MacRumors

Apple's App Store has been unlawfully hosting dozens of apps tied to U.S.-sanctioned companies, according to a new watchdog report (via The Washington Post).

The Tech Transparency Project, a non-profit advocacy group, flagged 52 apps in the App Store that had links to entities found on the Treasury Department's list of Specially Designated Nationals (SDNs), a designation that prohibits U.S. companies from doing business with them.

Linked organisations included Russian financial institutions such as Gazprombank and National Standard Bank propping up Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, and China's Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC), which has been sanctioned for involvement in repression of Uyghur minorities. Another app was run by a company owned by an accused Lithuanian drug trafficker.

The linked entities reportedly used name variants, shell developers, or partial references to obscure their sanctions status.

Google's Play Store was also found to be hosting 18 apps for similarly sanctioned organizations. Google took down all but one of the apps after being contacted by The Post. Apple removed 35 out of 52 during or after the investigation. Apple disputed that all the flagged apps violate sanctions, but said it was enhancing its review process.

Apple previously committed to improving sanctions detection after a 2019 Treasury settlement involving a naming-variation failure.

According to The Post, the Treasury could have fined Apple more than $70 million at the time, but said it accepted a settlement of less than $1 million because Apple had self-reported, had not had a violation in the preceding five years, and promised to revamp its sanction search tools "to fully capture spelling and capitalization variations and to account for country-specific business suffixes."

Legal experts say that prior agreement increases Apple's exposure now, since the latest similar lapses suggest its promised improvements were insufficient. The findings also call into question Apple's long-standing claim that its App Store provides a "safe and trusted" environment for users.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News 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.

Spotify has announced music videos are rolling out now to Premium users in the U.S. and Canada, though the feature remains in beta.

The catalog currently includes music videos from artists like Ariana Grande, Olivia Dean, BABYMONSTER, Addison Rae, Tyler Childers, Natanael Cano, and Carín León.

Spotify says the initial video catalog is "limited" for now while the feature is in beta, but asks users to "stay tuned" as availability is set to grow "over the coming months."

If you're a Premium subscriber and want to check out music videos, open Spotify on you TV, desktop, iOS, or Android device, and a "Switch to Video" icon will appear above the song title in supported music tracks. Tapping starts the song from the beginning with accompanying video within the Now Playing view, which can also be rotated to landscape orientation on iPhone and Android.

To find additional music videos – including live and cover videos – scroll down to explore Related Music Videos, or go to an artist's profile and look under the Music tab. You can also watch by genre and era via playlists like 90s Video Hits, Hip-Hop Throwbacks, and Latin Party Hits.

Spotify first announced beta support for music videos back in March 2024, but the feature was limited to 11 markets including the UK, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Brazil, Colombia, Philippines, Indonesia, and Kenya.

In October, Spotify released a redesigned app for Apple TV that supports music videos, which had by then expanded to 97 countries around the world. Spotify says music videos will be available to all Premium users in the U.S. and Canada by the end of the month.

Previously, video content on Spotify has been limited to video podcasts and short repeating music video clips when a song plays. Apple Music has included its own music video catalog for almost seven years now. The feature was introduced with the release of iOS 11.3 in March 2018.

Google Maps on iOS quietly gained a new feature recently that automatically recognizes where you've parked your vehicle and saves the location for you.

Announced on LinkedIn by Rio Akasaka, Google Maps' senior product manager, the new feature auto-detects your parked location even if you don't use the parking pin function, saves it for up to 48 hours, and then automatically removes it once you start driving again.

Saving your parking spot in Maps isn't a new ability in itself. You could already do that manually by tapping your location on the map and then choosing Saved Parking. The difference here is that the whole process is automated for you.

Akasaka explains what you need to do to get the feature to work:

Get in a car with Google Maps and connect to your car with USB, Bluetooth or CarPlay, and once you're done driving, there's a little pin waiting for you when you open Google Maps next – a personal parking Maps valet, just for you. When you drive again, the pin goes away, just like that.

Automatic parking location saving started rolling out on iPhone about a month ago, but since then another feature has gone live that will now use any custom car icons you've set up as a parking icon, instead of the default "P" icon. Google added custom car icons to Maps in 2020, and eight new car shapes and colors were added earlier this year.

As things stand, the new auto-save parking place feature only works on iOS. While a similar parking reminder can be found on Android, the icon will only go away if the user manually removes it.

(Via 9to5Google.)

Pebble today announced the Pebble Index 01, a simple smart ring that's designed for recording information. It is equipped with a microphone and a button to start a recording, but little else.

