Apple is continuing to push into health care, this time striking a deal with Epic Systems for a Mac-friendly version of its health records app. As reported by Axios,the deal will see Epic Systems create a version of its health records tool that “is easier to run on Apple devices.”
Apple had reportedly pushed for Epic to create a “native version of the service” for Apple devices, but the two companies settled on this compromise of a version that is “easier to run on Apple devices” instead. Apple hasn’t acknowledged this deal, but Axios says it was confirmed by a “source inside Epic.”
The deal comes despite previous disagreements between Epic and Apple over health records and data sharing, Axios explains. Apple has pushed for easing health record sharing requirements, something that Epic is firmly opposed to. Epic argued that rule changes focused on “interoperability” will be “overly burdensome on our health system and will endanger patient privacy.”
Epic Systems is the largest electronic health records vendor in the United States, with “roughly half the population’s medical records” being stored in a system powered by Epic software and technology. The lack of well-developed Mac, iPad, and iPhone software from Epic has put inhibited Apple’s ability to tap further into the health records industry.
Given the pace at which things in the healthcare industry move — especially around medical records technology — it’ll likely be awhile before we see any results of this new deal. None the less, it could end up being good for the industry and consumers, particularly if it improves data integration with other Apple platforms and services.
Apple first launched free engraving with the 2nd-gen AirPods in 2019 and expanded the options to include emoji in early 2020. But did you know you can put your own face on AirPods with free Memoji engraving? Here’s where and how to access the option.
If you head to Apple’s website to order a new pair of AirPods or AirPods Pro, you’ll see the option to personalize them with engraving. That includes being able to use over 40 emoji, the alphabet, or numbers.
However, along with AirPods Pro 2, Apple added the ability to engrave AirPods with Memoji exclusively through the Apple Store app.
Interestingly, Apple just highlighted the app’s exclusive Memoji engraving feature in the release notes of version 5.18 today. But it quietly made a mention of the option launching in the AirPods Pro 2 press release back in September.
Near the top under “Personalize them for free,” tap Add Engraving
Tap the text box > now tap the Memoji tab just above the emoji
Choose Allow Access
Now you can pick from your existing Memoji or create a new one
Tap Save in the top right corner when you’ve decided
Swipe down and buy your custom AirPods
Here’s how the process looks:
Apple allows you to use 29 different Memoji expressions. And you can also pick between the included animals, create a new one, or choose an existing custom Memoji.
When you’re all set, just hit “Save” in the top right corner and buy your custom AirPods. Thanks for reading our guide on how to engrave AirPods with Memoji!
Apple has always stood for privacy as a “human right” while the company has never liked the idea of having advertisements on its platforms. But as the App Store is now getting new ad placements, some people have become concerned about how the company’s policies may change. To add more fuel to the fire, developers have discovered that Apple may keep track of everything you tap while browsing the App Store.
Apple knows everything you tap on the App Store
Two developers and security researchers who identify themselves as “Mysk” have raised privacy concerns about the App Store getting more ads. More specifically, the developers revealed that iOS sends Apple a detailed log of how users interact with the App Store.
As shown in a brief video, the usage data includes details about where the user taps on the screen. This information is sent in real time to Apple via a JSON file.
According to developers, the company has been tracking users’ actions within the App Store since the release of iOS 14.6 in May 2021. Interestingly, as noted by BGR’s José Adorno, the company introduced the App Tracking Transparency feature a month earlier with iOS 14.5.
There’s no official explanation as to how Apple uses this data, but it seems that the company is still tracking users as they browse the App Store. It’s worth noting that since Apple started offering ads on the App Store, developers have access to some statistics about how their ads are performing – so such data may be related to this.
Even though Apple may claim that the collected data is not shared with third parties, this sounds quite controversial since Apple has been creating barriers to make it harder for third parties to track iOS users, which has affected ad platforms from Google and Meta. And according to Mysk, App Store data is sent to Apple even when the Personalized Ads option is turned off.
