Apple Just Announced iOS 14: Here Are the Top Features

Apple announced the new iPhone operating system, iOS 14, at the first all-virtual Worldwide Developers Conference today, and we got all the information about iOS 14 features we've been looking for, but without the audience's reactions or the familiar pace of an Apple keynote. The theme of iOS 14 was an overall improvement in organization and functionality, with an experience that's "more beautiful and data rich." Some exciting features include new ways to organize and customize the iPhone Home screen with the App Library and Widgets, the ability to sample apps with App Clips, and some exciting improvements to group messages. Let's go over everything we learned about iOS 14, including new and improved features, when we can download the iOS 14 public beta, and when we can expect the rollout of the shipping version of the new iOS.

Related: Everything Apple Announced at the WWDC 2020 Keynote

When Is the Next iOS Update Coming?

The official public release of iOS 14 will take place in September. For early adopters, Apple will release a beta version of iOS 14 to the public in July. 

iOS 14 Compatibility

iOS 14 will be compatible with the same devices that can run iOS 13. This is great for iPhone owners who don't want to purchase a newer iPhone in order to benefit from the new software.

• iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max
• iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max
• iPhone XR
• iPhone X
• iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus
• iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus
• iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus
• iPhone SE
• iPod Touch (7th generation)

iOS 14 Features

Each new iOS version offers security updates and performance improvements, but also cool new features. Sometimes we hear rumors about Apple's operating systems ahead of time, but sometimes we're completely surprised, which is always fun! 

So, what changes did we see this time around?

App Library Offers Easier App Management on Your iPhone

Most people have dozens, if not hundreds, of apps on their iPhones, and scrolling through page after page of apps searching for one is time consuming. Apple is making things easier for iPhone owners with the App Library, located at the end of the Home screen pages. This space will organize your iPhone apps into categories like Suggestions and Recently Used, as well as categories like Social, Entertainment, Apple Arcade, and more. Whereas before you'd need to organize your Home screen by moving apps and making folders, iPhone users can now choose which pages of apps to display, hide entire pages of apps, and use the search bar at the top of the App Library to find any of their downloaded applications. 

Widgets on the Home Screen Make Organizing Easier than Ever

I've never used widgets with much enthusiasm; it always seems easier to just open whichever app they're related to, rather than navigating to the Today View and tracking down a small part of the information I might need. Now, though, I might have to give widgets a chance. With iOS 14, we'll be able to use dynamic widgets that come in different sizes and can be moved around the display. What's more, you'll be able to arrange widgets in a Smart Stack to save space, and your iPhone will bring the most useful widget to the top of the pile based on the time of day, your location, and your activity. 

Siri & Call Notifications Get Less Intrusive

Calls and Siri notifications will now take up part of the screen, rather than the whole display. Most members of the iPhone Life team are thrilled that phone calls will no longer take over our iPhone screens every time the phone rings. Many reported that if they don't want to answer a phone call (and most of us don't), they wait until the call goes through to Voicemail rather than letting the caller know they're ignoring them by sending them straight to voicemail. This means that, whatever they were doing on their phone, it's suspended until the call stops ringing. Users will now be able to continue what they were doing when a call comes in. This holds true when summoning Siri, as well.

Picture in Picture

Video apps like YouTube and Netflix, as well as FaceTime calls, will now have Picture in Picture, a feature formerly available for the iPad, but not the iPhone. Now you'll be free to watch videos uninterrupted, while using another app. 

Siri Improvements?

Speaking of Siri, we've been promised that our digital assistant will see some improvements with iOS 14. Siri will search for answers to our questions from a broader range of reputable sources, we'll be able to send audio messages, and keyboard dictation in the Messages, Notes, and Mail apps will run on-device, which means it can be done offline. I don't have a ton of faith in Siri, as she seems to screw up as often as she's helpful, but maybe this is the year that changes.

