iOS

Major MacID software update now available for iOS and OS X

Popular for letting users unlock their Mac with the Touch ID sensor on their iPhones and/or iPads, MacID comes with a slew of other useful features as well that take advantage of a Bluetooth connection between these devices.

A massive update to the $3.99 MacID app for iOS devices and the free software for Macs is now available that provides a slew of improvements and new features for users. 

Apple will bring back UI navigation with Apple Pencil in the next iOS 9.3 beta

Well, that didn't take long. In response to concerns that it is taking features away from the iPad Pro's Pencil, Apple confirmed in a statement to The Verge that the next iOS 9.3 beta will reinstate the Pencil's ability to be used as a finger replacement for the user interface navigation.

“We will add this functionality back in the next beta of iOS 9.3,” said a company spokesperson. Earlier today, MacRumors discovered that the most recent beta of iOS 9.3 has removed the ability for iPad Pro customers to use the Pencil to navigate the entirety of the iOS user interface.

Viber gains more 3D Touch goodies, Split View and Slide Over multitasking on iPad Pro and other perks

Viber, the popular instant messaging application, has received an update in the App Store. Bumped to version 5.8, the app now works side-by-side with other apps in iOS 9's new Split View and Slide Over multitasking on the iPad Pro.

On the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, your most recent chats are now available right from the app's 3D Touch shortcut menu on the Home screen.

This edition of Viber also packs in some other improvements related to 'read' and 'liked' icons in group chats and an all-new media browser for chats.

iOS 9.3 beta 4 and OS X 10.11.4 El Capitan beta 4 now available for public beta-testing

A day after it has released a fourth beta of iOS 9.3 and a fourth beta of OS X 10.11.4 to its registered developers, Apple today has made both software updates available to users who are signed up for the Apple Beta Software Program.

Public beta builds of both iOS 9.3 beta 4 and OS X 10.11.4 beta 4 can be downloaded directly on devices that are enrolled in Apple's beta program through the Software Update mechanism.

It seems Apple might intentionally remove important functionality from its stylus

The most recent beta of iOS 9.3 has removed the important functionality for the Apple Pencil: the ability to use the stylus accessory as a finger replacement to select options and menus in apps, swipe between apps, tap on buttons and use the Pencil for general navigational purposes throughout iOS.

If Apple does not change its mind and re-add this functionality in a final version of iOS 9.3, people who rely on the Pencil to edit content on their iPad Pro will be forced to use their hand to select tools in apps like Pixelmator, for example, marking a major usability regression.

As first noted by MacRumors, the disturbing feature removal which limits the Pencil's functionality has enraged users who have grown accustomed to using the stylus for navigational purposes.

Jailbreak tweaks of the week: Meteor, QuickClear, and more…

Another Sunday, another opportunity to show you what's new in Cydia for the week!

Ranging from free to paid, this week's jailbreak tweak releases in Cydia have been few and far in between; that is, until the Updates tab blew up over the weekend with tons of new releases. Still, there have been some noteworthy releases that we think some jailbreakers will get excited about; others will improve security, and some are even utilitarian.

In this roundup, we'll show you everything that's new in Cydia this week, and we'll also be pointing out our favorite releases.

How to install emulators on your iPhone or iPad, no jailbreak required

Emulators are a way to play your favorite childhood games on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad without carrying the game disks or cartridges and game consoles around with you. Instead, they sideload the games on your device as a piece of software, and they're given controls that are adapted for the touch screen.

In this tutorial, we'll be showing you a method that still works to this day for getting emulators on your iOS device, and the best part is, you don't even have to be jailbroken to do any of it.

This tweak cures your nostalgia for the iOS 7 App Switcher

Although there are plenty of similarities between the App Switcher in iOS 7 and iOS 8, Apple launched a redesigned App Switcher in iOS 9 focused on improved aesthetics.

The iOS 9 App Switcher isn't always very responsive to upward swipes and sometimes swipes side-to-side instead. Moreover, it can be slower and laggy on older iOS devices that aren't built for the added demands on the system's resources.

If you're missing the fluidity and responsiveness of the iOS 7 App Switcher, and you have a jailbroken device, you're going to love a new jailbreak tweak dubbed AppSwitcher7, which is available for free in Cydia as of today.

Temporarily clear app icon badges with BadgeCleaner

If you're like me, then you probably get several notification badges on your Home screen app icons all the time because people want to talk to you or because apps want to share stuff with you.

Unfortunately, if you launch the app just to get rid of the badge, the notification is gone for good and you might forget to look at it later.

Available now to solve this problem is a new free jailbreak tweak called BadgeCleaner, which can be had from Cydia's BigBoss repository. This tweak lets you easily clear app badges without dismissing the notifications the app might have waiting for you.