Skip to main content

Apps

6,374 'Apps' stories April 2010 - January 2016
See All Stories

Learn about the latest news for iOS, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV apps

Apps for iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS power our modern world. 9to5Mac will update you on the latest news, review, and updates for all types of apps. “There’s an App for that”.

The term came became part of our vocabulary when Steve Jobs announced The App Store as part of the iPhone 2.0 software update in 2008.

Over the years, the term has become as common as kleenex for describing applications on all of our devices. Apple’s platforms have apps for just about anything from finance, banking, sports, social media, podcasting, music, and more. We have a guide for helping you discover the best ones as well. Apps are now on everything from our TV, to our smartphones, on our laptops, and all the way down to our wrists.

As new ones are released or existing ones have major updates, the team here at 9to5Mac will bring you the latest news and reviews. If you want to follow along with video footage, be sure to follow 9to5Mac on YouTube. Scroll down below our latest updates on all things relating to applications on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Watch.

Apple updates Logic Remote with iPad Pro enhancements + iPhone support

Avatar for Zac Hall Jan 20 2016 - 8:57 am PT
3 Comments
Site default logo image

Apple’s hooking up music creators on iOS with lots of new software updates and features today. In addition to releasing a new Music Memos app and enhancing GarageBand for iPad Pro and iPhone 6s, Apple’s Logic Remote app which works with both GarageBand, Logic Pro X, and MainStage on the Mac has been updated with full iPad Pro support and an iPhone version for the first time.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple releases new ‘Music Memos’ iOS app for songwriters

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jan 20 2016 - 8:10 am PT
10 Comments

Apple today released a brand new app for iOS devices called Music Memos that allows songwriters to quickly and easily record audio and develop song ideas.

Apple’s press release for the new app notes that Music Memos was inspired by the fact that many musicians have long used the iOS Voice Memos app as a way of quickly capturing ideas in audio on their iPhones and iPads:
Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple enhancing GarageBand for iPad Pro, adding 3D Touch for iPhone 6s & 6s Plus, much more

Avatar for Zac Hall Jan 20 2016 - 8:08 am PT
1 Comment

Apple today is releasing a new update to GarageBand for iOS that includes enhancements to take advantage of the iPad Pro’s 12.9-inch Retina display. The new version, previously only shown in iPad Pro marketing material, shows more of instruments and tracks in a single view than on smaller iPads and iPhones. New 3D Touch features are also being included for iPhone 6s and 6s Plus users. Separately, Apple is releasing a new music app called Music Memos, and adding a new Live Loops feature to GarageBand for iOS. 
Expand
Expanding
Close

Site default logo image

Microsoft OneDrive for iOS updated w/ iPad Pro & Apple Pencil optimizations

Avatar for Chance Miller Jan 19 2016 - 6:04 pm PT
0 Comments

Microsoft today has updated its OneDrive cloud storage app with a handful of new features and capabilities. The update bumps the app to version 6.8 and includes additions like iPad Pro optimization, 3D Touch support, and more.

With iPad Pro optimization, PDF annotations are now pressure sensitive, meaning your writing and drawing will be darker the harder you press on the screen and lighter the softer you press. Furthermore, the Apple Pencil is now supported with improved optimization, as well.

The full changelog is below:

  • Your lines have never looked so smooth! PDF annotations are now pressure sensitive, including support for Apple Pencil and 3D Touch displays.
  • Plenty of bug fixes and stability improvements.

Microsoft OneDrive is available for free in the App Store.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Site default logo image

Apple releases iMovie for Mac 10.1.1 with YouTube sharing fix, stability improvements, more

Avatar for Chance Miller Jan 19 2016 - 1:36 pm PT
1 Comment

The same day as it released OS X 10.11.3 to the public, Apple has now pushed an update to its iMovie video editing software. The update bumps the app to version 10.1.1 and includes primarily under-the-hood bug fixes and performance updates, some of which will certainly be welcomed by users.

First off, Apple says the update fixes an issue with YouTube sharing that would prevent a user from signing in if they had multiple accounts. The update also fixes an issue relating to applying White Balance adjustments to clips, as well as one that caused an incorrect display of still images. Another change is that clips are now copied when dragged from the Project Media area to the events area of the Library list.