Priced at $75, the Index 01 does not require an internet connection or a subscription, and it doesn't record unless the button is pressed. Recordings are sent to a connected smartphone, and can be saved as a note, added to a calendar, or set as a reminder. Information is processed by open source speech-to-text and AI models locally on an iPhone or Android smartphone.

It is customizable, and single or double button clicks can be set to control different actions like switching to a new song, taking a photo, or activating smart home devices.

The device is made from stainless steel, and it is available in three colors, including silver, gold, and black. Sizes range from 6 to 13. It is resistant to water, and no charging is necessary. Pebble says the battery will last for 12 to 15 hours of recording, which equates to 10-20 recordings per day that are 3-6 seconds in length. Since there is no replaceable battery and no option to charge, the ring is meant to be recycled when the battery dies.

The Pebble Index 01 is priced at $75 and is available for pre-order from the Pebble website. It will ship in March 2026, and after that, the price will increase to $99.

The simplified smartphone switching Apple and Google are adopting is an example of how the Digital Markets Act (DMA) benefits users and developers, the European Commission said today. Apple and Google are making it easier for users to switch between iPhone and Android smartphones, adding an option to transfer data from another smartphone during the device setup process.

Apple and Google are implementing this functionality because the DMA requires services to offer effective data portability to avoid data lock-in to an operating system. The EC says the new interoperability is a "direct result of the DMA."

The European Commission welcomes the cross-OS data portability solution that has been communicated by Apple and Google. This is an example of how the Digital Markets Act (DMA) brings benefits to users and developers.

This OS portability solution will allow users to easily transfer data from iPhone to Android and vice versa when they set up a new device. It will support many types of data, including: contacts, calendar events, messages, photos, documents, Wi-Fi networks, passwords, and even data from third-party apps. It will also work wirelessly. These are major upgrades compared to the currently limited data transfer solutions.

The DMA is also the reason why Apple and Google designed a simplified eSIM transfer solution earlier this year. The EC says that both new features were made possible by "extensive engineering work and collaboration" between the two companies, along with "intensive discussions with the Commission."

Taken together, the eSIM transfer and the OS data portability solutions will greatly simplify the experience of users who want to switch from an iPhone to an Android phone, or vice versa. This improved data portability across platforms brings more user choice, which drives competition and creates more incentives to innovate. Users should be able to pick a new phone based on innovative features, not based on where their data is locked.

Apple and Google are currently testing the new smartphone switching solution. Google implemented it in an Android Canary build, and Apple is expected to add it in a future update to iOS 26. Apple and Google will support transferring contacts, messages, photos, documents, Wi-Fi networks, passwords, information from third-party apps, and more.

Though Apple and Google are implementing simplified switching due to DMA requirements, it is functionality that will be rolled out worldwide and not just in Europe.

The European Commission is highlighting DMA wins because earlier this year, Apple commissioned a study that said the Digital Markets Act has failed to lower App Store prices for consumers. Apple said the DMA has "failed to live up to its promises," and has only delivered "less security, less privacy, and a worse experience for consumers across Europe."

Former Apple chief operating officer Jeff Williams may soon join Disney's board of directors. The Walt Disney Company Board of Directors nominated Williams to be a new independent director, and he will stand for election at the 2026 annual shareholders meeting.

Williams was Apple's chief operating officer from December 2015 to November 2025, when he retired from Apple. Williams was in charge of Apple's worldwide operations, customer service, and support. He also led the Apple Watch engineering and health initiatives, and headed up the design team from 2023 until his retirement.

In a statement, Williams said that he looks forward to contributing to Disney's growth.

"I have long admired Disney's legacy of pairing imagination with innovation--leveraging new technologies in bold, creative ways to bring to life timeless stories and entertain its guests," said Williams. "It is an honor to be nominated to the board of this storied company. I look forward to working with Disney's talented leadership team and contributing to the company's ongoing journey of creativity and excellence."

Disney's board will expand to 11 members with Williams, and he is set to join Bob Iger, GM CEO Mary Barra, former Morgan Stanley Executive Chairman James Gorman, former Sky CEO Jeremy Darroch, Lululemon CEO Calvin McDonald, and others.

Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone is expected to spur strong growth in worldwide foldable smartphone shipments in 2026, according to new estimates shared by IDC.

IDC believes the ‌iPhone‌ Fold will capture over 22 percent unit share and 34 percent of the foldables market value in its first year due to an expected $2,400 starting price point. Right now, the foldable market is dominated by Samsung and Google.

