App Store Apps

iOS 10 tidbit: managing app downloads in progress with 3D Touch

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 17, 2016

Pausing an in-progress App Store download has always been a cinch on iOS: you just tap the icon of the app being downloaded on your Home screen in order to pause the download, and then tap it again to resume it.

But cancelling the download is a trickier affair: you must tap the icon's X sign in jiggle mode. The problem is, entering iOS's signature jiggle mode often interferes with 3D Touch.

Thankfully, iOS 10 comes to the rescue with all-new 3D Touch shortcuts for managing downloads in progress.

Apple’s free app of the week: TextGrabber

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

Apple on Thursday updated its App of the Week promotion with the productivity app TextGrabber. This means that for the next 7 days, you’ll be able to download the popular OCR translation app for free on both iPhone and iPad—a solid savings of $5.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with TextGrabber, it easily and quickly scans, translates and saves your chosen text or QR-codes from virtually any printed material. All you have to do is take a picture, and TG handles the rest.

iOS 10: app sharing made simple with handy new 3D Touch shortcut

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 16, 2016

In the run-up to the WWDC 2016 keynote, Apple announced a major shake up in the App Store with several new features, among them an easier way to share third-party apps with friends and family using 3D Touch.

Now that iOS 10 Preview has released to Apple's registered developers and we've had a chance to spend hands-on time with this feature, we're pleased to report that it works precisely as advertised.

Facebook launches new Home tab in Messenger

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 16, 2016

Facebook is trying to “reinvent the inbox” with Home, a new tab in the mobile Messenger app designed to make it easier to start conversations with the service's more than 900 million unique mostly users. David Marcus, Facebook's Messenger boss, said on Thursday that with the new Home tab his company is aiming to make Messenger simpler to use by presenting more relevant information.

Netflix app now supports Picture in Picture on compatible iPads

Cody Lee ∙ June 14, 2016

Netflix on Tuesday pushed out an update for its iOS app, brining the client to version 8.7. It's a minor release, with just a few items mentioned in the change log, but there's one significant new feature that's going to really please iPad fans: Picture in Picture support.

That's right, folks with a compatible iPad can now watch Netflix in a floating, resizable window while continuing to perform tasks like checking email or browsing Safari. Netflix says you'll have to be on iOS 9.3.2 or later, and of course you'll need an iPad Air or later.

2016 Apple Design Award winners: Streaks, djay Pro, Lara Croft GO, and more

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 17, 2019

Following its WWDC keynote on Monday, Apple held a smaller event to announce the winners of its Apple Design Awards. This is an annual undertaking for the company, and the awards are highly coveted by developers.

Apple grants the awards to high quality apps and games, with unique and compelling designs that set them apart from other offerings. Winners get featured in the App Store, a trophy, and an assortment of Apple products.

App Store has surpassed 2 million apps, 130 billion downloads

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

Apple's long-awaited WWDC keynote is now in full swing, and as usual, CEO Tim Cook has taken the stage to kick things off. Cook began on a somber note, asking attendees to participate in a moment of silence for the victims of yesterday's tragedy in Orlando, and then got down to business rattling off new stats.

Among the most interesting numbers the executive shared is that the App Store recently surpassed 2 million apps. In the most recent data Apple shared on app numbers, it was still around the 1.5 million mark, so this is a new development for sure. We've got some other interesting numbers for you listed below.

Microsoft Office apps updated with support for exporting files in OpenDocument format

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 13, 2016

Ahead of WWDC keynote at 10am this morning, Microsoft refreshed its trio of Office productivity applications for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad with a notable new export option. Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps can now export documents, spreadsheets and presentations in the cross-platform OpenDocument format, making the mobile apps even more suited for business use.

SnapOldStory reverts your Snapchat apps’ Stories page to the older design

Anthony Bouchard ∙ June 12, 2016

Not long ago, Snapchat released an app update for iOS that changed the way users interact with the Stories section of their app.

Not all users were happy with the changes, and so, an iOS developer in the jailbreak community made a new tweak called SnapOldStory that lets you revert back to the old Stories page style.

What’s on your Home screen: Timothy Reavis

Timothy Reavis ∙ Updated February 6, 2018

One of the things I see the most every single day is most certainly the Home screen of my iPhone. Because my phone is with me wherever I go, and because it's the device from which I consume the majority of content, the first page of my Home screen is at the forefront of my digital life. Naturally, then, the apps that reside on this page are to be chosen rather carefully to maximize efficiency throughout the day.

Bumpers, Winnie, BitCam and other apps to check out this weekend

Cody Lee ∙ Updated October 16, 2018

It's going to be a long weekend for Apple fans, as we anxiously await the company's big WWDC keynote on Monday. But never fear, we've picked out some great apps and games to help you pass the time. These include a new audio recording and sharing app, an old school camera app, and of course two great new games.

Apple confirms that subscription apps won’t be obliged to offer free functionality

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 10, 2016

There has been a lot of confusion following Apple's App Store shakeup concerning subscription apps.

First and foremost, does Apple require subscription apps to be functional in some limited way without a subscription, as is the case with apps that use In-App Purchases, or will subscription apps require a subscription to use the app at all? If Apple's comment to MacWorld is to be taken at face value, both could be true.