The full changelog is below:

What’s New in Version 10.1.1

• Resolves an issue with YouTube sharing that could prevent sign in for users with multiple accounts
• Fixes a problem that could prevent White Balance adjustments from being applied to clips
• Sony XAVC S clips captured at 100 fps or 120 fps now play correctly
• Resolves an issue that could lead to incorrect display of still images
��� Clips are now copied when dragged from the Project Media container to events in the Library list
• Stability improvements

Back in October, Apple introduced the much larger iMovie 10.1 update that brought 4k video support, as well as support for 1080p video at 60 frames per second. iMovie is available on the Mac App Store.

Digital property after death issues continue as Apple requires court order for widow to get late husband’s Apple ID password

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Jan 19 2016 - 3:48 am PT
31 Comments

CBC News is reporting that Apple would not disclose Apple ID passwords to a widow after presenting her late husband’s death certificates and her will. Instead, Apple demanded Peggy Bush, 72, to attain a court order in order to gain access to the account. See the video after the jump for the full story.

Initially, Apple said that a death certificate would suffice but the company changed its mind on followup calls, making this situation even more frustrating for Bush. She just wanted to play her iPad freemium card game in peace. Law regarding digital assets after death is murky, although Bush points out that death certificates enabled her to transfer pensions and benefits, making it seem ridiculous that Apple would also not cooperate with the same information.


Expand
Expanding
Close

App Store app prices going up in Canada, New Zealand and 5 more countries due to exchange rate fluctuations

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Jan 18 2016 - 11:41 am PT
6 Comments

Apple has notified developers that App Store prices in Canada, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore and South Africa are increasing. Customers in these regions will see prices for apps and in-app purchases rise within the next 72 hours. If you have a renewing subscription, Apple will notify you with an email about the price change ahead of the next subscription payment, although customers in Russia and South Africa will have to resubscribe manually.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Feature Request: Apple TV 4 needs a way to watch TV shows from multiple sources in one universal app

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Jan 18 2016 - 6:44 am PT
53 Comments

Apple released the new Apple TV in the fall. Despite the clunkier fatter physical appearance, the new Apple TV 4 features better performance, a cool new Siri Remote touchpad and an App Store. The App Store unlocks unlimited potential for the Apple TV as a content platform: rather than waiting for content deals between Apple and the networks, TV channels can release their own apps as they please. When the new Apple TV was announced, Tim Cook said the ‘future of TV is apps’. It is true this is a substantial improvement over the previous-generation Apple TV in terms of content (for UK residents like me, addition of BBC iPlayer is a huge win) however there are big user-experience issues with the app model that current Apple TV software does not address …


Expand
Expanding
Close

WhatsApp is now free for all users forever, dropping subscription fees entirely in favor of other revenue models

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Jan 18 2016 - 2:52 am PT
21 Comments

Today, WhatsApp has announced a pretty major shift in its business model. The popular chat client is going completely free. Facebook-owned WhatsApp used to run on a trial model: users could use the app for free for a year. Subsequent years would cost $0.99 cents each. The paid model notably made WhatsApp stand out from the crowd, as almost every other social networking is free to use from the customer perspective. Although WhatsApp will stop charging customers from today, it will take a few weeks for the payment UI in apps to go away as app updates roll out to the store.

WhatsApp says although a 0.99 cent charge is not onerous, it prevented growth as a lot of customers do not have access to credit cards. This is its major motivation for taking out the annual revenue model. Naturally, users of WhatsApp will wonder how the application plans to monetize going forward ….


Expand
Expanding
Close

Site default logo image

Microsoft developing iPhone version of its Swype-like Word Flow keyboard for Windows Phone

Avatar for Zac Hall Jan 17 2016 - 9:28 am PT
4 Comments

Microsoft appears to be planning to port its Windows Phone keyboard called Word Flow to the iPhone as a third-party keyboard, according to WinBeta. The company is currently reaching out to enlisted software testers to recruit iOS users with iPhone 5s or later to test the Windows Phone keyboard.

Word Flow works similarly to gesture-based third-party keyboards like Swype, which let you trace your finger across letters to suggest words for quick typing. The keyboard also supports traditional typing in the same interface. Emoji characters are even recommended when typing words so ‘dog’ might show the dog emoji when typing the word out.

