WWDC

The announcements at Apple’s WWDC 2020 had plenty of hype for iPhones, iPads, Mac, and Apple Watch, but not every reveal that day came with a song and dance. A few key features of the new suite of operating systems were slipped into documentation released online without fanfare: on-device Siri processing; deeper support for third-party mail, web browsing, and music apps; and more. Maybe Apple thought we wouldn’t be as excited about these features, but for at least a few of these, we definitely are!

The Apple Watch is getting a software update with watchOS 7. The update, announced at Apple's WWDC keynote event, will include sleep tracking (finally), potentially endless new faces and complications, and new workouts. The new OS offers exciting new tools, some long anticipated, some novel, and some with great potential.

Apple covered a lot of ground today in its fast-paced virtual WWDC 2020 keynote, announcing all the new features coming to macOS Big Sur, iOS 14, iPadOS 14, tvOS 14, and watchOS 7 along with plans to switch from Intel processors to Apple silicon for the Mac. When it came to software updates, a unified user experience seemed to be the theme of the day, with the Mac getting a customizable Menu Bar with a Control Center and app icons that match those on the iPhone and iPad, and the iPad getting sidebars similar to those on the Mac, among other improvements. Additional highlights included a Home screen redesign for the iPhone, handwriting recognition for the Apple Pencil and iPad, sleep tracking for the Apple Watch, new privacy features, AirPods with surround sound, and more. We've got all the details below.

One of the biggest announcements Apple made at today's WWDC keynote was its new macOS, which it ambitiously named Big Sur. While it's currently unclear whether the version will be called macOS 10.16 or 11, the name Big Sur encapsulates Apple's goal for the OS, which is to be "entirely new yet instantly familiar." Almost every aspect of the design is new to macOS but borrowed from iOS, from app icons and symbols, to a whole new suite of sounds. The goal is to add consistency across Apple devices. Floating buttons, a new sidebar design, and a space-efficient toolbar are all exciting features of this redesign aimed toward making it easier to access what you need. Arguably the most exciting feature of Big Sur is the new Privacy Report in Safari, which gives you a look at which sites are using (and sharing) your data, as well as keeps tabs on which of your passwords may have been compromised. In an age when data can spread like wildfire, these updates are not only reassuring, but needed.

Anticipation is building for the WWDC keynote on June 22, when Apple will kick off its developers conference by introducing the latest versions of iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, and macOS. We'll also find out if the rumors are true about new Apple devices, including a HomePod mini, StudioPods, and an updated Apple TV. Our editorial team will be watching the WWDC 2020 keynote live stream, and checking out the broadcast on the new Apple Developer app for the Apple TV, iPad, iPhone, and Mac. We'll host a conversation in our private Facebook group as the event happens, where you're invited to join in, ask questions, and share your opinions. After the keynote, take part in a live taping of the iPhone Life Podcast, where we’ll discuss everything just announced. Read on to learn more about how to be a part of our event coverage. 

Next week at its Wordwide Developers Conference, Apple will share all the details about what we can expect from the newest versions of its software for the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac. While a majority of the conference keynote is expected to focus on iOS 14 improvements, there will also be dedicated time set aside to discuss its superset, iPadOS. Features in iOS 14 will be replicated in iPadOS 14, whith added UI improvements specifically for the iPad platform. Since Apple is rumored to be replacing Intel CPUs with its own custom ARM processors in future macOS-based laptops, the differentiation between macOS and iPadOS will essentially boil down to a legacy OS that doesn't support touch and a modern OS that does. Apple's recent addition of mouse and trackpad support in iPadOS makes it clear that Apple intends to make iPadOS the successor to macOS, and perhaps in a few years, the two operating systems will merge into a single unified next-gen OS. But for now, the incremental improvements we expect Apple to announce at this year's WWDC include the following. 

Apple announced the first version of iOS, Apple's operating system for the iPhone, iPod Touch (and formerly the iPad), back in January 2007, and at iPhone Life magazine we've been covering everything iOS related for almost as long. Starting with iOS 5, Apple has announced a new version of iOS each year at the World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) and this year's virtual developers conference should be no exception when it comes to Apple's software announcements and our coverage of it. Don't want to wait until the big Apple keynote to find out what to expect from iOS 14? In this rumor roundup, we've got everything you should know about this year's new iOS, including expected release dates, compatibility, the possibility of 5G for the new iPhones, new apps, and improvements to classic, native apps. So read on.

The next Apple event is the 31st annual Worldwide Developers Conference, where the company will unveil the next versions of iOS 14 and iPadOS 14, the mobile software for iPhones and iPads, and hold online sessions for Apple developers. The developers conference kicks off at 10 a.m. PT on June 22 with the WWDC Apple keynote address, which will livestream on Apple’s website and via the new Apple Developer app for the Apple TV, iPad, iPhone, and Mac. Along with its September iPhone announcement, the WWDC Apple keynote is one of the biggest Apple events of the year. We'll be offering live commentary in our Facebook group and in the live recording of the iPhone Life Podcast right after at 1 p.m. PT. Here’s how you can watch the WWDC 2020 Apple Keynote too.

Apple has announced that WWDC 2020 will be entirely virtual, with both sessions and the keynote held online. Other tech giants, like Google and Facebook, are shifting their conference structure this year as well, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic caused by a new strain of coronavirus. What does this change mean for Apple users? We’ve got everything you need to know right here.

