This week we read the news with NewsBlur and Unread 2, shoot faux 8mm footage with Rtro, and spend $20 on Tot, a notes app with just seven pages.
Ever since its launch, people have mostly been dismissive about Apple News on iPhone, iPad and Mac. One big reason is the way it interacts with links on the web, boxing users into the News app instead of letting them visit the open web.
For me, that’s actually a pretty desirable thing, because I really like the News app. It’s much cleaner-looking than many ad-bloated websites, and far less emotional and combative than getting your news on social media.
But making the News app show you the things you care about, with less clutter and noise, requires one simple trick.
Here at Cult of Mac, we’re big fans of VPNs. That’s because they not only keep us secure and private online, they also bypass annoying location-based content restrictions, so you can stream your favorite content anywhere you go. With this great deal, you can get VPN protection on all your devices for three whole years.
Like almost all of Apple’s built-in iOS apps, the Music app is capable but hard to use. Apple’s habit of hiding key functions behind multiple button-taps is in full force here, and it’s getting worse. Want to “heart” a track? You used to be able to do it from the lock screen player. Now you have to access the Music app’s share menu, and find it there.
And what if you want to view your recently added items as a list, or your list of songs as a grid? Tough. On the other hand, if you use features like the For You… playlists, and Apple Music’s excellent More by… recommendations, many alternative music apps don’t support them.
The answer to this digital music conundrum is Marvis Pro, a 1-year-old music app that offers everything you need — and nothing you don’t.
iPhone and iPad users need not delete their Chroma Stories app despite the development team’s recent acquisition by Twitter.
Twitter says it has no plans to kill the app – for now, anyway.
Apple is finally “considering” giving users the ability to set third-party web browsers and email clients as defaults on iOS, according to a new Bloomberg report. It could also open up HomePod to rival music streaming services.
iPhone and iPad owners can already install third-party alternatives, but iOS currently does not allow them to override Apple’s built-in services. That could change as Apple faces increasing pressure over the tight control it imposes over its mobile devices.
The official SoundCloud app for iPhone and iPad now lets you upload your latest tracks directly from the Files app.
Its new upload feature supports any audio file, including lossless formats like FLAC and AIFF. It also lets you add metadata, artwork, descriptions, and more — all from the palm of your hand.
This Presidents Day, instead of thinking about presidents, why not upgrade the apps in your iOS and Mac devices? We’ve rounded up some awesome deals on great software, from half off to as much as 94% off of VPNs, website builders, task managers and more.
Being blinded by WhatsApp’s bright white interface when replying to a late-night text will soon be a thing of the past. The messaging app’s long-awaited dark mode is finally on its way to iPhone.
Beta testers already have access to the new look, which means we should all be able to enjoy it soon.
If you’ve ever found yourself showing other people pictures on your phone, you’ve probably also been trying to micromanage what they can and can’t see. And, if you’re a parent of a young kid, it’s likely that you’ve let your child look through a photo album on your device. In that case, you’ve certainly been worried about their ability to delete or accidentally modify an image.
There are ways to limit what a person — or child — can or can’t get to on your device through the Guided Access settings in iOS. But nothing is as simple as using a new iOS app called Peek-a-View to lock down your photos.
Everyone’s favorite mapping service turns 15 on Thursday, and there are gifts in store to celebrate. The latest Google Maps update for iOS brings a revamped icon and brand-new features.
Users can look forward to a fresh new interface that makes exploring and commuting a little bit easier.
Dogs offer us companionship, fun and emotional support. So it’s only right that we do everything we can to support their emotional health. When their human is away, when loud noises happen outside, when they’re bored or just generally nervous, there are steps we can take to keep our dogs calm.
This week we pay more for our calendars, shoot with both iPhone cameras simultaneously, share six-second videos like it’s 2015, and save some bookmarks. Take a look at the week’s best iOS apps, both new and updates.
The latest Dropbox update finally brings dark mode to iPhone and iPad.
The feature works alongside your system settings, so it can be enabled and disabled automatically based on your dark mode schedule. That means Dropbox will no longer blind you at night.
Facebook Messenger could soon add Face ID support to protect your conversations from nosy neighbors.
The feature would prevent access to Messenger until it is first unlocked with your face. It seems like a useful addition to the app for the security-conscious, but it’s still in development for now.
Twitter now lets you add Facebook-style emoji reactions to direct messages.
There are currently seven to choose from — one more than Facebook offers — including the familiar thumbs up, laughing face, and love heart. They help Twitter keep up with rival messaging platforms, such as iMessage.
More than a dozen apps in the photo category of Apple’s App Store appropriate the shoddy, snapshot esthetics of single-use, or disposable, cameras.
The newest joining this niche category two weeks ago features nothing unique. Yet it quickly surpassed 1 million downloads because the popular internet celebrity behind the app told followers to “check out my new app.”
This week we find a nanny for our kinds, read Twitter on our Apple Watches, restore animations to our Live Photos, and more.
An app developer putting out a camera and photo editing app today is in for a steep, uphill climb. Dozens of apps populate the category and those at the top are holding that place for a reason.
But the name Filmic should grab the iPhone photographer’s attention. The maker of Filmic Pro, the go-to app for mobile filmmakers, now offers a unique camera experience for stills called Firstlight.
Members of the press received surprise invitations from Apple this morning to attend a first-of-its-kind event to honor 2019’s top apps and games on December 2 in New York City.
Apple routinely gives out awards for the best apps of the year, but this is the first time the company has hosted an event to hand them out. Get ready for the Oscars of apps.
iPhone and iPad can now take advantage of Dropbox Transfer, which allows users to more easily send and receive up to 100 GB of files.
It doesn’t have the size restrictions of email, and is simpler than Dropbox’s traditional system for sharing files.
Adobe’s Photoshop is now available in the App Store, ready for you to try. You have to sign up for a $10 monthly subscription, even just to test it out, but there’s a one-month free trial included in the sub. With that out of the way, how is it? Extremely limited, but very promising.
If you’re familiar with Photoshop on the Mac or PC, then you will feel immediately at home. You will also feel immediately frustrated, because the app does almost nothing. We learned earlier this month that Photoshop for iOS would offer a cut-down feature set compared to the full desktop version. Still, this app is so basic that — if you want to actually get any work done — you should grab something like Affinity Photo instead.
But as an example of an iPad app, Photoshop is stellar. It’s easy to use, and yet most of the basics are there. And there’s a new UI innovation, called the Touch Shortcut, that should be in every app. Let’s take a look.
When you set out to learn a new language in 2019, the first approach that comes to mind probably involves an app. And apps are useful, no doubt, but most can only take you so far. To really learn a language, you need the feedback of someone who can correct your pronunciation.
When a native speaker isn’t available, Mondly uses advanced technology to make up the difference — in 33 different languages!
A pair of new iPhone applications can do a handy trick: record video from the front- and rear-facing cameras at the same time.
DuetCam does this for fun, while Parachute is a personal-safety tool.
It didn’t take long for Motif, a Mac and iPad app for creating photo books, to reach 1 million downloads.
A little more than a year after its launch, Motif now lets Apple fans create custom photo books on their iPhones.
