Apple doesn’t skimp when it comes to adding features to its operating systems each year. Here are the 14 features that most caught our attention.
In an announcement that the tech press likely cares about more than everyday users, Apple said Messages will support the RCS messaging standard alongside SMS and MMS sometime next year.
Apple has released details about Contact Key Verification, an upcoming option in Messages that lets you manually verify an iMessage correspondent’s identity without relying on encryption data managed centrally by Apple. The feature also watches for anomalies, warning you when changes prevent it from guaranteeing a conversation is with the same person.
Many people find themselves helping older friends or family members with reduced physical or cognitive capabilities. Adam Engst distills advice from a pair of TidBITS Talk discussions that asked about the best iPhone and simplifying the iPhone experience for older people.
Glenn Fleishman explores iOS 17’s new Check In feature, which lets you specify someone as a temporary safety partner who can confirm you got where you intended to to go. It’s a welcome addition to Apple’s collection of features aimed at increasing personal safety.
Apple has released a list of enhancements coming to Apple services with the next versions of its operating systems.
In which Adam Engst drives to a nearby deep valley where there’s no cellular connectivity to test Find My via satellite and run through the Emergency SOS via satellite demo in a real-world situation. It seemingly worked but revealed a gap in Apple’s approach.
For many people, Messages gains some of the most welcome new features of iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and macOS 13 Ventura. You can now mark messages as unread, edit messages, unsend messages, and more.
There are reports of iMessage access being restricted on some accounts after messages from them were inadvertently reported as spam. Always read Apple’s prompts carefully, and let us know if this has happened to you.
Privacy-focused messenging app Signal has been exploding in popularity, and it’s a surprisingly competent replacement for WhatsApp for those Apple users who have been forced to use the Facebook-owned messaging service for cross-platform communications.
When you buy a new Mac and migrate your old Mac’s files to it during setup, Setup Assistant moves over numerous settings and configurations. But don’t assume you’ll just be able to pick up exactly where you left off, since there are quite a few apps and services that require additional post-migration attention.
Apple unveiled macOS 11.0 Big Sur during the WWDC keynote, showing off overhauls of Messages and Maps, while improving Safari, Photos, and other apps. Mail was conspicuously absent for now.
iOS 14 promises a tight package of new features, many of which have existed in Google’s Android for years, while iPadOS 14 takes those features and mixes in a bit of Newton handwriting recognition. Egg freckles, anyone?
Just 11 days after the release of iOS 12.3, Apple has pushed out iOS 12.31 to fix bugs with Voice over LTE calling and unknown senders in Messages.
Do you find yourself turning down the brightness on your Mac screen to make it more comfortable to look at? Particularly if you’re sensitive to light or often work in a darkened room, macOS 10.14 Mojave’s new Dark mode might be easier on your eyes.