App Clips 

Here's a new feature that's going to change the way we use apps. Rather than reading App Store reviews, then downloading each and every app we need, App Clips will allow us to launch and use apps without downloading them. If you're at a restaurant or store that offers app-based ordering, for example, you'll be able to scan an NFC tag, then immediately open and use the app just for that part of the app's capabilities. If the App Clip requires payment, you can cover that with Apple Pay, and if you choose to download the app later, you'll follow the usual procedure. In addition to real-world signage, iPhone users will be able to launch App Clips from the web, as well as Maps and Messages apps, among other places. 

Between the App Library and App Clips, we should all be able to reduce Home screen clutter and make our devices easier to navigate.

Messages App Improvements

There are several exciting improvements coming to Messages. We'd been hoping for the ability to mark messages as unread, so we could remember to go back and respond to them later. Apple didn't deliver on that wish, but it did make it possible to pin message threads to the top of your Messages list where they'll be easy to see. There are lots of Memoji additions, too, including more head coverings and hairstyle options. There are even masks for your Memoji, so they don't give each other Covid-19, of course. 

The most popular of Messages upgrade will probably be the group messages improvements. You'll soon be able to customize your Messages group with a photo or Memoji, so you can keep track of which group is which more easily. You'll also be able to use mentions within group messages, directly commenting to an individual within a group mgessage, and even turn off notifications for everything but your mentions. 

Apple Maps Evolves

New Map features include curated Guides that give users top recommendations for places to eat and visit in a range of cities. Guides you save will automatically update. Cycling enthusiasts in select cities will be able to check out the best bike routes based on elevation, distance, and whether there are stairs. People with EV cars will no longer have to worry about their vehicle's range thanks to routes based on vehicle charge and compatible charging stations. Unfortunately, the cycling and EV features will be limited to major cities, for now. 

New Privacy Features

Apple is making it easier than ever to know what, if any, personal data apps will use when you're considering downloading them from the App Store. This will make it easier to make informed choices about what apps you use. If you've ever wondered if your iPhone is listening to you or if an app is accessing your camera, you'll now be able to know for sure thanks to an indicator that will appear at the top of your screen where you currently can find the location tracking icon.  

You'll also be able to choose to share your approximate, rather than exact location with apps that don't need that information. Weather and news apps, for example, don't need your exact location to give you the information you need, so why share it with them?

Finally, you'll be able to switch previously existing accounts to Sign in with Apple. This will allow users to replace individual account logins with Apple's more private account sign in features. 

What Do You Think of iOS 14?

Were you impressed by the features revealed today, and if so, which was your favorite? Are you planning to download the beta version, or wait for the fully-formed incarnation of iOS 14 before updating?

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MacOS Big Sur Brings Elements of iOS & Next-Level Privacy

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.

Related: What WWDC Features Excite You Most?

Availability & Compatibility

The shipping version of macOS Big Sur will be available as an update sometime this fall, while the public beta version of macOS will be available in July.

The new version of macOS will be compatible with:

• MacBook, 2015 or later
• MacBook Air, 2013 or later
• MacBook Pro, late 2013 or later
• Mac Mini, 2014 or later
• iMac, 2014 or later
• All models of iMac Pro, 2017 or later
• Mac Pro, 2013 or later

Features of macOS Big Sur

Let's take a closer look at what this bad boy has to offer:

Intuitive Design: Customizeable Menu Bar, Control Center, New App Icons

Besides changing all the icons and symbols to match iOS, exciting features of this redesign includes buttons and controls that appear when you need them and disappear when you don't. The menu bar is customizeable, making it easier to access your most-used apps without having to sort through all the extras you never open. Each app has its own theme color, and these colors appear in the selection bar. The notification center is also updated, grouping relevent notifications together and offering updated widgets that will be customizeable.

Enriching Your Favorite Apps: New Sidebars, Memojis, Safari Updates

Big Sur offers some exciting updates to the most-used apps macOS has to offer, from design to fun new features.

Photos

In a fully refreshed design of the Photos app, you can now navigate your photos using a sidebar. We've also heard big promises for smooth transitions, which we're excited to see, despite being unclear on what exactly that means.

