Update: Apple has documented the security fix here.
Now that the just-released iOS 9.3.5 security update is now available, details about what exactly it fixes have been green lighted for release as well. Both Vice and NYT have detailed accounts of the very serious security issue that iOS 9.3.5 fixes…
Update: The update fixes a serious security exploit that exposed contacts, texts, calls, and emails.
Apple today released the iOS 9.3.5 software update for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. The bug fix update follows the recent release of iOS 9.3.4, which closed a recent jailbreak hole, and iOS 9.3.3, which was tested for several weeks and also included bug fixes. iOS 9.3.5 could also be the last update to iOS 9 devices and the last iOS 9 update in general before iOS 10 is released this fall.
At long last, Google today updated its trio of productivity apps on iOS with support for the multitasking features Apple introduced to iPad users with iOS 9. With today’s updates, Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides users can now take advantage of Split View and Slide Over multitasking.
It turns out iOS 9.3.3 won’t be the last update to iPhones and iPads before iOS 10 is released this fall. Apple today has released iOS 9.3.4 for iPhone and iPad.
Apple has just released iOS 9.3.3 for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. The new software update is by no means as interesting or as feature-rich as iOS 10, due to be released publicly in the fall, but it includes some important bug fixes and performance improvements for iOS users.
The minor 9.3.3 software update went through a lengthy beta process, spanning five betas. As always, we’ll let you know about any surprises associated with the iOS 9.3.3 update.
Apple has issued a fifth developer and public beta release of iOS 9.3.3 ahead of its general release. iOS 9.3.3 beta 5 follows the last build issued a week ago which suggests a general release will soon follow. Apple is likely testing iOS 9.3.3 heavily as it could be the last version of iOS 9 before iOS 10 is released later this fall.
Apple introduced a built-in Picture-In-Picture feature for iPads on iOS 9 a year ago and released it last fall. We’re getting deep into iOS 10 territory at this point, but some apps are still updating to support the latest features from the current version of iOS. Netflix delivered on that today with official support for PIP on iOS 9.3.2 or later. (The version number requirement may suggest that earlier versions didn’t support what Netflix would need, although iOS 10 beta seems to break it.)
A redesigned Spotlight search screen is one of the key features in iOS 9, and Spotlight Suggestions powers this space with content from the App Store and iTunes, news sites, local businesses, and much more. Localization is key in providing a useful experience with Spotlight Suggestions, however, so the feature isn’t on by default for all regions and languages.
Apple has added support for seven more regions and languages now, though, bringing the total number of supported locations to 26. These are the latest regions to gain Spotlight Suggestions support:
Something that has been bugging me for some time is that my iPhone, normally unlocked with Touch ID, asks for my passcode way more often than it ought to. That mystery has now been solved by a bullet-point that Apple added to its iOS Security Guide earlier this month – though the behavior has been there a lot longer.
Previous versions of the document said that iOS devices should only ask Touch ID users for their passcode in one of five circumstances. I found I was frequently asked for my passcode when none of these applied, but a sixth, recently-added bullet-point explains it …
Apple is rolling out some iterative improvements to Apple News for publishers taking advantage of its Apple News Format to post articles. Apple is adding Map and Place components, to let authors pictographically display relevant locations — complete with pins to highlight POI.
The FBI has decided it will not divulge the details of how it successfully hacked into the San Bernardino iPhone to Apple, having found a method at the last-minute just hours before going to court in late March. However, in an attempt to appear helpful and cooperative, the FBI gave Apple its first security tipoff under the Vulnerability Equities Process this month.
Reuters reports the FBI informed Apple of a security flaw affecting iOS and Mac software on April 14th, as part of a process that balances the needs of law enforcement to hack devices and the needs of manufacturers to patch found flaws before criminals can use them …
Although Apple usually updates its iOS adoption statistics on a fortnightly basis, the company had strangely stopped updating its iOS chart last month. As iOS 9 growth appeared to have stalled, perhaps the numbers simply didn’t change significantly in that time. However, this week Apple has updated the chart with a significant jump, now reporting iOS 9 was seen on 84% of active devices as of April 18th. With iOS 10 set to be announced in June (and internal testing gradually ramping — see below), it appears iOS 9 will end up peaking around the 90% adoption mark in line with previous versions.
Apple has today updated its list of iOS 9 feature availability to note the addition of its Maps ‘Nearby’ feature for more countries.
As part of Apple’s Renew program, where the company is encouraging people to recycle their old devices to help the environment, Apple has posted some exclusive environmental wallpaper to download on its website. The URL (apple.com/thanks) is given out on cards in Apple Stores to people who recycle their old device in store, as a small gesture of appreciation.