"The launch of Apple's first foldable iPhone will mark a turning point for the foldable segment," said Francisco Jeronimo, vice president of client devices at IDC. "This move is likely to boost category awareness and drive consumer interest. Apple tends to be a catalyst for mainstream adoption of new categories. Although foldables will continue to be a niche segment from a volume perspective, it will become a relevant value driver for most vendors offering foldables, as average selling prices will be 3 times higher than a standard smartphone."

The overall foldable smartphone market is expected to grow 30 percent in 2026 thanks to Apple joining the market, with some growth also expected from Samsung's Galaxy Z Trifold launching in January 2026.

Rumors suggest Apple's first foldable iPhone will debut in fall 2026 alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models. The ‌iPhone‌ Fold is expected to feature book-like design that folds horizontally, opening out into a larger iPad mini-sized display.

The device will be around 5.5 inches in size when folded, but it will open up to around 7.8 inches. Apple has worked to eliminate the crease with a reinforced hinge, and it could be one of the first foldable devices with no visible crease.

Details on what to expect from Apple's foldable ‌iPhone‌ can be found in our iPhone Fold roundup.

Apple is offering U.S. customers who purchase and redeem an Apple Gift Card three months of free access to Apple Arcade. Holiday gift card purchases made before January 6, 2026 are eligible for the ‌Apple Arcade‌ trial, as long as the card is redeemed by January 13, 2026.

The offer is available to new or qualified returning ‌Apple Arcade‌ subscribers, but it is not an option for existing ‌Apple Arcade‌ subscribers. New subscribers can try ‌Apple Arcade‌ for three months, while returning subscribers get two months of access.

There is no minimum denomination required for the gift card purchase, and the gift card can be acquired from the Apple retail store or Apple online store. Apple gift cards from third-party retailers or new value added to an Apple Account balance are not eligible for the ‌Apple Arcade‌ trial. Only one trial per Apple Account is available.

Apple will provide the bonus code immediately after gift card redemption to an Apple Account balance. An Apple Account with a payment method on file is required, and the plan will automatically renew at $6.99 per month unless it is canceled.

‌Apple Arcade‌ is Apple's subscription gaming service, offering over 200 games with no in-app fees or ads. Up to six family members can access ‌Apple Arcade‌ with a single subscription.

Google is rolling out a redesigned video editor on iOS devices, providing an updated design that is "faster and easier to use." There's a universal timeline with support for multi-clip editing and storytelling, plus an adaptive canvas that makes editing simpler.

Tools that you need to edit photos and videos are easier to access, and Google says "everything you need is right where you expect it to be."

When creating videos, users can browse the Photos music library and quickly add a soundtrack to a highlight video.

There are also several features that are available on Android devices that could expand to iOS devices in the future. Android users have access to templates with pre-set formats that include built-in music, text, and cuts that are synced to a soundtrack, along with the option to add custom text overlays.

Google says that the new features will be available to users starting today.

Apple has ordered 22 million OLED panels from Samsung Display for the first foldable iPhone, signaling a significantly larger production target than the display industry had previously anticipated, ET News reports.

In the now-seemingly deleted report, ET News claimed that Samsung plans to mass-produce 11 million inward-folding OLED displays for Apple next year, as well as 11 million accompanying external displays. With Samsung Display serving as the exclusive supplier of these components, the production plan implies that Apple's own target output for the first-generation foldable ‌iPhone‌ is in the range of 10 million finished devices, since suppliers usually produce more components than Apple needs to account for yield and quality variations.

This production plan is more than 30% higher than initial industry expectations, which placed early foldable ‌iPhone‌ shipments between six million and eight million units. Those earlier estimates were based on the historical performance of the global foldable smartphone market, which has hovered just above 20 million units annually.

The report reiterated that the device is expected to feature a book-style, inward-folding design with a 5.35-inch external display and a 7.58-inch folding internal display. It is believed to contain an advanced hinge design and specialized material properties to minimize the crease in the folding display.

Apple reportedly plans to adopt Color Filter on Encapsulation (COE), a method that removes the traditional polarizer layer and integrates its functionality directly into the OLED stack. Eliminating the polarizer can reduce thickness and improve brightness. The device is also rumored to incorporate an Under Display Camera (UDC), allowing the internal display to achieve a more seamless full-screen appearance without a punch hole or visible camera cutout.

The first foldable ‌iPhone‌ is expected to launch next year alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and ‌iPhone 18‌ Pro Max.

