United Kingdom

In iOS 17.1 and later, iPhone users in the UK can now view banking information like account balance when using Apple Pay and viewing bank cards and credit cards in the Wallet app. Keep reading to learn how it works. Apple's Wallet app on iPhone has been able to display Apple Pay transactions made using your bank and credit cards for a while now, but if you are a Wallet app user in the United ...

If you live in the United Kingdom, there's a good chance you enjoyed yesterday's first official bank holiday of the year with your feet up. But if all you'd done was rely on the Calendar app on your iPhone, you may never have even known you were due a day off. That's because a persistent bug that has plagued the app for months still prevents Apple's UK bank holidays subscription option from...

Some iPhone 12 and ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro users in the UK have reported that their new devices are recieving an error message in the "NHS COVID-19" contact-tracing app, rendering it unusable (via BBC News). 'Unfortunately, You Can't Run This App' Similar errors and issues have been reported in other regions contact tracing apps that also use Apple's Exposure Notification API. The error appears...

The British government is closing a loophole in U.K. driving laws that allowed some smartphone users to escape punishment for picking up and using their mobile device to take a photo or play a game while driving (via BBC News). As it stands, making phone calls and sending text messages are banned while driving on roads in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Drivers can get six...

The UK Department of Culture, Media, and Sport is launching an inquiry into music streaming services, including Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube, to ascertain whether musicians are paid fairly (via BBC News). The inquiry comes after complaints from artists that the payments they receive for their work are "negligible." The growth of the streaming market "cannot come at the expense of...

Following the debut of the iPhone 12 series, Apple is offering U.K. customers pre-approval for its monthly payment plan ahead of when first pre-orders begin this Friday. Customers planning to make 24 monthly payments of £54.12 at 0% APR can use the Apple Store app on the ‌‌iPhone‌‌ to go through all of the pre-approval steps to get ready to purchase an 6.1-inch ‌iPhone‌ 12 or 6.1-inch ‌iPhone‌...

The upcoming iPhone 12 may have serious issues connecting to 5G in the United Kingdom, reports The Telegraph. The report cites "industry insiders" who say that ‌iPhone‌ 12 models may not support the 700MHz 5G band. Lower-spectrum bands such as 700MHz are crucial to 5G coverage since they are far-reaching and penetrate well through walls and buildings, and 700MHz is expected to be the most...

Apple has today announced that access to Health Records on the iPhone is now available in the UK and Canada, providing a fuller, more secure picture of patient health. The existing Health app on the ‌iPhone‌ can now display full health records, enabling users to securely view and store their medical records from healthcare institutions in the UK and Canada. Oxford University Hospitals in...

After failing to appear before British lawmakers, Apple has been accused of not taking its environmental obligations seriously enough, particularly on e-waste, reports Bloomberg. Apple CEO Tim Cook was asked to appear before the Environmental Audit Select Committee of the House of Commons, but failed to respond before a September 4 deadline. Apple was previously asked to put forward a...

UK carrier EE has launched a new package called the "Full Works" plan for iPhone, which includes subscriptions to Apple Music, Apple TV+, and Apple Arcade. It is the first carrier plan to bundle multiple Apple subscription services. As a result of a new collaboration with Apple, the plan includes subscriptions to Apple services such as ‌Apple Music‌, ‌Apple TV+‌, and ‌Apple Arcade‌, as...

Samsung's answer to Apple Card, Samsung Pay Card, has launched in the UK. Samsung has paired with Mastercard and fintech company "Curve" to power the new service. Curve allows users to link existing cards together and then decide which accounts should be used for different purchases. For reasons that are not entirely clear, existing Curve customers are ineligible to apply for Samsung Pay Card. ...

After rumors of a potential deal arose last week, Microsoft has publicly confirmed its intention to purchase TikTok in the United States and several other territories. The company has outlined its intention to "move quickly to pursue discussions with TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, in a matter of weeks." The two companies have provided formal notice of their intent to explore a...

Apple has asked landlords of its retail stores in the UK for a 50 percent cut to rent, reports The Sunday Times. If landlords agree to cut rent by up to 50 percent and offer a "rent-free period" of an undisclosed duration, Apple is supposedly offering a considerable lease extension in return. The proposal is understood to relate to stores with several years left to run on their leases,...

Apple Highcross in the British city of Leicester is set to reopen on Wednesday, which will mark the first time every Apple retail store in the United Kingdom has been open since the country's lockdown began in March in response to the global health crisis. Michael Steeber on Twitter noted the change on Apple's Highcross store web page, which indicates the retail location will open on July 29 ...

Apple is now offering the popular Brydge line of keyboards designed for the newest iPads in retail and online stores across the United Kingdom. As of today, Apple UK is selling the Brydge 10.2 Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard for the seventh-generation iPad, the Brydge 10.5 Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard for the third-generation ‌‌iPad‌‌ Air, and the Bridge 7.9 Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard for...

Hive, the U.K. smart connected home company backed by British Gas, has quietly added Apple HomeKit support to its range of smart home products. First spotted by iMore, the support is part of a software update that began rolling out late last week. When the soft launch is complete, Hive's ‌HomeKit‌ compatible accessories include all its Active Smart Plug, Heating, and Connected Lighting...

The BBC has launched a new experimental online service that lets users watch or listen to BBC programs, prodcasts, and radio with others over the internet at the same time. Called BBC Together, the online tool is available on Taster, the BBC's experimental platform, which can be accessed via any web browser. The way it works is that one user finds the link of a program or video clip they...

Apple and Google are said to be in a "standoff" with the UK's health service over its plans to build an app that alerts users when they have been in contact with someone with coronavirus. Apple and Google announced on Friday that they are working together on Bluetooth technology to help governments and health agencies reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus around the world. Apple says...

The UK's NHS has confirmed plans to use Apple's contact tracing technology in an upcoming app that will warn users if they've recently been in contact with someone suspected to be infected with coronavirus (via BBC News). Britain's health secretary Matt Hancock, who announced the move at the government's daily pandemic press briefing, said the NHS was "working closely with the world's...

Streaming device maker Roku has launched its free ad-supported Roku Channel in the UK, offering access to over 10,000 movies, TV shows, and documentaries at a time when stay-at-home entertainment is in high demand. The Roku Channel can be accessed on Roku devices and – thanks to exclusive UK partnerships – Now TV sticks and Sky Q set-top boxes via the dedicated Roku app. If you're...

Britain's big telecoms providers have agreed to lift the data caps on all fixed-line broadband services to help people isolated at home following the coronavirus epidemic, reports Reuters. The companies, which include BT, Virgin Media, Sky, O2, Vodafone, Three, and TalkTalk, committed to support and protect vulnerable customers during the pandemic following talks with the government and...

U.K. iPhone and iPad users who open the App Store this morning are being met with a COVID-19 public service announcement from the British government, signaling an expansion of Apple's efforts to prominently display official coronavirus alerts on its devices. Tapping on the prioritized card takes users to an NHS app link and a video containing coronavirus protection guidance from the UK...