Now that Apple has announced that it's getting rid of iTunes and splitting it into three, everyone wants to know, without iTunes, what will happen to my music library, will my playlists be transferred, and will the iTunes backup be replaced with a new option? Don’t worry; we’ve got the answers to all your burning iTunes related questions. 

At this year’s WWDC, Apple sped through the iOS 13 and iPadOS announcements so fast that there were quite a few fun updates that didn’t get mentioned. In addition to Dark Mode and enhanced privacy protections, iOS 13 brings us a new volume slider, the ability to silence unknown callers or mute noisy email threads, and better search functionality in the Messages app. Of course, with the iPad getting a unique OS, that means there are even more fun iPad features to look forward to, such as mouse support. Read on to learn about all the cool iOS 13 and iPadOS features you haven’t heard of yet.

Apple previewed tvOS 13 today during the WWDC 2019 keynote. The newest version of tvOS will revamp quite a few things for those who use an Apple TV 4K or Apple TV HD. Multi-user support will give families much needed personal taste borders for shows, movies, and music. Home screens and screen savers get a refined makeover, while Apple TV Plus, Apple Arcade, and the financial services of Apple Card were teased with no definitive release dates.

Now that iOS 13 has been revealed, we can start looking forward to all the new features and upgrades announced at today’s WWDC keynote. We’ve got everything you need to know about the privacy and security improvements, the new Dark Mode feature, the fully revamped Maps app with enhanced navigation and street-level viewing, plus when to expect the Public beta release for iOS 13. Read on to learn everything that was announced, what rumors were confirmed, and what disappointments were delivered during today’s big iOS 13 reveal.

After more than a decade of operating the iPhone and iPad under a single OS, Apple has made the bold move of finally recognizing the reality that is both the current state of iPad app development as well as granting the freedom necessary to realize the vision of the iPad Pro as a fully functional laptop replacement. The recognition of a separate OS also brings the iPad in line with Apple's acknowledgement of its other dedicated platform operating systems such as watchOS for Apple Watch hardware and tvOS for Apple TV. However, Apple could have gone further by doing away with the iOS label entirely by renaming iOS as iPhoneOS. Perhaps that will happen next year. In the meantime, Apple's next release of iOS for the iPad will incorporate all the new features in iOS 13 plus iPad-specific features exclusive to that hardware platform. Let's take a quick look at what Apple announced today that will be part of the new iPadOS experience.

During today's WWDC keynote Apple announced a lot of new watchOS 6 features that will give Apple Watch users more ability to leave their iPhones at home and options to further customize their watch'spotential and appearance. Expect new watch faces, improved fitness tracking, hearing health features, and much needed apps like Audiobooks, Voice Memos, and Calculator to be added to Apple Watch. The watch will also get its own App Store when watchOS 6 is released.

Are you as excited as we are for the moment when Apple reveals the details of the new versions of iOS, watchOS, tvOS, and macOS? We'll be watching the WWDC 2019 keynote event and hosting a conversation with you during the announcement via Facebook. Follow along, ask questions, and voice your opinions during the event in the iPhone Life Facebook group. Then join us for our follow-up podcast where we’ll discuss everything Apple announced. To learn more about how to join the conversation, read on below.

WWDC, Apple’s annual developers conference is coming up fast. From June 3 to 7, developers who attend the conference will get to participate in seminars and labs with Apple engineers. What’s even more exciting for iPhone users who aren't developers? Apple will kick off the conference by introducing all the new features of its upcoming software releases: iOS 13, watchOS 6, and macOS 10.15 during a special event on June 3. This year’s WWDC keynote press invitations featured a series of neon illustrations of Animojis against a black background. It seems likely that the invitation is making reference to the much-anticipated iOS 13 Dark Mode as well as the expansion of Animojis and Memojis to the Mac and Apple Watch. Here’s a roundup of everything we’re expecting Apple to announce during the keynote.

Come June, Apple will hold its 30th annual Worldwide Developers Conference where the company will likely unveil the next version of its mobile software iOS 13. The annual conference will be held in San Jose at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center. The conference kicks off on June 3 with the WWDC Keynote Event, which will live stream on Apple’s website and the WWDC app for Apple TV, iPad, and iPhone. Along with its September iPhone announcement, the WWDC Keynote is one of the biggest Apple events of the year. We'll be offering commentary during the event in our Facebook group and in the special podcast episode we'll be recording right after. Here’s how you can watch Apple's WWDC keynote too.

If you've ever wanted to create your own emoji, then you're going to have a lot of fun playing with Memojis, a feature introduced with iOS 12 and improved with iOS 13. Think of Memoji as an iPhone emojis update that can be used in real-time as live, talking avatars in FaceTime or Messages, similar to Snapchat filters, but better. It's like being able to create your own Animoji, but not just any Animoji, Animojis of yourself or any character you can dream up. You can design as many designer Animojis as you want, some for family, some for friends, and you can customize their features, hairstyles, accessories, and much more. These personalized and animated emoji faces can only be created on the iPhone X and later, since these are the only versions of the iPhone to incorporate the front-facing TruDepth camera. If you don't have or don't plan on buying a new iPhone, you'll still be able to receive Animoji and Memoji messages, although you won't be able to create them. And now, with iOS 13, even older iPhone will be able to create and send Memoji stickers! If you still want some of the fun of custom Memojis, check out this article about a free emoji creator app. Let's go over how Memojis work, so you can make your own avatar.