Messages

We'll see a variety of new tools to enhance the messaging experience on the Mac, which will closely mirror Messages for iOS. Like on the iPhone, you'll be able to pin your most important conversations to the top, search using improved visual search, and add media with a photo picker. You can also now create and customize a Memoji on your Mac, adding fun ways to express yourself and connect with your friends and loved ones.

Maps 

Maps offers an entirely new design with details that make it easy to navigate any location. For the first time on Mac, you can favorite locations and create your own guides. The Indoor Maps feature will allow you to do things such as check the exact location of your gate at the airport, completely with a lookaround function. You'll also be able to see the progress of friends who have given you an ETA. This update is exciting, but as Maps has never been an area where Apple has been able to strongly compete with Google, it remains to be seen if this will take off in the way Apple envisions.

Safari

Safari has many exciting design updates, including a customizable start page, redesigned tabs, and translation capabilities. The App Store will now have a section specifically for Safari extensions, with clear information on what each one will have access to and an ability to customize that.

Privacy Report

The new Safari Privacy Report captured my attention far more than any other feature. The report will offer visibility on how sites track users, as well as inform you of which known trackers you were protected from. It will also monitor your passwords and inform you if any have been compromised from a data breach, giving you the chance to change them almost instantly once someone else gets ahold of them. You can also control the access your plugins have, limiting them to certain sites or timeframes. 

Mac Catalyst

Mac Catalys, a function introduced last year which helps iPad developers bring their apps to the Mac, will have all their apps automatically take on the new look of Big Sur. It also brings developers new levels of control over their apps, such as offering Family Sharing and the ability to bring extensions made for other browsers to Safari.

Will Big Sur Mean Big Changes?

All in all, these are exciting—if not entirely groundbreaking—developments, with the strongest feature definitely being the Privacy Report. I'm most curious to see how users will take to the Maps function in light of the heavy competition from Google Maps. I anticipate Memoji to be one of the most warmly received updates, as there is little to complain about with the option of designing a little cartoon of yourself, especially with the extensive options Apple has to offer. 

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Everything Apple Announced at the WWDC 2020 Keynote

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.

iOS 14: Group Messages Improvements, Better Home Screen Management

• Availability: The shipping version of iOS 14 will be released in the fall. A beta version of iOS 14 will be available to the public in July
• Compatibility: iOS 14 will work with iPhone 6s and later.

The theme of the iOS 14 rollout was an overall improvement in organization and functionality, combining to make the iPhone experience "more beautiful and data rich." Some of the most exciting iOS 14 features include new ways to organize and customize the iPhone Home screen with an App Library that will organize your apps for you, smarter and more useful widgets coming to the Home screen, and the ability to sample apps with App Clips. Messages also got some cool upgrades, among them the ability to pin conversations and tag individual members in group messages, and updated Memojis. Other features include more control over how and when apps track your personal information, less obtrusive call notifications, and Picture-in-Picture multitasking. Read our full roundup of the iOS 14 annoucement for all the details on what you can expect when you update your iPhone to iOS 14.

 

iPadOS 14: Redesigned Sidebars, Apple Pencil 

• Availability: iPadOS 14 will be released in the fall. A beta version of iPadOS 14 will be available to the public in July.
• Compatibility: iPadOS 14 will work with iPad Air 2 and later, all iPad Pro models, iPad 5th generation and later, and iPad mini 4 and later.

In addition to including all the new features of iOS 14, iPadOS 14 has a few enhancements optimized for the larger screen real estate of the tablet. Apple has improved many of its first-party app layouts, including a new sidebar for easier navigation. Siri interactions and phone call announcements no longer take up the whole screen. And the Search bar behaves more like Spotlight does in MacOS. With over 1 million applications exclusively designed for the iPad now available on App Store, Apple expects this number to rapidly grow as iPadOS continues become more and more similar to macOS. Check out our in-depth article on iPadOs 14 for all the details.

