MacRumors iPhone and iPad Blog: Apps, News, and Rumors

WhatsApp today added several new camera improvements for its iPhone app, including the ability to draw, write, and place emoji on photos and videos before sharing them. The features are similar to the camera features offered in both Snapchat and Instagram Stories. Users will be able to use the new editing tools for photos and videos captured within the app and photos and videos previously...

An update to Google's iOS Gboard app today has introduced 3D Touch into the third-party keyboard, letting users move the cursor by hard pressing and sliding their finger around the keyboard to pinpoint the location they want to land. Gboard's 3D Touch lacks the free-floating cursor of Apple's stock keyboard, however, and simply moves left and right throughout a message, without the ability to...

In the consistently updated Facebook app for iOS, the social media company is today introducing a slew of new features focused on event discovery and streamlined interaction with brands. Notably, now in the company's mobile app users will be able to purchase tickets to movies and concerts, buy food, or book an appointment without leaving Facebook. For food and ticket orders, the feature is...

Apple has stopped signing iOS 9.3.5 for compatible iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch models, effectively ending iOS 9 downgrades. iOS 10.0.1 is also no longer being signed, making iOS 10.0.2 the oldest software update users can still downgrade their devices to via iTunes. Apple routinely stops signing older software updates several weeks after they are released. iOS 9.3.5 was released in late ...

Researchers at Microsoft claim to have created a new speech recognition technology that transcribes conversational speech as well as a human does (via The Verge). The system's word error rate is reportedly 5.9 percent, which is about equal to professional transcribers asked to work on the same recordings, according to Microsoft. Microsoft researchers from the Speech & Dialog research group ...

A couple weeks ago GSMArena reported that its tests showed that 32GB iPhone 7 and 7 Plus models had slower storage performance than 128GB and 256GB models. Today, Unbox Therapy's Lew Hilsenteger posted a video featuring several speed tests that confirm that 32GB iPhone 7 models have slower data write speeds than other configurations. In the video, the free PerformanceTest Mobile [Direct Link]...

Back in August, Instagram introduced a new "Instagram Stories" feature, allowing Instagram users to post temporary images and videos to their profile. Content expires after 24 hours, giving users a chance to share more casual posts that won't be permanently available on Instagram. Prior to today, Instagram users have only been able to see Stories from people they follow, but Instagram has...

A conversation thread on Github between a few developers and Spotify project leader Samuel Erdtman has confirmed that the streaming music company isn't looking into developing an app for Apple's fourth-generation Apple TV "anytime soon" (via AppAdvice). In the thread, which began as a feature request for the Spotify SDK to support tvOS, Erdtman eventually closed out the comments saying that...

Hunter Fan Company has introduced a new Wi-Fi-connected and HomeKit-enabled ceiling fan called Apache, available now for $429 on its website. The 54-inch ceiling fan features curved propeller-like plastic blades with a bronze and oak finish. The fan has what Hunter Fan calls a WhisperWind motor, which it says provides powerful air movement with whisper-quiet performance. The motor is...

CBS has ordered mobile gaming app Candy Crush Saga to series as a one-hour, live action game show from executive producer Matt Kunitz, who's also been behind shows like Wipeout and Fear Factor. Images or an official debut for the show have yet to be announced by CBS or Candy Crush Saga developer King. A few details hint that the game at the center of the adaptation will feature teams of two...

Sprint has introduced a new unlimited data plan for tablets for $20 per month, but with some caveats to consider. The fine print: video is optimized to 480p resolution, music streams at up to 500kbps, and online gaming streams are limited to up to 2Mbps. Data deprioritization also applies during times of network congestion. iPad and other tablet users can choose to add HD video streaming ...

Following the launch of "Instagram Stories" in August, Facebook is now preparing to ape Snapchat in its own Messenger app, with a feature called "Messenger Day." Originally launched to users in Poland, Messenger Day is now expanding and gaining attention with Facebook users in Australia (via Mashable). With the new feature in the Facebook Messenger iOS and Android apps, Messenger Day lets...

Misfit today debuted its latest product, a new Phase hybrid smart watch that, like the company's line of fitness trackers, is compatible with the iPhone. The Misfit Phase combines a round, analog-style watch with a range of smart features. It's able to track steps, distance, and sleep duration with a built-in accelerometer, and it delivers iPhone notifications and other information like...

Facebook recently announced that users are now able to select the "initial view" for 360-degree photos when uploading pictures to the iOS, Android, and Chrome for Desktop Facebook apps. Prior to the update, Facebook would randomly choose a section of the 360-degree photo to showcase on the service, so now users can personally select the best section to show their friends and family (via The Next...

A new Beats By Dre advertisement shared online recently depicts a group of celebrities wearing the company's new Solo3, BeatsX, and Powerbeats3 Wireless headphones. All three devices were announced during Apple's September 7 iPhone event, and are positioned as compatible options for users looking to purchase wireless headsets due to the iPhone 7's lack of a 3.5mm headphone port. In the ad,...

Samsung has coordinated with aviation officials around the world to set up exchange booths in "high traffic" airport terminals for owners of recalled Galaxy Note 7 smartphones (via The Verge). The booths first appeared in South Korean airports, with similar exchange sites set to open across Australia and the U.S. for travelers to hand in the potentially dangerous devices. According to one ...

Netflix has reported surprisingly strong third quarter results, sending the company's share prices soaring 20 percent in late trade (via Reuters). The streaming content company added over 50 percent more subscribers than expected, owing to original shows like Stranger Things and Narcos drawing significant numbers of new international viewers and retaining U.S. customers despite a price hike....

Amazon today launched a new Prime Photos feature called "Family Vault", which extends the unlimited photo storage that Amazon Prime subscribers get to their friends and family members (via TechCrunch). For those unfamiliar with Amazon Prime, a $99 per year subscription includes free two-day shipping, unlimited streaming of movies, TV shows and music, and unlimited photo storage, among other ...