🧵 1/5 The recent changes that Apple has made to App Store ads should raise many #privacy concerns. It seems that the #AppStore app on iOS 14.6 sends every tap you make in the app to Apple.👇This data is sent in one request: (data usage & personalized ads are off)#CyberSecuritypic.twitter.com/1pYqdagi4e
Apple last month introduced new ad placements to the App Store. While previously developers could only promote their apps in App Store Search, now they can also pay to show their apps on app pages and in the Today tab.
Soon after the new ad placements were made available, many users criticized them for showing irrelevant or ethically questionable content, such as casino and dating apps. The company then temporarily suspended ads for these apps, but it’s unclear what will happen next.
According to rumors, Apple plans to push even more ads to its users in the future. At the same time, the company makes it more difficult for competitors to reach iOS users with advertisements, which could eventually lead to a new antitrust investigation.
PayPal will soon be rolling out new ways for customers and merchants to take advantage of Apple Pay, iPhone, and more. PayPal says it will soon be adopting Apple’s new Tap to Pay on iPhone feature, as well as adding support for Apple Pay to its branded debit and credit cards and adding Apple Pay as a payment option in checkout flows.
PayPal adopting Apple Pay and more
PayPal made these announcements in an update to investors as part of its Q3 2022 earnings release. As one of its “strategic initiatives and business updates,” the company says it is “working with Apple to enhance our offerings for PayPal and Venmo merchants and consumers.”
We’re very pleased to be working with Apple to enhance our offerings for our PayPal and Venmo merchants and consumers,” PayPal Chief Executive Officer Dan Schulman said in the statement.
There are different components to today’s announcement from PayPal, which also owns the popular peer-to-peer payment platform Venmo. Here they are:
Leveraging Apple’s Tap to Pay on iPhone technology, US merchant customers will soon be able to accept contactless debit or credit cards and mobile wallets, including Apple Pay, using an iPhone and the PayPal or Venmo iOS app.
Adding Apple Pay as a payment option in PayPal’s unbranded checkout flows on merchant platforms, including the PayPal Commerce Platform.
Next year, US customers will be able to add PayPal and Venmo network-branded credit and debit cards to Apple Wallet and use them anywhere Apple Pay is accepted.
Tap to Pay on iPhone is a new feature launched by Apple earlier this year, currently available in Apple Stores and via Square’s merchant app. Tap to Pay on iPhone works by the merchant prompting the customer to hold their iPhone or Apple Watch near the merchant’s iPhone to pay with Apple Pay, a contactless credit or debit card, or another digital wallet. The payment is then securely completed using NFC technology.
Meanwhile, PayPal’s announcement today also means that you’ll see Apple Pay as a payment option when you choose the option to check out with PayPal from some websites. This will increase the availability of Apple pay for purchases on the web, but it sounds like the implementation will be somewhat limited.
Finally, PayPal also says that consumers will be able to add their PayPal and Venmo-branded debit and credit cards to Apple Wallet and Apple Pay next year.
Apple this week launched the first betas of its next round of software updates, including iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, and macOS Ventura 13.1. A new report from Bloomberg today indicates that Apple is currently targeting a release date to the public sometime in mid-December for these updates.
iOS 16.2 release date
In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’sMark Gurman says while Apple is done with hardware releases for the year, it still has more software updates on the way. “The iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 updates, which began beta testing this past week, should be released around mid-December,” Gurman says in today’s newsletter.
Gurman also notes that Apple is targeting a release date of sometime between early February and the beginning of March for iOS 16.3 and macOS Ventura 13.3:
I’m told that Apple is aiming to introduce the upgraded models—including M2-based versions of the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros—in the first quarter of calendar 2023 and has tied the launches to the upcoming macOS Ventura 13.3 and iOS 16.3. Those software updates are expected to debut between early February and the beginning of March.
iOS 16.2 includes a handful of changes, including the new Freeform collaboration app that Apple first showed off at WWDC. As of right now, iOS 16.2 is available to developer and public beta testers.
