2025-05-10 06:19:07
Apple is known for its privacy policies that keep user data collected to a minimum, but the company has also worked to incorporate many safety features into its devices. From summoning help when you can't to making sure you're not being tracked or followed, the iPhone has tools that are meant to keep you safe.
We've rounded up some of the most important options that everyone should be reminded about.
2025-05-10 00:57:19
As promised, Epic Games today submitted Fortnite to the U.S. App Store, and if approved by Apple, it will mark the first time that the Fortnite app has been available in the United States since 2020.
Fortnite will include options to purchase in-app currency from the web rather than through in-app purchase, which is what got the game banned to begin with. This time, though, Apple has been ordered to allow all developers, including Epic Games, to direct customers to purchase options that are available outside of the App Store.
Epic Games' U.S. developer account has been banned since the initial Apple vs. Epic Games battle in 2020, so Epic Games is using the developer account that it established in Sweden to submit Fortnite to the App Store. Epic Games created a Swedish App Store account last year in order to create an Epic Games app marketplace in the European Union, as allowed by the Digital Markets Act.
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney said that the company has "conversed" with Apple about the plan, and that Apple is aware that Epic Games is submitting Fortnite using the Epic Games Sweden subsidiary that it established for the EU. Sweeney has not confirmed whether Apple said that's okay, and it's not clear if Apple will approve the App Store submission. In an interview this week, Sweeney said he would be "very surprised" if Apple "decided to brave the geopolitical storm of blocking a major app from iOS."
When Epic Games first made a new developer account in the EU, Apple shut it down due to Epic's pattern of untrustworthy behavior. Epic Games complained to EU regulators, and regulators in turn started questioning Apple. At that point, Apple decided to reinstate the account after Epic Games pledged to follow the alternative marketplace rules.
During the Apple vs. Epic Games legal battle, Apple was at no point ordered to allow Fortnite to return to the App Store, and the case in fact suggested that Apple was well within its rights to terminate Epic's account, and under no obligation to allow Fortnite in the App Store at all.
It's possible Apple will not allow Epic Games to use its European developer account to submit Fortnite given that the U.S. account is still banned, but Apple might not want to further anger the judge overseeing the case. Apple has also already approved external purchase links in Spotify, Kindle, Patreon, and other apps.
As of now, Apple is required to allow developers to add links and buttons to their apps directing customers to digital purchase options available outside of the App Store, and more importantly, Apple is not allowed to collect a commission on these purchases.
Apple has filed an emergency motion with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to pause the "extraordinary" ruling that it argues requires it to give up "core aspects of its business operations." Apple has specifically asked the appeals court to allow it to charge fees for purchases made using external links while the appeals process is playing out, with the company also requesting control over how those links are displayed.
Apple asked the appeals court to issue a ruling by May 28, but until Apple hears back, the App Store link changes that are in place will stand.
2025-05-10 00:35:19
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through how the iPhone lineup is rumored to change after the release of the iPhone 17 lineup later this year, looking at what to expect in 2026, 2027, and beyond.
2025-05-10 00:13:45
Apple acquired Canadian startup Mayday Labs in April 2024, according to a European Commission listing, spotted by French blog MacGeneration. The acquisition had not received widespread attention from tech publications until now.
Apple is legally required to report certain acquisitions to the European Commission, under the terms of the EU's Digital Markets Act.
Mayday Labs founder Jeremy Bell confirmed that his company had been acquired in a since-deleted April 2024 blog post, but he did not mention Apple at that time. Apple acquired the startup's intellectual property, and the rights to make employment offers to certain employees, according to the European Commission.
Mayday Labs had developed an AI-powered calendar, task manager, and scheduling assistant for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The all-in-one app used AI to automatically schedule your events and tasks at ideal times, and it could learn your scheduling preferences and daily patterns over time to further optimize your calendar.
Mayday's website says its app worked best when you used it with others. For example, it could automatically schedule a meeting at a time where both you and a co-worker were available. It also offered automatic rescheduling for flexibility.
The app was shut down shortly after the acquisition.
It would be reasonable to assume that some of Mayday's features and technologies could be added to Apple's Calendar app across the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, under the Apple Intelligence umbrella. More than a year has passed since the acquisition, so perhaps some of these changes will debut as early as iOS 19, iPadOS 19, and macOS 16, which will be unveiled at Apple's annual developers conference WWDC next month.
Apple already integrated its Calendar and Reminders apps on iOS 18, as a stepping stone.
The European Commission's website lists six other companies that Apple has acquired since September 2023, including Pointable, Betteromics, Drishti, DarwinAI, Datakalab, and Blueye. Many of these companies were working on AI technologies, for the enterprise, manufacturing, life sciences, and more. Some of the acquisitions were well publicized, but Mayday Labs and a few others went somewhat under the radar on a relative basis.
2025-05-09 23:41:53
Losing your Apple Account password can make your digital life a misery, as it can leave you locked out of the account that you use to manage your Apple devices, unable to access your iCloud data and manage your app and service subscriptions.
In this scenario, Apple can't just reset your password for you, especially if your have two-factor authentication enabled. Setting up a recovery key is one alternative solution, but in such cases you can't change your password unless you have a trusted second device as well as the recovery key.
In an effort to make things easier, Apple allows you to set up an account recovery contact that can help make sure you always have access to your account, even if you forget your Apple Account password or device passcode. Your recovery contact is someone who can verify your identity and help you regain access to your account and all of your data if you ever get locked out.
2025-05-09 23:32:49
The new 11th generation iPad has continued to drop in price all week, and Amazon today has introduced a new record low price on the tablet. You can get the 128GB Wi-Fi iPad for $277.78 in Pink, down from $349.00, which beats the previous low price by about $10.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Prices have been fluctuating on the 128GB Wi-Fi iPad throughout the day, so if you're interested be sure to place your order soon before they expire. If it does disappear, the other colors are still available at solid second-best prices of $299.00.