This is how typing with Word Flow looks on Windows Phone minus gesture typing :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM7IdBWtQ6I

Microsoft is currently recruiting beta testers already in its Windows Insider Program with the following message:

Word Flow keyboard has long been one of the highly praised features on Windows Phone and was used to break the Guinness World Record for fastest texting. We are now working on extending this keyboard to other platforms, starting with iOS.

Before publicly releasing this keyboard to the App Store, we’d love to give Insiders like you a preview. With your feedback, we’ll build a roadmap of improvements to the keyboard over time.

Most third-party keyboards since Apple added the capability with iOS 8 haven’t been real home runs due to speed and performance issues, so we’ll have to see how Microsoft works around this. The company is certainly no stranger to developing for iOS with nearly 60 iPhone apps on the App Store to date.

9to5Toys Last Call: WD 2TB External HDD $69, BRAVEN Bluetooth Speaker $75, Amazon Prime $73 this weekend, more

Avatar for Justin Kahn Jan 15 2016 - 9:00 am PT
0 Comments

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

Last Call Updates:

Quick Review: EasyACC 3 USB-port/2 AC-port surge protector is perfect for bedside, desk or travel: $25 shipped

WD Elements 2TB USB 3.0 External Hard Drive: $69 shipped (Reg. $80+)

Daily Deals: BRAVEN 770 Weatherproof Bluetooth Speaker $75, PNY 32GB Flash Drive $7, more

Amazon is discounting its Prime 2-day shipping service down to $73 this weekend (Reg. $99)

App Store Free App of the Week: Lifeline text-adventure game goes free for the first time (Reg. $3)

A Dark Room for iOS goes free as IGN’s Game of the Month (Reg. $1)

10 PopCap Mac games for $10: Plants Vs. Zombies, Monopoly, Scrabble, more ($80+ value)

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5mac/status/686627333785169920 align=’center’]

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

Aukey USB Power: 5-Port QuickCharge 2.0 Desktop Charger $18 (Reg. $30), 5-pack microUSB cables $4

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

Add Milanese Loop style to your Apple Watch for a fraction of the price: $17 Prime shipped (Reg. $25)

Bluetooth Audio Deals: Harman Kardon Speaker (refurb) $70, Over-Ear Headphones $17, more

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

Phāz takes note of iPhone 7 rumors with new Lightning-connected headphones

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/685497066211176448 align=’center’]

Flux responds to iOS 9.3’s Night Shift feature, asks for its app to be allowed in App Store

Avatar for Chance Miller Jan 14 2016 - 6:19 pm PT
31 Comments
Site default logo image

Apple earlier this week introduced the first beta of iOS 9.3 and included in it is a new feature called Night Shift. Night Shift uses your iOS device’s location and clock to automatically adjust the colors in your display, making them warmer and easier on the eyes at nighttime, which ideally would allow you to sleep better. When Apple announced this feature, people immediately noticed the similarity to the popular third-party app Flux, which was only briefly available for iOS last year before Apple shut it down. Now, the developers behind Flux have come out and offered a comment on Apple’s new Night Shift feature…


Expand
Expanding
Close

9to5Toys Last Call: Guitar Hero for iOS $50, Philips Hue Bloom $100, Harman refurb Bluetooth Speaker $70, more

Avatar for Trevor Daugherty Jan 14 2016 - 9:05 am PT
0 Comments

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

Last Call Updates:

WD Elements 2TB USB 3.0 External Hard Drive: $69 shipped (Reg. $80+)

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/687747060469231617 align=’center’]

Games/Apps: Guitar Hero Live (all platforms) $50 (Orig. $100), XCOM Enemy Unknown Elite for Mac $10, iOS freebies, more

Philips Friends of Hue Bloom Luminaire Starter Kit: $100 shipped (Orig. $180)

Bluetooth Audio Deals: Harman Kardon Speaker (refurb) $70, Over-Ear Headphones $17, more

A Dark Room for iOS goes free as IGN’s Game of the Month (Reg. $1)

Lifeline text-adventure game goes free for the first time (Reg. $3)

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5mac/status/686627333785169920 align=’center’]

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

Add Milanese Loop style to your Apple Watch for a fraction of the price: $17 Prime shipped (Reg. $25)

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

MFi Apple-Certified Lightning Cables: 10-ft. Braided $10.50 (Reg. $17), Dual-Port Car Charger + 3-ft. $12, more