Apple reveals how it approached redesigning the new Home app in iOS 16
One of the valuable updates that arrived with iOS 16 this fall is an overhauled Home app. Additions and changes in the fresh experience include a new UI and iconography, customizable sections, fresh wallpapers, a more seamless experience, and more. Now Apple has shared how it approached the big Home app update in an interview.
Speaking to Parade, Cecelia Dantas who works in Product Marketing at Apple detailed how the goal was to make the new app beautiful and workable for everyone from beginners to HomeKit experts:
“We took the opportunity to rethink and redesign the Home app. It has this fresh new look and it scales beautifully, even for those who are just starting out their smart home with a few accessories or for those who have an advanced setup.”
As I wrote in my detailed hands-on coverage of the new Home app earlier this year, it features a sharp default layout:
New top category buttons
HomeKit cameras are at the top of the app, below are Scenes and Favorites
Then you’ll see your other devices organized by Room
Most of the HomeKit device icons have been either totally updated or given a slight refresh
Other improvements include improved access to Home app settings, customizable sections, new wallpapers, and more.
Dantas also highlighted that while Apple had adopted Matter support with iOS 16.1, it “continues to apply the same lens for privacy that we do across all of our products and services. So all the data is stored using end-to-end encryption. So there’s no way for Apple to read this data. And Appledoesn’t build a profile around what accessories you use, or how you use them.”
As a refresher, Matter is a collaboration between Apple, Amazon, Google, Samsung, the Connectivity Standards Alliance, and many others to make it easy to use any smart home device with better reliability, speed, and performance.
An underlying technology of Matter is Thread. And we’ve already seen a number of smart device companies adopt Thread like Apple with HomePod mini, Belkin, Nanoleaf, Eve, and more.
With the official release of iOS 16.1 this week, Apple introduced Live Activities – a new way for third-party apps to provide useful information right on the iPhone lock screen or Dynamic Island. With the iOS 16.2 beta, which was released to developers on Tuesday, the company is working to let users choose to keep Live Activities updated more frequently.
More Frequent Updates to Live Activities
The new option, which is not yet enabled in iOS 16.2 beta 1, will provide “More Frequent Updates” for Live Activities. Code seen by 9to5Mac confirms that when this option is enabled, Live Activities (and consequently Dynamic Island interactions) will request updates at shorter intervals to show “more real time information.”
At the same time, the same message found in the code warns that enabling More Frequent Updates for Live Activities will also drain the iPhone’s battery faster. Here’s what the message says:
More Frequent Updates
Allowing more frequent updates lets you see more real time information, but can drain your battery faster.
Once available, the new option will be accessible to users in the Settings app. Having more frequent updates can be extremely useful for some apps like Flighty, which now has a Live Activity to show details about an upcoming flight. Delivery and ride apps should also benefit from this option. Presumably Apple will make the feature public before the official release of iOS 16.2.
What’s new with iOS 16.2?
iOS 16.2 comes with some other new features. The update introduces the Freeform app, which was announced back in June at WWDC 2022. Freeform allows users to write and draw together in a collaborative canvas. For iPad users, iPadOS 16.2 enables support for an external display with Stage Manager.
Also coming with iOS 16.2 is a new option to send feedback to Apple when Emergency SOS is mistakenly triggered on the iPhone, plus a new, more reliable architecture for the Home app.
The update is now available for developers and is expected to be released soon for users registered in the Apple Beta Software Program. There’s no word on when it will become available to the public.
Following the release ofiOS 16.0.3 to all users on Wednesday, Apple is now rolling out iOS 16.1 beta 5 to developers. The new beta update, which adds new features to the iPhone operating system, comes ahead of the official iOS 16.1 release to the public expected later this month.
oday’s build number is 20B5072b, compared to the previous build 20B5064c. Developers and public beta testers can now install the iOS 16.1 beta 5 update by going to the Software Update menu within the Settings app on an iPhone or iPad enabled to get beta updates.