Klarna is now available as a buy-now, pay-later option when using Apple Pay in France and Italy. This financing option lets you pay for your Apple Pay purchase in monthly installments, with the shortest payment plans being interest free.

Eligible customers can split purchases into three monthly installments, or choose to pay up to 30 days later, without paying any interest. For higher-value purchases with longer payment plans, Klarna says it offers competitive interest rates.

Klarna was already available via Apple Pay in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Spain, and Sweden, so there are now eight countries supported.

Apple discontinued its own buy-now, pay-later service called Apple Pay Later last year, and instead started partnering with third-party providers, including Klarna, Affirm, and Synchrony. Availability of these providers varies by country.

When checking out with Apple Pay online and in apps, iPhone and iPad users can select "Other Cards & Pay Later Options" to access installment payment plans from Klarna and other financing partners, where available. Starting with iOS 26, the buy-now, pay-later options are also available for in-store Apple Pay purchases.

Apple Arcade will be adding four new games on Thursday, January 8, including True Skate+, Cozy Caravan, Sago Mini Jinja's Garden, and Potion Punch 2+.

True Skate+ is a skateboarding simulation game with realistic physics. You can flick a virtual skateboard with your fingers to perform various tricks.

Cozy Caravan is a kid-friendly, single-player game in which you navigate a caravan through picturesque landscapes, helping communities along the way.

Sago Mini Jinga's Garden is another kid-friendly game in which you plant gardens, harvest ingredients, and explore the open world at your own pace.

Potion Punch 2+ tasks you with mixing powerful potions.

Apple Arcade is a subscription service that provides access to hundreds of games across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro. All of the games are free of ads and in-app purchases. In the U.S., Apple Arcade costs $6.99 per month, and it is also bundled with other Apple services in all Apple One plans.

Apple Arcade can be accessed through the App Store and Apple Games apps.

Amazon and Best Buy today opened up big discounts across the M5 iPad Pro lineup, offering as much as $180 off select tablets. Prices start at $899.00 for the 256GB Wi-Fi 11-inch M5 iPad Pro at Amazon, down from $999.00. All deals in this sale match — or beat — the record low prices we tracked during Black Friday.

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

For the larger models, you can save up to $180 on the 13-inch M5 iPad Pro on Amazon this week. If you're shopping for the 2TB Nano-Texture Glass Wi-Fi model, Amazon has this tablet for $2,219.00, down from $2,399.00, as well as a few other 13-inch models between $100 and $170 off.

In regards to the Amazon discounts, many of the deals are beginning to see delayed delivery estimates, with some arriving after the Christmas holiday. If you're shopping for holiday presents, be sure to get your orders in soon.

11-Inch M5 iPad Pro

• 256GB Wi-Fi - $899.00 ($100 off)
• 512GB Wi-Fi - $1,099.00 ($100 off) [matched at Best Buy]
• 1TB Wi-Fi - $1,474.73 ($125 off)
• 1TB Nano-Texture Glass Wi-Fi - $1,576.00 ($123 off)
• 2TB Wi-Fi - $1,851.00 ($148 off)
• 2TB Nano-Texture Glass Wi-Fi - $1,999.00 ($100 off)

13-Inch M5 iPad Pro

• 256GB Wi-Fi - $1,197.00 ($102 off)
• 512GB Wi-Fi - $1,399.00 ($100 off) [matched at Best Buy]
• 1TB Wi-Fi - $1,756.00 ($143 off)
• 1TB Nano-Texture Glass Wi-Fi - $1,851.00 ($148 off)
• 2TB Wi-Fi - $2,129.00 ($170 off)
• 2TB Nano-Texture Glass Wi-Fi - $2,219.00 ($180 off)

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

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iFixit today announced the launch of a new iFixit app that's available to download from Apple's App Store (and the Play Store on Android devices). It includes all of the iFixit repair guides in a format that's ideal for mobile devices, along with a workbench that keeps track of repairs, a battery lifespan predictor, and an AI repair buddy called FixBot.

The iFixit repair app is able to monitor an iPhone's battery in real time, providing graphs of how a battery deteriorates over time. The graphs provide users with advanced notice of when a battery might need to be replaced.

FixBot is able to provide AI assistance to solve issues with smartphones, laptops, tablets, and more. Users can describe a problem with text or voice, and FixBot will provide help with diagnosis and repair. FixBot can respond to questions verbally for hands-free use, and there's also an option to share images with the AI.

iFixit says that FixBot is trained on millions of successful iFixit community repairs rather than generic information, which makes it a useful repair tool. FixBot is available in the iFixit app, and it can also be used on iFixit's website.

