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

Apple today announced Apple Music, a new all-in-one app and service for discovering and listening to music. Apple Music includes a streaming music service that delivers on-demand music for $9.99 per month, much like Apple's existing Beats Music service. Many users have wondered whether Apple Music will allow for song downloads for offline listening, and the answer to that question is yes....

Following today's big WWDC keynote address in San Francisco, a few new details and confirmations have been made about the Apple Watch, specifically regarding a crucial security feature for the wearable. Activation Lock, previously available for iPhones and iPads, was confirmed to be coming to Apple Watch with watchOS 2. The feature lets users secure their Apple Watch with their Apple ID,...

Hidden in the settings menu of the just-unveiled iOS 9, today it was found that iCloud Drive will be getting its own dedicated app experience with the newest iteration of iOS. The app, hidden by a "Show on Home Screen" command in the iCloud Drive section of settings, will allow users to interact and manage all of their saved files within iCloud inside of the app. The specific setting...

A somewhat hidden feature not spoken of directly during today's WWDC keynote is a new app for iOS 9 called "Move to iOS," which will allow current Android users a hassle-free migration experience from their Android phone to the iOS ecosystem. Once downloaded on each phone, the app will help users securely transfer all of their important data: contacts, message history, camera photos and...

Apple today showed a video during its WWDC keynote speech to showcase a few key numbers detailing the growth and evolution of the App Store since it launched seven years ago. Apple CEO Tim Cook noted that the App Store has been an "economic boon" and forever changed software distribution, with 98 percent of all Fortune 500 companies creating an iOS app and the average person owning about 119 apps ...

Apple today announced Swift 2, the latest version of its programming language for iOS, OS X and watchOS with all-new Whole Module Optimization technology. Apple executive Craig Federighi also announced that Swift will be open source and made available for Linux later this year. Swift 2 has new features that will enable developers to write even better code, including advanced error handling,...

Today at WWDC, Apple confirmed that multitasking would be coming to the iPad with iOS 9. The new feature will allow users to view, and sometimes interact with, two apps simultaneously in multiple ways. First is "Split View," coming to iPad Air 2, which brings the most powerful task managing multitasking experience to the tablet. With it a user can open two apps at the same time, and completely...

Apple today announced a brand new application called "News," that aims to provide curated lists of personalized news for each iOS user. Taking news from some of the most popular websites and newspapers, the app provides content in a unique, custom layout with rich typography. The app, launching first in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia, allows users to pick favorite publications,...

Today Apple briefly reiterated on Apple Pay's success in the United States, mentioning upcoming support for Discover credit cards and new expansive partners coming soon. The company also announced that Apple Pay will be coming to the United Kingdom, with 250,000 UK merchants launching support of the service in July. Those 250,000 confirmed supporters of the mobile wallet in the UK exceed even ...

Apple is expected to announce that Apple Pay will support retail store credit cards at its annual WWDC keynote today in San Francisco, according to The Wall Street Journal. The private label cards, which typically offer customers special offers and rewards, so far have not been compatible with the mobile payments service since its U.S. launch last October. Many retailers in the United States,...

Apple is planning to do away with Newsstand, its central app that stores newspaper and magazine subscriptions for users, according to sources who spoke with Re/code. In its place, the company will introduce a new Flipboard-style aggregation experience that will showcase curated lists of articles and content for individual customers. The partners for the new app will include ESPN, The New York...

Philips on Monday morning confirmed that its series of connected smart light bulbs, Philips Hue, will begin supporting Apple HomeKit sometime in the Fall. First announced nearly a year ago at last year's WWDC, HomeKit is Apple's home automation platform that aims to give developers and manufacturers a standardized framework to build devices that interact not only with Apple's products but one...

Dealing with daily emails on Apple Watch is probably low on the list of things you want to do with the wrist-worn device, especially since you can't actually write or respond to emails in the Apple Watch Mail app. However, Mail can be a useful way to clean out your inbox without pulling out your iPhone. Plus, if you need to address an email right away, you can always use Handoff with your iPhone ...

iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are the two most popular smartphones Apple has ever released thanks to their larger 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch screen sizes. Given that nearly nine months have passed since the devices were launched in September, there are now a variety of cases and accessories available for both. As such, we have rounded up some of the best iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus cases based on pricing, ...

Apple today shifted its messaging concerning Apple Watch try-on appointments, which were required in the early days following the wearable's launch to be able to interact with and size the various models of the Watch. The messaging of try-on appointments has now largely vanished from the Apple Watch's online storefront, with a notification encouraging customers to visit their local Apple Watch...

With its WatchStand, accessory maker Griffin has come up with a unique take on an Apple Watch charging dock, incorporating a cord management feature that sets it apart from the many other stands on the market. Made of plastic instead of aluminum or wood, Griffin's stand is also one of the more affordable options available. I've been testing the Griffin WatchStand for the past week and have...

In today's review, we're talking a look at iPhone 6 Plus cases from Speck, a well-known accessory company that sells its products in dozens of retail stores. Speck has been in the case-making business for many years now and it offers several iconic cases like the CandyShell and the MightyShell. All of Speck's cases provide a reasonable compromise between protection and thickness. They can keep ...

Apple Watch includes a miniature version of Apple Maps, which offers many of the same features as the full iOS version if you know how to access them. Some of what Maps can do is fairly obvious, but there are a few features that require a bit more know-how. If you are interested in learning the ins and outs of Apple Maps on Watch OS and would like to know some simple tips for getting the most...