In addition to iOS 16.1 beta 4, here’s what else Apple is rolling out today:
iPadOS 16 beta 12
macOS Ventura beta 11
tvOS 16.1 beta 5
What changes with the update?
iOS 16.1 enables battery percentage for iPhone XR, 11, 12 mini, and 13 mini. Apple has tweaked the battery indicator so that it now has a dynamic icon when the percentage is enabled. The update also adds a Clean Energy Charging option, Live Activities API, and early support for the Matter protocol. For iPad users, iPadOS 16.1 brings Stage Manager for the 2018 and 2020 iPad Pro.
Here’s a detailed roundup of some of the major changes in iOS 16.1 so far:
Live Activities: Live Activities help you stay on top of things that are happening in real-time, right from your Lock Screen;
Live Activities API: Follow an ongoing sports game, track the progress of your ride, or order with just a glance. Glance at Live Activities from your favorite third-party apps with the new developer API;
Apple Wallet app can be deleted: iOS 16.1 now lets users delete the Wallet app for the first time. As you’d expect, deleting the Wallet app means you won’t be able to use a number of different features, including Apple Pay, Apple Cash, and Apple Card;
Matter support: Matter is a new smart home connectivity standard that will enable compatible accessories to work together seamlessly, across platforms;
iCloud Shared Photo Library: A new way for families to share photos seamlessly with a separate iCloud library that up to six users can collaborate on, contribute to, and enjoy. Users can choose to share existing photos from their personal libraries or share based on a start date or people in the photos;
Clean Energy Charging: Clean Energy Charging aims to decrease the carbon footprint of the iPhone by optimizing charging times for when the grid is using cleaner energy sources.
When will iOS 16.1 be available to the public?
According to a recent report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple plans to release iOS 16.1, iPadOS 16.1, and other software updates to the public the week of October 24. The software updates should come in time for the launch of new products, such as the rumored 10th generation iPad, iPad Pro with M2 chip, and updated MacBook Pros.
Apple is continuing to fix some of the early bugs affecting iOS 16 as well as the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro. The company is now rolling out iOS 16.0.3, which includes additional bug fixes and performance improvements for notifications, the Camera app, and more.
You can update your iPhone to iOS 16.0.3 by heading to the Settings app, choosing General, then choosing Software Update. The build number for today’s update is 20A392. It’s available for any iPhone that is capable of running iOS 16, which includes the iPhone 8 and newer.
Incoming call and app notifications may be delayed or not delivered on iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Low microphone volume can occur during CarPlay phone calls on iPhone 14 models.
Camera may be slow to launch or switch between modes on iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Mail crashes on launch after receiving a malformed email.
Today’s update comes after Apple released iOS 16.0.2 toward the end of September. This update addressed the annoying copy-and-paste alerts, the camera shaking problem for iPhone 14 Pro, and more. Apple is also continuing to beta test iOS 16.1 with developers and public beta users, primarily focusing on new features.
One of the biggest things we’re watching for is whether or not iOS 16.0.3 addresses the battery life complaints that are currently flooding in from many iPhone users. As we detailed a couple of weeks ago, iOS 16 has significantly impacted battery life for the majority of iPhone users, including the new iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models.
Meta has issued a Facebook security warning to around one million users that their login credentials may have been stolen by scam apps.
While most of the apps were Android ones, 47 of them were iOS apps found in Apple’s App Store …
Many apps and websites offer third-party login options, with the most common ones being:
Login with Facebook
Login with Google
Login with Apple
The intention behind these login methods is to make it quicker and easier to start using an app, by skipping the need to register an account. However, a bad actor can also use this approach to steal your credentials.
Engadget reports that this is what a whole bunch of scam apps have done with the “Login with Facebook” option.
Meta is warning 1 million Facebook users that their account information may have been compromised by third-party apps from Apple or Google’s stores. In a new report, the company’s security researchers say that in the last year they’ve identified more than 400 scammy apps designed to hijack users’ Facebook account credentials.