It’s 2016, stop renting your cable modem: Motorola refurb DOCSIS 3.0 deals from $40 (Orig. up to $220)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

The Kiba camera wants to sit on your shelf and record life’s biggest moments

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/685497066211176448 align=’center’]

Interact is a new iPhone & iPad contacts app for power users

Avatar for Zac Hall Jan 13 2016 - 8:52 pm PT
2 Comments
Site default logo image

If you’ve ever wanted a little something more out of the Contacts app on iOS, you may be in for a treat with the latest app from Agile Tortoise, which makes the popular Drafts text actions app. Interact is a new contacts app on the iPhone and iPad made for power users. The app includes an iOS extension for creating contacts from information found in other apps, a scratchpad feature for parsing details you jot down for creating new entries, better group management than the built-in contacts app, and much more. Check it out below:


Expand
Expanding
Close

App Store games bring in $1B in revenue during December as Clash of Clans tops the charts

Avatar for Chance Miller Jan 13 2016 - 6:57 pm PT
5 Comments

December is always one of Apple’s biggest months of the year thanks to the influx of new devices people receive as gifts during the holiday season. The company often reports its highest device sales during this month, and as you can figure, the more people who are using iOS devices, the more people who are downloading apps from the App Store. App Store analytics company Sensor Tower has today shared its figures for the month of December 2015, and it was another record-setting month for Apple. Sensor Tower says that revenue for games in the App Store during December was nearly $1 billion.


Expand
Expanding
Close

9to5Toys Last Call: LG 34″ QHD Monitor $570, Motorola Refurb Cable Modem $40, 10-ft. Lightning Cable $11, more

Avatar for Trevor Daugherty Jan 13 2016 - 9:00 am PT
0 Comments

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

Last Call Updates:

Spigen iPhone 6/s 3,100mAh Volt Pack battery case: $15 Prime shipped (Reg. $36)

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/687371122426425344 align=’center’]

34-inch UltraWide Displays: LG w/ Thunderbolt $570 (Reg. $700+), Dell Curved $675 (Reg. $750)

It’s 2016, stop renting your cable modem: Motorola refurb DOCSIS 3.0 deals from $40 (Orig. up to $220)

MFi Apple-Certified Lightning Cables: 10-ft. Braided $10.50 (Reg. $17), Dual-Port Car Charger + 3-ft. $12, more

A Dark Room for iOS goes free as IGN’s Game of the Month (Reg. $1)

LAST CHANCE!!! Giveaway: 1-yr. subscription to Apple Music, Beats Pill+ and Solo 2 Over-ear Headphones ($549 value)

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5mac/status/686627333785169920 align=’center’]

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

Daily Deals: VIZIO 38-inch 2.1 Bluetooth Sound Bar w/ Wireless Subwoofer (refurb) $90, TOURO 1TB USB 3.0 Portable Drive $50, more

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

Quick Review: SoundPEATS’ Q9A Bluetooth earbuds offer solid value at less than $20, exclusive discount

Lenmar MFi Apple-Certified 3,000mAh Battery Case for iPhone 6/s: $20 Prime shipped (Reg. $30)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

LEGO did everything right with its new 2,500-piece vintage Batman set

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/685497066211176448 align=’center’]

iOS Outlook app adds Skype integration to automatically schedule & join Skype meetings

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Jan 13 2016 - 7:33 am PT
6 Comments
Site default logo image

With a growing number of business meetings these days taking place via Skype, Microsoft has made it easier than ever to schedule and join a Skype call in the Outlook iOS app. Version 2.1.3 of the iOS Outlook app adds Skype integration.

Make any meeting a Skype call simply by flicking a switch, then access the call when you need to with just a tap. Now when you say “I’m joining the call now”, you’ll actually mean it. To give it a try, simply turn on the “Skype Meeting” switch when creating or editing an event.

The update also adds a new view designed to provide a clearer sense of your schedule …


Expand
Expanding
Close

Skype bringing free group video calling to iPhone and iPad

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jan 12 2016 - 12:05 pm PT
0 Comments

Skype today announced that it’s bringing free group video calling— a feature it’s long had available on the desktop—to mobile devices including iPhone and iPad users.

