Apple says App Store won’t close to developers over holidays, as in previous years

Apple says it won’t be closing down the App Store to developer submissions over the holidays, as it has in previous years. The policy change will be welcomed by developers who often fear that they’ll be blocked from being able to issue emergency bug fixes or other critical updates during one of the busiest seasons […]

Apple now lets you review more default apps like Phone, Messages, Photos and Safari

Apple finally put itself on equal footing with rivals by allowing users to rate and review its own, first-party apps for the first time this fall, amid increased regulatory pressure ahead of a likely antitrust investigation. Although some of Apple’s apps had been available to download separately, they had never been able to be reviewed. […]

Apple updates its App Store Guidelines to permit developers to contact customers about other payment methods

Apple today introduced a new set of App Store Guidelines that include three key changes. One of the changes is the result of a previously announced settlement agreement with a class of U.S. app developers. It clarifies that developers are allowed to communicate with their customers about other payment methods available outside their app. Related […]

In hopes of App Store changes, Paddle develops an alternative to Apple’s payments system

Paddle, a solutions provider subscription-based businesses, is betting on a future where App Store developers are able to use third-party payment systems — and it wants to be among the first to market with an alternative once such a system is permitted. The company today announced a new in-app purchasing (IAP) system aimed at iOS […]

Apps to reach record highs in Q3 of 36B downloads and $34B in consumer spending

A new forecast on the state of the app economy indicates the third quarter will see record-breaking revenues spent on apps and games. According to App Annie, consumers worldwide will spend $34 billion on apps and games in Q3, a 20% year-over-year increase on spending. The increase indicates that the Covid-19 pandemic’s impact on consumer […]

Apple patches an NSO zero-day flaw affecting all devices

Apple has released security updates for a zero-day vulnerability that affects every iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch. Citizen Lab, which discovered the vulnerability and was credited with the find, urges users to immediately update their devices. The technology giant said iOS 14.8 for iPhones and iPads, as well as new updates for Apple Watch […]

A new NSO zero-click attack evades Apple’s iPhone security protections, says Citizen Lab

A Bahraini human rights activist’s iPhone was silently hacked earlier this year by a powerful spyware sold to nation-states, defeating new security protections that Apple designed to withstand covert compromises, say researchers at Citizen Lab. The activist, who remains in Bahrain and asked not to be named, is a member of the Bahrain Center for […]

Google Maps on iOS adds live location sharing in iMessage, home screen widget, dark mode

Google Maps announced today three feature updates to its iOS app. With live location sharing in the iMessage app, a traffic widget for the home screen and dark mode, Google Maps is positioning itself as a stronger competitor against iOS’ native Apple Maps. Live location sharing was already possible in Google Maps — by tapping […]