The app includes all of iFixit's repair guides, but it is aware of what smartphone the user has and will default to showing repair information for that device for quick information on fixes.

There are options for purchasing repair parts directly from iFixit, with the app able to check for device compatibility before a purchase is made.

iFixit did have an app that was available up until 2015, but Apple pulled it from the App Store after iFixit tore down an Apple TV developer kit. Apple said that iFixit violated the Apple terms of service with the teardown, and banned the iFixit developer account. Ten years later, iFixit was allowed to return to the ‌App Store‌.

The iFixit app can be downloaded from the App Store for free, and more information on the app is available on iFixit's website. Access to FixBot is free for now, and later, there will be both a free version and a $4.99 per month Enthusiast plan with document uploads.

Apple has announced the availability of Tap to Pay on iPhone in Hong Kong, allowing independent sellers, small merchants, and large retailers in the region to use ‌iPhones‌ as a payment terminal.

Tap to Pay allows iPhones to accept payments via Apple Pay, contactless credit and debit cards, and other digital wallets‌‌‌. All transactions are encrypted, and Apple has no information about what is purchased or the person who made the purchase.

No additional hardware or credit card machine is required‌ to use Tap to Pay on iPhone. The feature uses NFC technology to securely authenticate the contactless payments, plus the feature also supports PIN entry, which includes accessibility options.

From today, Adyen, Global Payments, KPay, and SoéPay are the first payment platforms in Hong Kong to offer Tap to Pay on iPhone. Apple says the rollout cuts across key sectors, including taxi, retail, food and beverage, and professional services.

Tap to Pay on ‌iPhone‌ launched in February 2022 in the United States, and since then, Apple has expanded it to more than 50 countries and regions around the world.

Google is developing two pairs of smart glasses with artificial intelligence that will launch in 2026, the company said today. The first set of glasses have AI integration and are designed for screen-free assistance with built-in speakers, microphones, and cameras for speaking to Google Gemini.

Users will be able to take photos using the camera, and then ask Gemini questions about their surroundings for real-time help.

The second set of glasses has the same AI capabilities along with an in-lens display that is able to display helpful information like turn-by-turn directions or live translation captions. Both sets of glasses will connect to a smartphone, with processing done on that device. The glasses will run Android XR, Google's platform for wearables.

Google is partnering with Samsung to develop the glasses, plus it is working with Warby Parker and Gentle Monster, two companies that design eyeglasses. Google says that its glasses options will be stylish, lightweight, and comfortable enough to wear all day.

The Google smart glasses will compete with the Meta Ray-Bans and any upcoming products from Apple. Meta already has Ray-Ban and Oakley glasses with AI and Ray-Bans with an in-lens display. Rumors suggest that Apple is working to unveil its first set of AI smart glasses as soon as 2026.

Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser that was first introduced in March 2016. Apple designed ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ to allow users to test features that are planned for future release versions of the Safari browser.

‌Safari Technology Preview‌ 233 includes fixes and updates for Animations, HTML, MathML, Rendering, Web API, and Web Inspector.

The current ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ release is compatible with machines running macOS Sequoia and macOS Tahoe, the newest version of macOS.

The ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ update is available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences or System Settings to anyone who has downloaded the browser from Apple’s website. Complete release notes for the update are available on the Safari Technology Preview website.

Apple’s aim with ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ is to gather feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ can run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while it is designed for developers, it does not require a developer account to download and use.

iPhone users in Japan are now able to use Apple's Messages via satellite feature, Apple said today. Messages via satellite works on the ‌iPhone‌ 14 or later and the Apple Watch Ultra 3, allowing users who have no cellular or Wi-Fi connection to use satellite connectivity for messaging.

When attempting to send a message with no cellular or Wi-Fi connection, ‌iPhone‌ users in Japan will see a message that prompts them to connect to the nearest satellite. After connecting, users can send and receive iMessages, SMS messages, emoji characters, and use the Messages Tapback feature.

Messages sent via satellite offer the same end-to-end encryption as messages sent over Wi-Fi or cellular.

Japanese users already had access to emergency SOS via satellite and the option to share location via satellite in the Find My app, so the new Messages via satellite option joins those two features.

iOS 18 or later is required for Messages via satellite on ‌iPhone‌, while the feature needs watchOS 26 or later on the ‌Apple Watch Ultra 3‌. Satellite connectivity continues to be free for all ‌iPhone‌ and Apple Watch users with supported devices.