 

watchOS 7: Sleep Tracking, Customizable Faces, Handwashing Detection

• Availability: watchOS 7 will be released in the fall. A beta version of watchOS 7 will be available in July. This is the first time Apple has made a beta version of the Apple Watch software available to the public.
• Compatibility: watchOS 7 will work on the Apple Watch Series 3 and later when paired with iPhone 6s and later.

Key additions to watchOS 7 include Sleep Tracking (finally) that comes with a feature called Wind Down meant to help you develop a healthy bedtime routine. Apple Watch users may or may not also enjoy the new handwashing tracking, which automatically detects when you're washing your hands and starts a 20 second timer. Other new features include potentially endless new watch faces thanks to the ability to customize and share watch faces, new workout categories, an improved Hearing app, and a new name for the Activity app. Read the full watchOS 7 roundup to learn more.

macOS Big Sur: iOS Design Elements & a Customizable Dock

• Availability: The shipping version of macOS Big Sur will be available as an update sometime this fall, while the public beta version of macOS will be available in July.
• Compatibility: The new version of macOS will be compatible with MacBook 2015 or later, MacBook Air 2013 or later, MacBook Pro late 2013 or later, Mac Mini 2014 or later, iMac 2014 or later, all models of iMac Pro 2017 or later, Mac Pro 2013 or later.

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. Get all the details about the newest macOS update in our Big Sur announcement roundup.

 

Apple Silicon for Mac: Apple Announces Its Transition from Intel

During the WWDC 2020 keynote event, Apple announced that it will be transitioning to its own ARM-based silicon processors in future builds of Mac computers. If you aren’t a developer, this announcement might not have much gravity. The thirty minutes Apple dedicated to this part of the announcement did little to explain why users should care about the transition, but this historic shift will change the way Mac software will work for the foreseeable future. While the shift will be gradual, Apple said it will release its first silicon-powered Macs by the end of the year. Read the full op-ed to find out what it will mean for Mac users moving forward. 

 

tvOS 14: Multi-User Support for Games, Picture-in-Picture, Better HomeKit Integration

• Availability: tvOS 14 will be available in the fall.
• Compatibility: tvOS 14 will work on the fourth and fifth generations of Apple TV

Besides offering expanded multi-user support for gaming in the Control Center and expanded support for the Xbox Elite 2 and Xbox Adaptive Controllers, the biggest news for tvOS 14 was the inclusion of Picture-in-Picture mode. This way, Apple TV owners can be watching a show while playing a game or get smart doorbell camera notifications without having their movie disrupted. Apple TV+ is also expected to arrive on Sony and Vizio smart TVs later this summer.

 

HomeKit Gets Cross-Platform Compatibility

Besides adding Adaptive Lighting, which auto-adjusts dynamic lighting throughout the day, and adding Activity Zones and secure facial recognition for HomeKit-enabled security cameras, the only other major HomeKit announcement made during the keynote was Apple's intent to partner with other home automation service providers (predominantly Amazon and Google) on developing an interoperable standard. This way, new home automation devices "just work" with HomeKit and, likewise, with other proprietary home automation protocols developed by other companies.

AirPods: Automatic Switching Between Devices & Surround Sound

No new hardware was announced, but AirPod owners will be able to finally automatically switch between their Mac, iPhone, and iPad without having to manually configure Bluetooth connections every time. And for AirPods Pro users, Apple will be releasing an update that will add spatial audio to maintain surround sound while moving your head or your device so the sound location information is more realistic and precise. Apple is using the Pro's built-in accelerometer and gyroscope to compare head-screen relationship so the sound stays in sync, making the audio listening experience much more realistic.

 

Frankly, there were no surprises in Apple's announcements today. What was more surprising were the things that weren't announced, such as no demonstrations of Augmented Reality of any kind, no mention of Apple Glasses or Xcode running on the iPad. Given that Apple's biggest announcement of the day was Apple Silicon, it essentially informs the public that Apple's intent to meld iOS and macOS is complete, and that macOS is now a container for iOS and iPadOS applications. In the meantime, expect the Apple Glass announcement at WWDC 2021.

