Apps

Photo apps optimized for iOS 8

Timothy Reavis ∙ September 20, 2014

Back in June, Apple announced PhotoKit, a new way to edit photos using third-party apps and filters – all from the stock Photos app. Many legacy photography apps have received updates enabling these features, making accessible a great deal of functionality, all in one app. iOS users can now apply watermarks, filters, effects, and more directly in Photos, a feature iPhoneographers are sure to love.

We've brought together a list of the photo apps that have been updated to support Apple's PhotoKit and can be downloaded now.

Apps of the week: keyboards, widgets, bundles, and more

Lory Gil ∙ Updated October 13, 2018

Oh boy, oh boy. For me, the best part about a big update to Apple’s mobile operating system is the super cool updates and new apps that make use of new features. This weekend is going to be fun for me. If you are excited about the new features in iOS 8 that you’ll be able to take advantage of, or just want something fun to pass the time with, we’ve got a list of apps and games we think you’ll enjoy.

A first look at SwiftKey Keyboard for iOS 8

Lory Gil ∙ September 19, 2014

My brother is an Android user and I am an iOS 8 user. So of course he is always showing me things that he can customize on his smartphone that I can’t. One time, he showed me how he could swipe his finger across his keyboard to type words. “Big deal,” I said. “Jealous,” I thought.

Now that SwiftKey Keyboard is available as a default keyboard for iOS 8, I was quick to download it to see just how cool the feature really is. SwiftKey is mainly a predictive keyboard that learns your writing style and gives you suggestions for what you might want to say next. But, it also has that cool “Flow” swiping feature so you can type without tapping.

Apple updates iCloud for Windows utility with iCloud Drive integration in Windows Explorer

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 19, 2014

Apple on the iPhone 6 launch day Friday issued an updated version of its iCloud utility for Windows users with support for iCloud Drive and the ability to manage your cloud documents and upload/download files directly from Windows Explorer.

iCloud Drive can also be accessed in any desktop browser through the web interface at iCloud.com.

OmniFocus 2 for iPad now available with new iOS 8 features

Lory Gil ∙ Updated October 13, 2018

OmniFocus is probably the most comprehensive getting things done (GTD) app available on the iPhone. It makes project management easy and convenient, helps keep you organized and on task, and makes it possible for you to schedule your busy life.

Finally, OmniFocus 2 is now available on the iPad as a new download. It has a completely redesigned user interface that takes advantage of the larger screen. It combines all of the best features of OmniFocus 2 for Mac and OmniFocus 2 for iPhone into one great app on the iPad.

Google’s Search for iOS app gains Google Now traffic info and TV recommendations, more

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 19, 2014

The Internet giant Google on Friday refreshed its native Google Search application for the iPhone and iPad with enhancements to the built-in Google Now feature in the form of new cards for personalized TV recommendations and traffic information.

Furthermore, version 4.2 of Google Search for iOS now includes better Chromecast integration allowing owners of the $35 HDMI dongle to ask Google “what’s on Chromecast?” to open the Chromecast for iPhone app and start casting.

TeeVee 3 updated with iOS 8 Today widget, interactive alerts and now free

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 13, 2018

TeeVee 3, a TV show-tracking app that I reviewed in May by Tomas Perzl of the Czech Republic and Slovakia-based CrazyApps Team, now lets you tweet out upcoming episodes or mark the ones you've seen as watched, directly from the notification itself, and also see which shows are coming next in the Today view of the iOS Notification Center, thanks to its iOS 8-focused update released yesterday.

Other new features available in this excellent iPhone and iPad app include new sorting options (Alphabetically, Reverse, AirDate and Unwatched), the ability to delete a show by long-pressing it in the list and several bug fixes.

As a cherry on top, the team has decided to discount the $2.99 app to zero bucks, for a limited time, in an effort to bring in new customers. If you're going to grab the latest TeeVee 3.1 update, please keep in mind that the app now requires iOS 8.

New App Store section highlights apps updated for iPhone 6

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

You may have noticed over the past 24 hours that a new section has appeared in the App Store entitled "Apps & Games for iPhone 6." As you'd expect, the section is meant to highlight apps and games that have been updated for the larger displays on the two new iPhones.

There are likely thousands of apps that are compatible with the handsets, with many more to come. Apple rounded up about 65 of them, and we thought we'd share 10 of our favorites, so you know what apps we'll be downloading when we get our new iPhones tomorrow.

App bundles are now live on the App Store, here are a few worth checking out

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 17, 2019

Alongside iOS 8, the App Store received a number of improvements, including video previews and support for app bundles. And with yesterday's release, several app bundles popped up in Apple's digital storefront, so we've decided to roundup a few worth checking out.

To give you an idea of how this works, among our list is the Runtastic Cardio Pack, which includes 5 iPhone apps made by runtastic that are meant to track various fitness activities. Individually, these apps would cost you $16, but the bundle is just $8—a 50% savings.

A first look at Fleksy for iOS 8

Lory Gil ∙ September 18, 2014

One of the cool new features available in iOS 8 is the ability to set third-party keyboard apps as the default on your iPhone and iPad. I was quick to jump on that bandwagon. Fleksy Keyboard – Happy Typing was my first third-party default because, frankly, I wanted my keyboard to look like a candy store. It is a gesture-based, colorful, super fast keyboard for iOS 8 with autocorrect and word suggestions. I’ve been playing with it for about a day now and I’ve got some hands-on experience to pass along to you.

Twitter’s iPhone app gains interactive notifications on iOS 8, revamps profile pages

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 18, 2014

Twitter, the popular micro-blogging service, is rolling out a brand new profile experience on Twitter for iPhone, in addition to another cool new feature — support for interactive notifications for incoming tweets on iOS 8 devices — the startup announced in a blog post Thursday.

While the new profiles will be available for everyone using iOS 7 or above, the ability to interact with alerts on the Lock and Home screen is not because this capability is part of the great new features available only in iOS 8.

SwiftKey’s new iOS 8 keyboard surpasses 1 million downloads in first day

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

SwiftKey has announced today that its new iOS 8 keyboard has already surpassed the 1 million downloads mark. The news comes just 24 hours after Apple released the software update, which activated support for third party iOS keyboards.

At the time of this writing, SwiftKey is the #1 app in the Top Free chart of the US App Store. Other third-party keyboard apps like Swype and Fleksy are also sitting at the top of their respective charts, as users rush to try out the new feature.