According to the company, the apps are disguised as “fun or useful” services, like photo editors, camera apps, VPN services, horoscope apps, and fitness tracking tools. The apps often require users to “Log In with Facebook” before they can access the promised features. But these login features are merely a means of stealing Facebook users’ account info. And Meta’s Director of Threat Disruption, David Agranovich, noted that many of the apps Meta identified were barely functional.
Facebook security warning
If you have used one of the known scam apps, Meta will push a message to you in the Facebook app:
A security notice from Meta
You may have logged into Facebook from a malicious app designed to steal your Facebook account information.
To protect your information we recommend you secure your account immediately.
The site says that the iOS apps identified mostly appeared to be targeting business users, with names like Meta Business, FB Analytic, and so on.
Meta has provided the full list of apps to both Apple and Google, so that they can be removed from their respective app stores.
Apple of course argues that its app review process keeps users safe from scams, and this is why it shouldn’t be obliged by antitrust concerns to allow third-party app stores or sideloading of iOS apps.
This latest revelation could be said to provide ammunition to both sides of the debate. On the one hand, dozens of scam apps made it through app review despite the fact that (a) they were stealing credentials and (b) scarcely worked. On the other, there were far fewer of these apps in the App Store than in Google’s Play Store.
If you’re seeing faster battery drain than expected with iPhone 14 or 14 Pro you’re not alone. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a problem with your phone. Here’s a look at 7 tips and tricks to improve iPhone 14 battery life as well as why you might be seeing spikes in battery use.
The iPhone 14 lineup comes with what Apple says is roughly 1 hour longer battery for each model and the 14 and 14 Pro do feature larger mAh capacities (14 Pro Max capacity is ever so slightly less but battery life is up).
But people with the new iPhone 14 are sharing across Twitter and social media about having a bad experience with battery life so far. Let’s dig into what could be going on and how to improve battery iPhone 14 battery.
What causes battery use spikes?
Restoring a backup on your new iPhone
Things like downloading a large photo/video library are particularly draining
iPhone creates more heat when restoring and uses more battery
High background app activity
Using your new iPhone more than normal checking out new features, cameras, etc.
Combination of new hardware and software with early bugs (first iOS 16 releases)
Third-party apps and even some Apple apps may not be running optimally yet
There are many other factors at play, but these four are notable ones.
A couple of things to consider in the first few days of using your iPhone 14. Even after you’ve restored from a backup, it takes time to fully download your entire photo library, all your apps/data, etc. Your iPhone is working harder and is hotter than normal so it’s using more battery than normal.
In the Photos app, you can pause syncing/downloading with iCloud until evening. If it hasn’t done this automatically, open Apple’s Photos app > Library > All Photos > swipe to the bottom and tap “Pause.” Having that continue when you’re charging in the evening will help save battery.
In my experience, 17% of all battery use in the first four days for my iPhone 14 Pro was from the Photos app.
I’ve also seen much higher background app activity than normal across not just the Photos app but other Apple and third-party apps.
One bug I’ve seen is optimized battery charging with iPhone 14 Pro/iOS 16 has only powered my phone up to ~70% the last few nights. That, of course, makes a big difference if you’re not starting the day with a 100% charge.
You can turn that off by heading to Settings > Battery > Battery Health > Optimized Battery Charging – but keep in mind that may age your battery faster to keep it off permanently. Ideally, with a new iPhone, it will learn your schedule before long so it’s charged to 100% when you normally pull it off the charger.
Hopefully, some of these issues could be addressed with iOS 16.1 or other future updates. And after the first week, you might not be using your iPhone for quite as many hours each day and see your battery lasting longer.
How to improve iPhone 14 battery life
7 options instead of using a battery pack:
1. How are apps using battery?
Head to Settings > Battery to check out the details of your battery usage. “Last 24 Hours” is the default and shows which apps are using the most energy (including Home & Lock Screen and Siri).
Tapping the “Last X Days” toggle on the right-hand side gives you a broader look at what’s eating up your power.