 

This article was written with the help of Mike Riley and members of the iPhone Life Team

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Apple Watch

HomeKit

iPad

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Apple Announces WatchOS 7: Sleep Tracking, Face Sharing & More

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.

Related: MacOS Big Sur Brings Elements of iOS & Next-Level Privacy

Release Date & Compatibility

• The new watchOS 7 is due out in September of 2020. Early adopters can get a public beta version in July of 2020. 
• WatchOS 7 will be compatible with Apple Watches from Series 3, 4, and 5.

Watch Face Customization

With watchOS 7, it will be possible for app developers to design watch faces that show off the functions of their app. You’ll also be able to add more than one complication from the same app to a face. Complications are the little widgets on your watch face that offer additional info. Multiple from the same app means that an app could feed you a bunch of different pieces of information in real-time on your watch face. For example, a star-watching app could offer complications for moon phase, sun position, cloud cover, and humidity, and you could add all of those complications to the same watch face.

You’ll also start seeing banners on app pages offering a watch face to show off an app’s special functions. For example, your jogging app might soon get its own app-specific watch face that shows off complications from that app. Don’t worry though, even if you don’t like the watch face your running app chose, you can still add that app’s complications to other watch faces to make your own just how you want it.

Watch Face Sharing

Once you’ve customized your watch face with complications you love, you’ll be able to share it with your friends right from the customization screen. Just tap the share icon next to the Customize button, and select a contact. App developers can also share customized app arrangements. If you activate a customized watch face that includes complications you don’t have, you’ll be prompted with the option to download the apps that provide them.

As someone who has never been satisfied with my watch faces, I’m looking forward to what I hope is a deluge of new complications and cleverly designed watch faces to show them off. This is a novel change, since it takes watch face design out of the field of specialty watch-face apps and hands it to every single app developer. Now watch faces aren't just designed by people thinking about their aesthetics, they'll be designed by people who want to provide a special display showcasing their app's special functions. This should lead to more functional designs.

Maps Updates

Maps on your Apple Watch will get more powerful with the update, adding biking and walking directions that are large and easy to read. The cycling feature will only be available in places that Apple’s Maps offer biking service, but where they do, they include useful features like suggestions of bike shop locations and times when you could dismount to walk your bike, if it would let you take a shortcut.

Handwashing

Apple has added handwashing detection to help you stay healthy. While this is likely motivated by Covid-19, washing your hands has been an important recommendation from health experts since the first national hand hygene guidelines in the 1980s. The handwashing reminders will be a little like the Breathe reminders, with a helpful alert to keep you on your best practices. The watch will be able to detect the motions of handwashing, then listen for the sounds of running water. If it decides you’re washing your hands, it will count down for twenty seconds and even remind you to keep going if you stop early.

Sleep Tracking & Wind Down

The Sleep Tracking functions of the new watchOS are long anticipated. Sleep apps already help many people track and understand their sleep habits, which can be an important window on overall health. Apple is finally officially rolling out sleep tracking as part of the core function of the Apple Watch. Its approach will use machine learning to measure the depth of your breathing to learn about your sleep depth and quality.

In addition, Apple is introducing integrations with your iPhone designed to make going to sleep and waking up easier. When you set your bedtime, you’ll also be able to set a Wind Down period during which your iPhone tries to minimize your alerts by simplifying your lock screen, offering a selection of bedtime appropriate apps, and turning on Do Not Disturb mode. Waking up will be made a little easier with a selection of gentle alarm sounds and even a silent vibrate-only “taptic” alarm. 

The big question with sleep tracking has always been how to charge your Apple Watch. This remains an unanswered question. Apple hasn’t yet announced any game-changing new charging solutions that would let it track your sleep and still be ready to go when you wake up. So you’ll still have to choose when you want to wear your watch: when you’re awake, or when you’re asleep? Apple may also be planning to address this by increasing the battery life of the next iteration of the Apple Watch, expected to be announced this fall.