Yes, it really has been a decade since Skype changed the way people connect with their loved ones. 6 years ago, we innovated again with one-to-one video calling on mobile phones. Today, we are excited to announce the next evolution – group video calling on Android, iPhone, iPad and Windows 10 Mobile.

The feature will officially launch in the coming weeks, but you can pre-register through Skype’s website here.

And keep an eye out for updates to the Skype for iPhone and Skype for iPad apps. In the latest update to the apps earlier this month, Skype also introduced to the ability to “Send video messages to groups directly from group chats.”

[youtube=https://youtu.be/t20MzFcwWVM]

9to5Toys Last Call: 3000mAh iPhone 6/s Battery Case $20, Samsung 1TB SSD $290, View-Master VR Kit $20, more

Avatar for Trevor Daugherty Jan 12 2016 - 9:00 am PT
0 Comments

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

Last Call Updates:

Bluetooth speakers: Inateck Aluminum ultra-portable $30 (Reg. $43), Logitech UE Boom $100 (Reg. $120)

Lenmar MFi Apple-Certified 3,000mAh Battery Case for iPhone 6/s: $20 Prime shipped (Reg. $30)

Samsung 850 EVO 1TB 2.5-inch Internal Solid-State Drive: $290 shipped (Reg. $350+)

View-Master Virtual Reality Starter Pack for iPhone/Android: $20 Prime shipped (Reg. $30)

Quick Review: SoundPEATS’ Q9A Bluetooth earbuds offer solid value at less than $20, exclusive discount

A Dark Room for iOS goes free as IGN’s Game of the Month (Reg. $1)

Giveaway: 1-yr. subscription to Apple Music, Beats Pill+ and Solo 2 Over-ear Headphones ($549 value)

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5mac/status/686627333785169920 align=’center’]

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

iPhone 5s 16GB in Silver or Gray (No-Contract) from $100 shipped (Reg. $300)

  • USB Power: Lumsing 16,000mAh Dual-USB Power Bank $20, more
  • Kingtop Waterproof Solar Powered Motion Sensor Light $10 Prime shipped (Reg. $16)
  • Games/Apps: Skylanders SuperChargers Pack for iOS $20, more
  • Audio-Technica’s ATH-M50x headphones + Apogee Groove headphone amp $329
  • Daily Deals: Withings Wi-Fi Body Smart Scale $90, Mpow Bluetooth Receiver $14, more
  • Refurbished HDTV Deals: VIZIO 40-inch 1080p 120Hz Smart $180, more
  • Game pre-orders for Amazon Prime members – Final Fantasy XV, more: $48 ea (Reg. $60)
  • Motorola Nexus 6 factory unlocked 32GB in blue/white: $250 shipped (Reg. $330)
  • Fashion: Lucky Brand Jeans up to 50% off – 361 Vintage Straight $50 (Reg. $100), more
  • Pick up a copy of Moby Dick as a Kindle download and audiobook for free (Reg. $6+)

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/686917589210148865 align=’center’]

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

iPhone 6/s/Plus and Android Cases from $1: Dual-Layer in Gold or Space Gray $4.50 (Reg. $10), more

iPhone 6/s/Plus Accessories w/ Prime shipping: Dual-layer Cases from $3 (Reg. $8+)

WD My Book 5TB USB 3.0 External Hard Drive: $110 shipped (Reg. $140)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

This new touchscreen Smart Remote controls your devices just by pointing at them

Report: Amazon planning to launch smaller, more portable version of its Echo speaker

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/685497066211176448 align=’center’]

Popular VLC media player app arrives on the new Apple TV

Avatar for Zac Hall Jan 12 2016 - 8:17 am PT
23 Comments
Site default logo image

After a false start late last month, VLC for Mobile has now arrived on the new Apple TV. VideoLAN officially announced the new Apple TV version of the VLC media player app, which it calls “a full port of VLC media player combined with platform specific features.” VLC enables unsupported media formats to be played on Apple products including the new Apple TV for the first time.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple expands App Analytics feature to tvOS apps

Avatar for Chance Miller Jan 11 2016 - 4:29 pm PT
0 Comments

Apple today has announced that its App Analytics feature now supports tvOS apps. This means that developers can get more detail on how users are responding to and using their apps on the fourth-gen Apple TV. Developers can see how many views their App Store product page is receiving, track marketing campaign, get app usage information, and track in-app purchase success.


Expand
Expanding
Close