iOS

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!

Apple’s Photos app has evolved significantly since its release with the original iPhone in 2007. It now offers a wealth of features that go beyond simple photo storage. I wanted to put together a detailed walkthrough that talks about both the basics and more advanced features that are lesser known. Be sure to check out our video below for a hands on look on every feature the photos app has to offer.

iOS 17.4.1 and macOS 14.4.1 have arrived for all users after the major iOS 17.4/macOS 14.4 updates. Now Apple has revealed what important security patches come with the latest updates for iPhone, Mac, and more.

Apple has officially released iOS 17.4.1 for iPhone users today. The update comes two weeks after Apple released iOS 17.4 with major changes in the European Union.

In the digital age, banking apps have become our financial lifelines, offering ease and convenience for managing money like never before. Yet, with the constant influx of new Fintech apps, choosing the right one can be overwhelming. Whether you’re opening your first bank account or managing several, our guide to the top three iOS banking apps aims to simplify your choice. Having personally navigated through all three, I’ve found that each serves its purpose. We’ll delve into each app’s features, pricing, and customer service, offering you a clear roadmap to selecting the app that best fits your financial landscape. Let’s uncover the tools that will redefine your banking experience.

We learned with the public launch of iOS 17.4 that Apple included fixes for two exploited vulnerabilities and two other security issues. Now with the arrival of macOS 14.4, there are over 50 security patches and the list of security fixes for iOS 17.4 has been updated to over 40.

Regain clarity with CleanMyPhone by MacPaw — the new AI-powered cleaning app that quickly identifies and removes blurred images, screenshots, and other clutter from your device. Download it now with a free trial.

iOS 17.4 in the European Union brings Apple’s first operating system release that complies with the regulatory framework of the Digital Markets Act. This includes support for alternative app stores — or as Apple calls them, ‘alternative app marketplaces’ — which allows iPhone users to download apps from outside the walls of the Apple App Store for the first time.

The availability of functionality is geo-restricted to the EU only, and Apple has detailed for the first time how it detects this. But perhaps more surprisingly, it also turns out that existing app marketplaces you have downloaded to your device will stop working if you leave the EU for too long.

Apple is set to release iOS 17.4 to the public next week with a major update for EU users that allows third-party app stores and more. Now ahead of the Digital Markets Act going into effect, Apple has shared the most up-to-date and comprehensive resource about all the changes and its approach and “efforts to protect user security and privacy in the European Union.”

Withings is late to the game when it comes to giving users the ability to track their menstrual cycles, but with the release of its ScanWatch Light – a hybrid smartwatch – users can now not only track their cycles with the ScanWatch Light, but also within the Withings app itself. Keep reading below for more details.

Apple is widely expected to unveil major new artificial intelligence features with iOS 18 in June. Code found by 9to5Mac in the first beta of iOS 17.4 shows that Apple is continuing to work on a new version of Siri powered by large language model technology, with a little help from other sources.

In fact, Apple appears to be using OpenAI’s ChatGPT API for internal testing to help the development of its own AI models.

Yesterday, Apple announced that iPhone users in the EU will be prompted to choose a default web browser when they open Safari for the first time after updating to iOS 17.4. The company has now shared more details on this process.

Apple tells me that the popup message in iOS 17.4 will show a list of the 12 most popular browsers from the App Store in that country. That list will be presented in random order for each user.

Fortnite is coming back to the iPhone … for people who live in the European Union. Following Apple’s announcement that it will open the iPhone to third-party app stores in the EU, Epic Games has announced that Fortnite “will return to iOS in Europe in 2024.”

Apple has officially announced that sideloading will be available for EU users with iOS 17.4. Along with the major change, Apple has detailed how it will label apps from third-party app stores to inform and protect EU users, and the features that will be missing when sideloading.

Apple is introducing a wave of changes to iPhone and iPad software with iOS 17.4, but these changes are only impacting customers in the 27 countries that make up the European Union? So what gives?

The new USB-C port on the iPhone 15 has opened up a whole universe of different accessories that can now be used, like USB-C hubs, universal chargers, universal dongles but most importantly (to me), the ability to use SSDs with your iPhone. Even though you can use everything with any of the iPhone 15s, the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max are the ones that have USB 3.2 Gen 2 speeds, allowing for up to 10 Gbit transfer speeds. For us creatives, that unlocks a lot of functionality. Combining this new functionality with enhancements to SSDs, you now have a full studio in your pocket. I might have found that perfect SSD companion in the new Dockcase Pocket NVMe SSD – Photography Edition.

iOS 17.3 beta 3 has arrived for developers. The pre-release software follows the botched iOS 17.3 beta 2 release that caused some iPhones to brick during installation. For iPhone users, the update includes Stolen Device Protection.

I have a love/hate relationship with the Messages app on my iPhone. Sure, it’s a great app that’s gotten a lot of new features recently. On the other hand, it can quickly become overwhelming if you receive a lot of messages – and iOS doesn’t do a great job of helping you manage those messages by default.

Here are three tips I’ve found that help me keep the Messages app under control.

Earlier this month, Apple Design Award-winning ski and ride tracking app Slopes got 3D interactive maps, improved search, and more. Now, in a surprise update, Slopes on iOS is getting live lift and trail status details for more than 50 resorts in the US and Canada.

If you are anything like me, you might have upwards of five to ten different streaming services, which has made it a daunting task to find what content you finally want to watch. Not only that, but streaming services are constantly taking turns with the actual content that’s on each platform, just adding to the confusion. So when Kernel promised to be a solution to the overwhelming complexity of modern entertainment consumption, I had to give it a try. Here is my hands-on take!

Strava, a leading digital community for athletes with over 120 million members, is doing The Spotify and allowing members to show off their personalized Year in Sport. Head below for more details.