Mobility Metrics

The Health app will be upgraded so you can let it track a bunch of new metrics about your movement usually used by doctors and physical therapists to assist with mobility challenges and rehabilitation. Metrics include walk speed, stairs descent and ascent speeds, stride length, and a host of others.

Activity App Name Change & Makeover

The Activity app is getting a new name, it will be called the Fitness app. It’ll be more than just a name, with a new infographic display to help you understand all your activity, workouts, and trends all at once. Apple likes to tweak and update their infographics, so this is hardly surprising. The last update to iOS overhauled the Health app, so an update to the Health app's watch companion was only to be expected.

New Workout Types Including Dance

The announcement included mention of four new workout types: Dance, Core Training, Functional Strength Training, and Cooldown. The Dance category is particularly interesting since there are so many different kinds of dance involving such different kinds of movements. Apple has engineered the Watch software to track your arm movements and heart rate to determine whether you’re moving mostly your lower body, mostly upper body, or both, so it can more accurately track the workout. Cool! Speaking of cool, I appreciate the addition of the Cooldown workout, since low-intensity periods between the activities are an important part of my routine.

On-Device Dictation

This is a feature I’ve long been excited about. With watchOS 7, Siri dictation will be handled on the device, using the Apple Neural Engine. This means that dication will be far faster and more reliable. You'll be able to create custom Siri commands with the Shortcuts app, now available on the Apple Watch. This could vastly improve the usefulness of the Apple Watch since the limited screen size for controls makes voice an appealing alternative to typing.

 

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Apple to Transition to Its Own Silicon Processors for Macs. What Does This Mean for You?

Opinion

During the WWDC 2020 keynote event, Apple announced that it will be transitioning to its own ARM-based silicon processors in future builds of Mac computers. If you aren’t a developer, this announcement might not have had much gravity. The thirty minutes Apple dedicated to this part of the announcement did little to explain why users should care about the transition, but this historic shift will change the way Mac software will work for the foreseeable future. While the shift will be gradual, Apple said it will release its first silicon-powered Macs by the end of the year. So why should we, as Mac users, care about this change? What will it mean for us moving forward? 

Related: Apple Announces New macOS Big Sur at WWDC 2020

Apple’s new silicon chips deliver excellent performance per watt, meaning that you get high processing power that’s also efficient, resulting in better battery life. For power usage alone, this shift will likely mean profoundly better battery life on MacBooks. The iPhone and iPad already use these proprietary silicon chips, so this means that most apps for your mobile device will now port neatly to your Mac computer, though this leaves the unsolved problem of moving from a touchscreen interface to mouse and keyboard. Having a strong coordination between the development of the processor and the user interface could potentially allow Apple to build more powerful devices. It’s entirely possible that this transition could result in a better user experience, but for software developers, this announcement is troubling.

Programs designed for specific processor platforms usually won’t natively work on a computer with a different processor. Companies spend years and millions of dollars on developing software for specific platforms, and this transition means they’ll have to start all over. To rebuild a program from the ground up may end up being a cost that many developers, especially smaller ones, cannot afford. We may end up seeing some of our favorite apps left in the dust as silicon processors take over. In 2006 when Apple switched to Intel processors, many apps became incompatible and took years to adapt, if at all. This history is certain to repeat itself over the next few years as Macs move to the new proprietary silicon processors. Industry professionals who use Macs may be in for an unwanted surprise when the new update to their Mac no longer supports the software they use for work. Apple is making the choice to fundamentally change the architecture of how apps are developed, and this transition will make it much more difficult for developers to create a powerful software that works across platforms. 

It’s almost certain that some macOS apps we now use will become relics of bygone days as software developers have to invest twice as much time to creating cross-platform apps that work on both PC and Mac. For high-demand apps like Photoshop, the app is fine-tuned to get the most out of your machine. This will effectively double the amount of work needed for Adobe to keep up. High-level users of this and other powerful software may see decreases in performance if the developers don’t carefully maintain their apps for both PC and Mac. 

