iPhone

Being prompted to make an iPhone web browser choice in Europe has seen an uptick in the use of third-party apps, but not everyone is happy about it.

The EU itself is investigating whether Apple’s implementation of the antitrust requirement goes far enough, and developers of third-party browsers say the process gets one thing right, and two things wrong …

In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman gives us a few more hints about what to expect from iOS 18 in terms of upcoming new software changes for the iPhone.

Gurman writes that alongside the slate of artificial intelligence features, iOS 18 will include updates to most of the popular built-in apps on the iPhone, including overhauls for the Photos, Mail, Notes and Fitness apps. The Calculator app will be updated with new features, and made available on the iPad for the first time.

Back in January, a fully intact iPhone was discovered along the side of the road after plummeting 16,000 feet when a door blew off an Alaska Airlines flight. At the time, we pointed out that it was pretty incredible the iPhone 14 Pro Max survived such a dramatic fall.

The Wall Street Journal’s Joanna Stern, however, was determined to get more answers.

Native Union has released its latest iPhone accessory today, the (Re)Classic Power Bank. The company is looking to set it apart from the competition with what it says is the slimmest design for a 5000mAh iPhone at just 8.6mm (0.34 inches), an Italian vegan leather, and more.

A curious email from Apple is making its way to iPhone Upgrade Program customers. The message is telling many who upgraded to an iPhone 15 last fall that their completed trade-in has been “canceled” and the paid-off loan will “resume.”

CIRP is out with a report on how iPhone activations compare to Android in the US. The latest data shows a notable drop over the last year bringing Apple’s US smartphone market share of new activations back in time six years.

Over the weekend, it was rumored that Apple had ended production of FineWoven cases and watch bands. As it turns out, Apple does apparently still have one more iteration of the oft-maligned FineWoven accessories coming soon in new colors, but the end is near.

One of the latest attacks on iPhone sees malicious parties abuse the Apple ID password reset system to inundate users with iOS prompts to take over their accounts. Here’s how you can protect against iPhone password reset attacks (often called “MFA bombing”).

The EU commission is set to approve Apple’s previously-announced policy changes regarding access to the NFC chip on the iPhone, with the view of increasing competition in the contactless payments market. The commission’s decision will be officially announced in the coming weeks, via Reuters.

With these changes, apps will be allowed to become the default wallet app that appears when users double-click the side button or hold their phone near a payment terminal. However, the relaxation of policy only applies to apps available inside the European Union, not worldwide.

Police officers were allowed to force a suspect to use his thumbprint to unlock his phone, according to a federal court ruling.

However, it said the issue was a finely-judged one, and its ruling should not be interpreted to mean that this is lawful in all circumstances …

Have you noticed your iPhone jump onto a WiFi network when you’re away from home without asking first? Or maybe you want to check what networks your iPhone is auto-joining? Follow along for how to turn off iPhone WiFi auto-join for public and carrier networks.

Almost 100,000 iPhones which Apple paid a contractor to scrap were instead stolen and shipped off to China, according to an in-depth report.

Apple sued the company concerned, but now appears to have abandoned the lawsuit, with the report suggesting this is to avoid publicly admitting that it orders the shredding of perfectly usable devices, in stark contrast to the company’s environmental stance …

Is the arrival of game emulators on iOS making you nostalgic? Check out these fun Game Boy wallpapers for iPhone as a neat way to relive your handheld gaming memories or get close to the Game Boy you always wanted but never had.

Existential question time: how do you take a selfie with your iPhone? This subject just hit the 9to5Mac Slack. That’s because Tim Cook is currently on tour in the eastern hemisphere, and at least two tweets include someone taking what I’ll call a reverse selfie with the Apple CEO.

SIM swaps are one of the biggest security threats we face, allowing criminals to access most services protected by two-factor authentication. The situation could be about to get even worse, as we learn of an apparent large-scale attempt to bribe T-Mobile and Verizon workers to facilitate the swaps.

While new rules and security features are supposed to make these attacks harder to pull off, now would be an excellent time to ensure your accounts are protected by authenticator apps rather than text messages …

While shooting professional-standard video is possible with an iPhone, it generally requires the use of accessories like lighting and external microphones. The new Rode MagSafe mount is designed to let you do this at an affordable price.

If your video accessory needs are more demanding, there’s also a MagSafe Phone Cage with five cold shoe mounts, as well as plenty of 1/4-inch and 3/8-inch threads for use with tripods, handles and other accessories …

Update: The app has now been removed from the App Store. Original story below.

Apple changed the App Store rules last week to seemingly permit game emulators on the iPhone for the first time.

Following that policy change, the first emulator apps are now appearing on the store. iGBA is a free Game Boy game emulator for iPhone and iPad, which can indeed load and play ROMs downloaded to the device — a category of application that Apple would have unequivocally rejected a fortnight ago.

At WWDC in 2020, Apple announced a new car key feature that lets people use the Wallet app on the iPhone or Apple Watch to control their car. While adoption of this feature has been slow, head below to find the full list of cars that support Apple car key integration.

The iPhone and iOS have continuously evolved over the last 17 years. When the original iPhone was released, the feature sets and tools included in PhoneOS 1 were very limited. Apple wanted users to focus on basic interactions such as using the new touchscreen and making phone calls. However, with iOS 17, the software has grown exponentially and has become your go-to tool for almost any task. In this post, I will highlight 12 progressively useful features built into iOS. Share your favorite iOS feature in the comments—one that others might not know about—so we can all learn!