However, the URL is open to anyone to visit and download some cute, exclusive, iOS 9 wallpaper that isn’t included in the default list of iOS wallpaper …
Somehow, it has become a part of mainstream culture for iPhone and iPad users to quit all their apps in multitasking as some kind of regular tech maintenance ritual to improve battery life or speed up the hardware. An understanding of how iOS multitasking works however, shows that this is completely unnecessary to close every app in the multitasking view frequently. A 9to5Mac reader decided to ask Tim Cook for an official stance on whether he quits all his apps and if it’s necessary. Although Cook didn’t answer, Apple iOS chief Craig Federighi did with an unambiguous answer ‘no and no’ …
Google surprised everyone earlier today with the very first preview release of Android N — the next operating system update for Android devices — which anyone savvy enough with the right hardware can try out now for free even before Google’s upcoming I/O developer conference. Included in the first preview version of Android N are many new features that catch Google’s mobile OS up with Apple’s iOS 9 like split-screen apps and picture-in-picture mode. Like Apple, Google’s even launching a public beta program for consumers soon. Check out the full details at 9to5Google and see how each feature compares between Android N and iOS 9 below:
Google Photos already lets users backup and view an unlimited number of high-resolution photos and videos for free, and Google recently added a button that lets users manually purge downloaded content to make room for more free storage. There’s a new update awaiting Google Photos users today that adds support for the latest software and hardware features on iPhones and iPads.
Vimeo is out with a new version of its iOS app today that adds support for iOS 9 features, improves content discovery, makes video sharing faster, and more. iPad users will be happy to learn that Vimeo now supports iOS 9’s picture-in-picture feature for video playback when using other apps. The video service has also tuned up video discovery features and recommendations in the latest version of their iOS app.
Popular productivity app Todoist is giving its six million users a huge update today with a completely rewritten app for iOS alongside a new Safari plug-in and notable updates for Apple Watch and Mac.
The latest iOS 9 figures posted to Apple’s developer site show that adoption is currently stalled at 77%, the same number reported at the last update earlier this month, but still ahead of the iOS 8 curve. iOS 8 took until 18th March to hit that same 77%.
Most of the hold-outs are running iOS 8, at 17% of the total while only 6% are running an earlier version. This contrasts strongly with Android, where a miniscule 1.2% of devices are running the latest 6.0 Marshmallow flavor and the greatest number are still on 4.4 KitKat.
Apple yesterday released iOS 9.3 public beta 4 with Night Shift, Touch ID Notes, & Verizon Wi-Fi Calling.
If Tim Cook’s strongly-worded response to the court order instructing it to assist the FBI in breaking into an iPhone left any room for doubt about Apple’s determination to fight the matter all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, that doubt appears to be removed by further background emerging today.
The NY Times reports that Apple plans to press ahead with plans to increase its use of strong encryption.
Mr. Cook has told colleagues that he still stands by the company’s longstanding plans to encrypt everything stored on Apple’s myriad devices, services and in the cloud, where the bulk of data is still stored unencrypted.
“If you place any value on civil liberties, you don’t do what law enforcement is asking,” Mr. Cook has said.
The piece also reveals that Apple had asked the FBI to make its court application under seal – meaning that the legal arguments could be heard in private – but the FBI chose instead to make it a public fight …
Attempts by states like California and New York to ban the sale of encrypted phones could be overruled by federal law. The Verge reports that a cross-party bill is being introduced today in Congress by Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) and Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-TX).
The ENCRYPT Act of 2016, or by its longer name, the Ensuring National Constitutional Rights of Your Private Telecommunications Act, would preempt state and local government encryption laws. The two men said today they are “deeply concerned” that varying bills surrounding encryption would endanger the country as well as the competitiveness of American companies. The argument is that it wouldn’t be easy or even feasible to tailor phone encryption capabilities for specific states.
New York last month kicked off the attempt to ban the sale of encrypted phones in the state unless the manufacturer built in a back door, with a virtually identical bill proposed in California later the same month. The moves – which would effectively outlaw the sale of current iPhones in both states – followed similar proposals in the UK last year …
There’s been a lot of conversation this week around the quality of Apple’s software and services, and yesterday’s brief App Store outage certainly didn’t help. It’s true that new services like Apple Music and iCloud Photo Library are improving but aren’t rock solid yet, but there are two things that currently sour the app experience for me.
First, Apple only does a so-so job of implementing new software features from operating system updates into their own apps. It’s too easy to rattle off a dozen examples. Second, major players like Facebook and YouTube don’t have first class apps that showcase new software features either, and this is where customers spend the most amount of time.
When news came out that Apple was working on a dedicated Health dashboard app, which would offer a way to take healthcare monitoring mobile, I was extremely excited. I had been recently diagnosed with traumatic arthritis in my knees and I needed a better all-in-one system to track my steps, weight, and BMI. None of the other apps on the market at the time seemed to do any one of those three especially well. Apple’s Health app has since become my go-to app for everything I wanted to log and more. It’s not perfect, but it’s a built-in dashboard with tie-ins to plenty of iOS apps.
Within a few weeks of using Health, I soon realized I wanted a better way to automate inputting data into the system. I eventually came to a methodology that worked great for me and decided it was time to share three of the different ways you can automate quickly logging your weight into the Health app.