After the WWDC event, our team was left with a lot of uncertainty on how to feel about the new processors. Apple failed to clearly communicate how this transition would benefit its users. Zero specs for the new silicon processors were cited, leaving us little but faith that it will work. The longer they explained how amazing the new processors were with no specificity, the more nervous we felt. One particularly odd choice was to point out the “smooth scrolling” in Microsoft Word, a common feature of most computers for the last fifteen years. Any perceived benefits or drawbacks are speculative at this point, but there are a few things we know: at best it is an amazing processor that developers will be excited to write for. At worst, developers may have a lot more work to do, and for consumers that may mean that their favorite software is no longer supported, particularly if it is from a smaller developer.

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Apple Announces iPadOS 14 with Sidebar Navigation, Apple Pencil Scribble, More

Today during the WWDC 2020 keynote event, Apple announced all the features of its upcoming software updates, including iPadOS 14. In addition to all the new features being developed for iOS 14, iPadOS 14 has a few additional enhancements optimized for the larger screen real estate of the tablet. App Layouts have been improved, with many receiving a new Sidebar for easier navigation. Siri interactions and phone call announcements no longer take up the whole screen. And the Search bar behaves more like Spotlight does in MacOS. With over 1 million applications exclusively designed for the iPad now available on App Store, Apple expects this number to rapidly grow as iPadOS continues become more and more similar to macOS.

Related: Everything Apple Announced at the WWDC 2020 Keynote

iPadOS 14 Compatibility & Availability

• The shipping version iPadOS 14 will be released in the fall. A beta version of iPadOS 14 will be available to the public in July.
• iPadOS 14 will work with iPad Air 2 and later, all iPad Pro models, iPad 5th generation and later, and iPad mini 4 and later.

Sidebars Come to Notes, Photos & More

In iPadOS 14, the Notes app now offers a better layout for browsing accounts, folders, and notes with sidebar organization to quickly jump between and sort to different views. That same Sidebar navigation design can also be found in the iPadOS Photos, Files, and Music apps for better navigation throughout. Updated sidebars is a feature that macOS Big Sur will also see, bringing the interface of the two operating systems even closer.

Siri & Call Notifications Get Less Intrusive

In both iPadOS and iOS 14, Siri will no longer takes up the entire screen when queried. Rather, the glowing Siri orb will remain out of the way in the lower portion of the screen while showing notification-style results. Incoming calls on the iPad will also no longer cover the entire screen while ringing and instead will show up as a discreet notification at the top of the screen. 

Universal Search Comes to the iPad

Finally, searching on the iPad is simultaneously no longer a full-screen experience and much more powerful. It works as a small overlay on top of any running app without leaving that application's screen. Users will be able to launch apps, call a contact, look something up on the web, and more, right from the Search bar. It's basically macOS's Spotlight made for the iPad.

Apple Pencil & iPad Get Handwriting Detection

Those who dislike using the iPad's onscreen keyboard and those who prefer to write by hand will be excited about the iPad and Apple Pencil's new handwriting-to-text capabilities called Scribble. Scribble on the iPad is far more powerful than Scribble on the Apple Watch, which lets users write text messages by hand on the watch screen. Most notably, Apple now provides something that it attempted with mixed-to-poor results on the old Apple Newton from the '90s.  

Apple's new handwriting recognition engine automatically converts handwriting in any text field into text. It also recognizes multiple handwritten languages (English, Chinese), even on the same line. Additionally, while Apple didn't say whether you will be able to search handwritten text more broadly, Scribble will be able to distinguish between drawings and text and detect things like handwritten phone numbers and dates. Users will then be able to tap those numbers or dates to make calls or create Calendar events. 

 

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What WWDC Features Excite You Most?

In this live recording of the iPhone Life Podcast, Donna and David unpack everything Apple unveiled at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference. Learn what iOS 14, iPadOS 14, watchOS 7 & macOS Big Sur have in store for you, plus learn what features listeners loved the most! 