Look for “Background Activity” under an app to learn if it’s been using energy behind the scenes.
Also, take a look at battery life suggestions just above battery usage (near the top). This will give you quick, actionable ways to reduce battery drain.
And, if you like to see the battery percentage on your iPhone – not just the icon –
2. Low Power Mode
Low Power Mode is a quick way to extend battery life. The feature works by suspending mail fetch, background app refresh, auto-downloads, and more with a single button. This isn’t an everyday-use feature, but it is handy.
You can turn on Low Power mode under Settings > Batteryor ask Sirito do it.However, it’s useful to have quick access to Low Power Mode in Control Center. Navigate to Settings > Control Center > Customize Controls, then tap the + icon next to Low Power Mode if it’s not already there.
This is useful to stop all the background activity from apps when you’ve recently set up a new iPhone
3. Auto-Lock, screen brightness, and always-on display
If you notice “Home & Lock Screen” on your battery usage is higher than you’d expect, it’s good to check those settings.
Auto-Lock at 30 seconds will help you preserve the most battery life. Especially with iPhone 14 Pro having an always-on display, 30 seconds can be worth it.
Navigate to Settings > Display & Brightness > Auto-Lock.
Lowering your screen brightness will also help with battery life, but this will come down to personal preference. You can do that in Control Center (swipe down from the top right corner) or Settings > Display & Brightness.
With iPhone 14 Pro HDR brightness now going up to 1600 nits and outdoor peak brightness going to 2000 nits, this is something to keep an eye on to help keep battery life in check.
Always-on display
We don’t have detailed data yet on how much battery the always-on display with the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max uses. Ideally, it won’t eat up much as it goes down to a 1Hz refresh rate. But if you’re looking to eke out the most battery, turning it off could help a touch.
Head to Settings > Display and brightness > Always On at the bottom.
4. Hot and cold temps
Applesays the ambient temperature “comfort zone for iPhone is 32° to 95° F (0° to 35° C). Temps above 95° F (35° C) have the potential to “permanently damage battery capacity.”
Outside of keeping your iPhone from extreme heat, it’s good to remove your iPhone case if you notice it gets hot while charging or restoring from a backup.
Meanwhile, temperatures below 32° F (0 ° C) can temporarily reduce battery life. If you live in a climate with cold temps, keeping your iPhone closer to your body in an inside pocket can help extend battery life by keeping it warmer.
5. Background app refresh
Low Power Mode turns off background app refresh across the board, but you can customize which apps use this feature for a more convenient experience as well as improved battery life. Head to Settings > General > Background App Refresh.
You can also opt to only use background app refresh on Wi-Fi in addition to Wi-Fi and Cellular or turn the feature off totally. However, most users will find leaving Wi-Fi and Cellular on while customizing which apps are used for background app refresh to be the best fit.
Turning off Background App Refresh prevents apps that you’re not actively using from updating (until you open them again).
6. Location services
Dialing in your location services settings is another way to extend battery life. (It can reduce cellular data use too). Head to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services to update the privileges for your apps.
Look out for any apps that ask to Always use your location and switch to While Using, Ask Next Time, or Never.
7. Push and Fetch
If you choose not to use Low Power Mode, you can manually control Push and Fetch for your email/internet accounts.
Head to Settings > Mail > Accounts > Fetch New Data. One approach is to leave your primary account(s) as push to receive new mail asap, and turn less important accounts to fetch every hour or even set them to manual.
Wrap-up on how to improve iPhone 14 battery life
While it’s no fun to have a bad experience with battery life with a brand new iPhone, hopefully, these tips plus future updates from Apple and third-party apps will reduce battery drain.
Until then, keep an eye on what apps are eating up your battery the fastest, get Low Power mode in Control Center for quick access, and use as many of the settings discussed above as you can without making daily use a hassle.
If you find you’d rather not change many (or any) of the settings, another option is to just pick up a power bank or MagSafe battery pack.
