintain root permissions indefinitely, and manually editing the TCC database to give the adware more system access.

On Macs, Malwarebytes says that the "business model of choice for most criminals" remains Adware, with trojans, worms, spyware, and RiskWareTools being more common on Windows machines. Still, malware is an increasing Mac problem and it's something that Mac users should be aware of.

Malwarebytes' full report can be read on the Malwarebytes website.

Microsoft's Office app for iOS has been updated today to version 2.46 with support for iPadOS, bringing the unified Office experience of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint to Apple's tablet platform.

Office is now available on iPad: We're combining the Word, Excel, and PowerPoint apps you know into a single, iPadOS-optimized app. Plus, you’ll see additional tools to keep you more productive than ever. For example, you’ll be able to quickly create and sign PDFs, and transform pictures into documents.

While individual Office apps have been available for the iPad since 2014, the unified Office app launched in February 2020 has until now only been able to run on the ‌iPad‌ as a windowed iPhone app.

Office for ‌iPad‌ is free to use for iPad Air, ‌iPad‌, and iPad mini users, but requires an Microsoft 365 subscription to make full use of all features. For iPad Pro users, a paid subscription is required to even edit or create documents.

When upgrading to macOS Big Sur, there was an error that would cause issues if there wasn't enough storage space available. Unfortunately, the update was not checking if there was enough free space before the installation started, which could lead to data loss.

The free space issue has been addressed in a revised macOS Big Sur 11.2.1 update that was released this morning. According to Mr. Macintosh, the new update checks to make sure there is enough available storage space before installation starts.

If you don't have enough free space, the installer will say "There is not enough free space on the selected volume to upgrade the OS," and it will let you know how much additional space is required.

The new update that was released today is available only if you had not previously installed macOS Big Sur 11.2.1.

Apple today released watchOS 7.3.1 with a fix for an issue that can cause the Apple Watch Series 5 and SE not to charge after entering Power Reserve mode.

In a support document, Apple outlines the issue, which affected "a very small number of customers." Apple says that these people saw a problem with charging after the Apple Watch went into Power Reserve mode.

While watchOS 7.3.1 will fix the issue for customers who haven't previously experienced it, those who already had the problem may need to get support from Apple. Apple says to check if an Apple Watch is affected by the bug, users should place the watch on a charger and then wait for at least 30 minutes.

If the Apple Watch won't charge after the 30 minute time period, customers should contact Apple Support to set up a mail-in repair, which will be done free of charge by Apple.

Apple today released watchOS 7.3.1, a minor update to the watchOS 7 operating system that was released in September. watchOS 7.3.1 comes a couple of weeks after the release of watchOS 7.3.

‌‌The watchOS 7.3.1 update‌‌ can be downloaded for free through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software Update. To install the new software, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it needs to be placed on a charger, and it needs to be in range of the ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌‌‌‌‌. Today's update is only available for the Apple Watch Series 5 and the Apple Watch SE, so other Apple Watch models will not have an update available.

According to Apple's release notes, the watchOS 7.3.1 update introduces a fix for an issue that prevented some Apple Watch Series 5 and SE models from charging after entering Power Reserve mode.

watchOS 7.3, the prior update, brought a Time to Walk feature for Apple Fitness+, expanded ECG functionality to new countries like Japan, and added a new Unity watch face. Apple is also working on watchOS 7.4, a major update that allows the Apple Watch to be used to unlock an ‌iPhone‌ when wearing a mask.