Click here to listen and subscribe. If you like what you hear, be sure to leave a review. And remember to tune in every other week to hear our editors share with you the latest Apple news, best apps, iPhone tricks, and coolest accessories.

This episode was brought to you by the OWC Mercury Elite Pro External Hard Drive (Starting at $129). Running out of space on your desktop or laptop computer is a pain. If you need extra storage but don't want to open up your computer to add a new hard drive, it's time to invest in an OWC Mercury Elite Pro.

Question of the week:

What new software features announced at WWDC are you most excited about? Bonus question! What do you think of our live podcast recordings? Email podcast@iphonelife.com to let us know. 

Articles referred to in this episode:

• Everything Apple Announced at the WWDC Keynote
• iOS 14 Features: Apple Keynote Announcements from WWDC 2020
• Apple Announces iPadOS 14 with Sidebar Navigation, Apple Pencil Scribble
• New macOS Big Sur Brings Beautiful Design & Next-Level Privacy
• Apple Announces WatchOS 7: Sleep Tracking, Face Sharing & More
• Apple Announces Transition to Silicon Processors For Macs. What Does This Mean for Users?

​Useful links:

• Join the iPhone Life Facebook Group
• Insider walk-through: get a sneak peek of members-only benefits
• Get the Insider discount for Podcast Listeners
• Sign up for the free Tip of the Day Newsletter
• Email the Podcast
• Subscribe to iPhone Life magazine

 

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The iPhone Life Podcast

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* This article was originally published here

iPhone Location History: How to Turn Off Significant Location Tracking

Did you know that your iPhone tracks everywhere you go? It does; and if there is a place you visit often enough, it marks it as a Significant Location (a feature formerly known as Frequent Locations). This tip will show you how to find your iPhone location history in your Location Services settings. And we'll also cover how to turn Significant Locations tracking off and how to clear your iPhone location history, in case looking at the list of all the places you frequently visit gives you the heebie-jeebies.

Related: How to Turn On Location Services Only While an App Is in Use

What Is Significant Locations on Your iPhone?

Your iPhone uses the Significant Locations feature (formerly Frequent Locations) to improve your experience with the location-based features in the Maps, Calendar, and Photos apps. Apple states that your iPhone location tracking data is encrypted and that not even Apple itself can access it, but if this feature is a little too creepy for your liking and you'd like more privacy, there are a few settings you can change. 

How to See Your iPhone Location History

The main benefit of Frequent Locations is your iPhone’s ability use your iPhone location history to suggest a location for an appointment in the Calendar app, build Memories in the Photos app, and provide predictive traffic routing in the Maps app. When getting in your car, you may have noticed a small box popping up that says, 15 minutes to Home. That’s predictive traffic routing using the Significant Locations (formerly Feature Locations) feature to make it happen. The cons of this iPhone location history tracking are obvious enough: it’s like being stalked by your own phone.

Here's how to see your iPhone location history:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap Privacy.
   
   
    
3. Tap Location Services.
4. At the bottom of the page, tap System Services.
   
   
    
5. Tap Significant Locations.
6. Here you’ll see your iPhone location history in the Significant Locations list. You can tap on each town you’ve visited to see the places you’ve been, for how long, and on what day.
   
   

How to Turn Off Significant Locations on Your iPhone

We've gone over how to turn off Find My iPhone (now called Find My), and how to turn off your iPhone location history in Google Maps. Now, here’s how to turn off Significant Locations tracking on your iPhone and how to clear your iPhone location history.

1. Scroll up to the top of the Significant Locations screen.
2. Toggle off Significant Locations. Your iPhone will no longer track your location
3. To clear your iPhone location history, scroll to the bottom of the Significant Locations list and tap Clear History.
   
   

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Top image credit: Maria Savenko / Shutterstock.com

Topics: 

How-To

Privacy and Security

Tip of the Day

Location Tracking

Settings

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* This article was originally published here