Apps

A closer look at iOS 10.3’s streamlined App Store ratings and reviews capabilities

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 28, 2017

Following yesterday's OS update bonanza, Apple shared some additional details pertaining to iOS 10.3's new ratings and reviews capabilities that are available to developers.

As previously noted, iOS 10.3 is changing how reviews and feedback are handled within apps.

Rather than inundate users with endless prompts seeking feedback, like before, developers now have a new StoreKit API on iOS 10.3 at their disposal.

First and foremost, the StoreKit APIs allow users to provide ratings and reviews without leaving the app they're in. Developers simply choose when they’d like to prompt the user and identify places in their app where it makes sense to ask for feedback, and the system takes care of the rest.

Read More

Pages, Numbers and Keynote pick up new editing features, Touch ID support & more

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 27, 2017

Apple's productivity-focused iWork apps—Pages, Numbers and Keynote for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac and iCloud.com— were updated this morning with a bunch of new features, including new editing capabilities across iOS, macOS and the web and the ability to quickly open password-protected documents using Touch ID. Pages, Numbers and Keynote for iOS are available free from App Store.

Pages, Numbers and Keynote for Mac are available via Mac App Store. Web-based versions of these apps are accessible via a desktop web browser at iCloud.com.

Read More

Apple TV Remote app gains support for iPad, lyrics, playlists, chapters & more

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 27, 2017

Apple's free app for controlling Apple TVs from anywhere in your home via your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch was just updated on App Store following a barrage of software updates that the company released for iOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS earlier this morning. Bumped to version 1.1, the official Apple TV Remote app finally supports iPad natively and now lets you see music lyrics, browse playlists, navigate chapters and more.

Read More

Revised version of iTunes 12.6 removes non-functional “Show on Profile Page” toggle

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 24, 2017

iTunes 12.6 was released alongside a slew of Apple product refreshes three days ago, bringing the ability to watch iTunes movies rented in the app on your other devices, and vice versa. Interestingly, the app shipped with a new Show on Profile Page toggle that a Reddit user discovered on the Playlist Edit page. Late yesterday, Apple issued a revised build of iTunes which, as first spotted by MacRumors, removes that option.

Read More

How to use Wish List to track iOS apps and games

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 8, 2023

Wish List is one of the lesser-known features of App Store. Your Wish List is accessible in App Store on mobile and iTunes on desktop. As the feature's title suggests, you can add iPhone, iPad and iPod touch apps and games to your Wish List that you might want to explore or purchase later.

With this tutorial, you'll learn how to add, remove and downloads items on your Wish List on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac or PC devices.

Read More

Speed up or slow down iTunes playback for podcasts, audiobooks, and music with Speed-Up

Steffen Reich ∙ March 24, 2017

Still enjoying iTunes despite the beautiful mess it has become on macOS? If the answer is yes, perhaps listen up for this one. Every once in a while, seemingly low-key and low-price apps pop up in the market, claiming to have identified an imperfection or gap in Apple’s software, and in the next breath promising the fix for it. Some of these apps are superfluous to the user for the simple reason that the touted feature is already in place in Apple’s mothership software (in some shape or form), other apps are gimmicky or overly flawed.

Speed-Up for Mac firmly sits in the opposite camp, the one where ostensibly small apps are extremely wholesome and deliver on the promised goods. So what does it promise you ask? Put simply, to speed up or slow down your iTunes playback, an option otherwise notably absent on macOS. If this sounds surprisingly succinct or sober to you, that’s because it is.

Speed-Up treasures simplicity over bells & whistles, and is probably worth a look if you have ever caught yourself wishing for a speed lever in the thick of an Audiobook or Podcast session on your MacBook.

Read More

Instagram unveils blurred posts, Two-Factor Authentication now available to everyone

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 23, 2017

Facebook-owned Instagram is continuing to build a safer, kinder community for all its customers by introducing helpful features aimed at increasing user security and privacy on the service. Thursday, the company announced a pair of important updates in the form of a Two-Factor Authentication security feature, now available to everyone, and blurred posts aimed at reducing “unwanted experiences” in the app, a free download from App Store.

Read More

Apple acquires powerful automation app Workflow

Cody Lee ∙ March 22, 2017

Apple has acquired the powerful automation app Workflow, reports TechCrunch. The outlet received a statement from the developers, as well as Apple, confirming the deal, but the financial details are not yet known.

For those who aren't familiar with the app, Workflow is similar to the popular IFTTT service in that it allows you to create custom recipes to perform complex tasks. The app was designed by former jailbreak developers.

Read More

Google Photos gains faster backup and sharing on low or spotty connections

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 22, 2017

Google's mobile Photos app recently gained the ability to automatically adjust the white tone of your images to given them a more natural look. During an event in São Paulo, Brazil today, the search company announced that Google Photos for iOS and Android now includes faster backup and sharing on low connectivity. They're rolling out these improvements in Google Photos for iOS and Android starting today, ahead of a wider rollout in the coming days.

Read More

File sharing hits Google’s Allo app

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 22, 2017

Google held a media event today in São Paulo, Brazil, revealing that its messaging app Allo, which debuted last September, has gained a pair of new features: file sharing in group chats and support for the app's Smart Smiley feature in Portuguese. Noting a lot of users have requested the ability to share documents in group chats, Google said that Android users everywhere can now share documents with friends on Allo, including files like PDF documents, ZIP archives, MP3 tracks and more.

Google didn't say when file sharing might hit Allo for iOS, but it shouldn't be too long.

Read More

Audio calling coming soon to Google’s Duo app

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 8, 2017

At an event in São Paulo, Brazil today, Google announced that its one-on-one video calling app, Duo, will be soon gaining audio-only calling on iOS and Android. The feature is already available starting today to customers in Brazil and will be rolling out to users around the world in the coming days. With the update, Duo for iPhone now supports both video and audio calling and effectively becomes a viable alternative to Apple's FaceTime.

Read More