Apple is working to bring Touch ID to Apple Watch for the first time, according to new reports out Friday. The company is said to be exploring two methods of integrating the technology into its wearable for easier unlocking.

The new model may prove particularly interesting to Apple Watch Series 2 owners, who are expected to miss out on Apple’s upcoming watchOS 7 update this fall.

This sweet Apple Watch concept imagines a brand-new voice messaging feature that would allow watchOS users to send each other voice messages.

Apple Watch already allows users to make calls and send texts, but voice messaging is not yet part of its default featureset.

Thanks to unprecedented early leaks, some of the biggest new features planned for iOS 14 have already been spoiled. Apple is supposedly making some huge changes to the Home screen, iMessages, HomeKit, Apple Pencil and much more in its next-gen mobile operating system.

The recent wave of leaks proved so overwhelming that we rounded them all up in one place. We will keep updating the list as we inch closer to this summer’s Worldwide Developers Conference, where Apple traditionally previews all of its upcoming platform updates.

Apple’s big iOS 14 update could bring CarPlay wallpapers for the first time — as well as more Maps improvements, a new report claimed Thursday.

These are the latest snippets in a series of leaks from unreleased iOS 14 code. They come less a week before Apple is scheduled to roll out iPadOS 13.4, another rather significant update that brings true trackpad support to iPad.

AltConf, the best Apple-focused conference not created by Apple, has been completely canceled for 2020 due to concerns about the current coronavirus pandemic.

Serving as an alternative to Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference, AltConf gave developers and Apple fans the chance to mingle and learn from each other without paying for a pricey WWDC ticket.

Apple is prepared to pay authorized repairers maximum payouts for qualifying products amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, according to a leaked internal memo distributed to Authorized Service Providers.

Cupertino has closed all of its own stores outside of Greater China, leaving third parties to tackle repair needs. It reportedly wants to ensure that those partners are supported financially while the outbreak spreads worldwide.

Apple’s newest iOS 13.4 update could roll out to everyone on Tuesday, March 17, according to leaked Alipay marketing materials. It should be accompanied by iPadOS 13.4, tvOS 13.4, watchOS 6.2, and macOS 10.15.4.

The iPhone update, which is currently in beta testing, is expected to bring Alipay support to Apple Wallet for the first time. That would make this release a pretty big deal for iPhone owners in China.

There’s won’t be a COVID-19 version of Pac-Man, or any other equally tacky game. Apple today banned all entertainment applications that use this pandemic as a theme.

In addition, Apple reiterated an earlier rule requiring software that provides information about this global health crisis be from official sources.

iOS 14 leaks came fast and furious this week. We rounded ’em all up in one place to give you a look at possible new features coming to iPhones and iPads this year. Yep, basically it’s everything we think we know about iOS 14.

Plus, we’ve got the lowdown on WWDC 2020 going online-only due to COVID-19 (and a related post on how to work remotely without going nuts, among other timely how-tos). And we wrap up with a review of the second episode of Amazing Stories, streaming now on Apple TV+.

You’ll find it all in this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. Download it now and read it on your iPad or iPhone. Or get the links below.

Bonus: Enter now for your chance to win an Apple TV (or other streaming hardware), delightfully paired with a free one-year subscription to the streaming service of your choice.

In an unprecedented move, Apple said late Friday it will immediately close all its retail stores outside Greater China in an effort to battle the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The stores will remain closed through March 27.

CEO Tim Cook revealed Apple’s decision to close hundreds of stores late Friday in an open letter-style press release titled “Apple’s COVID-19 response.” He wrote, “This global effort — to protect the most vulnerable, to study this virus, and to care for the sick — requires all of our care, and all of our participation.”