| Cult of Mac

iOS 16.4 and macOS 13.3 likely will launch next week

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iOS 16.4 release candidate
The iOS 16.4 release candidate means the full version should reach iPhones everywhere before the end of March.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple seeded the release candidates for iOS 16.4 and macOS Ventura 13.3 to developers on Tuesday, signaling that beta testing for these upcoming operating systems is almost over. The same is true for the release candidates for iPadOS 16.4, watchOS 9.4 and tvOS 16.4.

These will usher in new emoji, a better way for devs to work with betas, and other changes.

How to get missing Apple apps back on your iPhone and iPad

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Where did that app go?
Sometimes these things just disappear on you.
Image: Kristin Hardwick/Wikimedia Commons/D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

How do you reinstall Apple apps like Music, Podcasts, Weather, Maps and Find My onto your iPhone or iPad? If you can’t find them, it’s possible you uninstalled them and your device needs to download them again. Or they might have simply disappeared from your Home Screen, and are now hiding in the App Library.

There are also a few iPhone apps that Apple hasn’t made available on iPad. This was the case with Weather until very recently, so you may need to install an update to get it.

I’ll walk you through all the possibilities, showing you how to get Apple’s stock apps back on your iPhone or iPad.

New emoji will arrive in iOS 16.4 and macOS Ventura 13.3 [Updated]

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New emoji will arrive in iOS 16.4 and macOS Ventura 13.3
The long wait for iOS 16.4 beta 1 is over. The same goes for macOS Ventura 13.3 beta 1, plus there are new OS updates in testing for many other Apple devices.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple finally seeded to developers iOS 16.4 beta 1 and macOS 13.3 beta 1 on Thursday, followed by releasing public beta versions on Friday. The same goes for the initial betas of iPadOS 16.4, watchOS 9.4 and tvOS 16.4.

The wait for new betas has been much longer than usual. The last round of new prerelease versions was in mid-January.

The new betas bring in a collection of new emoji, an improvement for Apple Pencil, a better way for devs to work with betas, and more changes.

Nearly all iPhones run iOS 16 but only half of iPads have updated

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Apple makes a multitude of changes with iOS 16.
iPhone users have adopted iOS 16 in large numbers.
Photo: Apple

According to official data from Apple, 81% of all iPhones released in the past four years are running some version of iOS 16. That’s a vastly higher percentage than Android users have installed the latest OS update from Google.

But iPad users upgrade at a far lower rate than iPhone users. Only 53% of Apple tablets released in the last four years have iPadOS 16.

How to get started using Stage Manager on iPad

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Hands on: Stage Manager in iPadOS 16 brings the floating app windows we asked for
iPad can now show applications in resizable floating windows. Here's how to use the new multitasking system.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Stage Manager in iPadOS 16 makes Apple’s tablets act much more like a Mac. The optional multitasking system puts applications into floating, resizable, overlapping windows.

Even better, the system can also be used on external displays, greatly increasing the available space to work in.

Here’s how to get started using Stage Manager.

App Store prices now range from 29 cents to … $10,000?!?

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Developers are getting a lot more options for app pricing.
Developers are getting a lot more options for app pricing.
Photo: Apple

Apple said Tuesday the App Store is undergoing “the most comprehensive upgrade to pricing capabilities” since its launch, allowing prices to be set as low as 29 cents and as high as $10,000.

It will start offering developers 700 new price points to apply to the apps they sell, plus new tools to make international selling easier to manage.

Apple tests iPhone bug-fix system that doesn’t require full iOS updates

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Apple tests iPhone bug-fix system that doesn't require iOS updates
In the future, expect Rapid Security Responses from Apple for iOS, macOS and iPadOS.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

A second round of ‘Rapid Security Response’ bug patches for the iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 betas were seeded to developers and other beta testers on Monday. At this point, Apple is testing the system for distributing these by releasing them for beta versions of the operating systems.

Once testing is over, these will allow Apple to fix security problems without releasing a full OS update.

A spirited defense of Apple’s Stage Manager

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Hands on: Stage Manager in iPadOS 16 brings the floating app windows we asked for
Stage Manager isn't perfect but it doesn't deserve all the criticism being heaped on it.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The new Stage Manager multitasking system is Apple’s answer to requests for floating app windows on iPad. It’s drawn a lot of criticism, much of which is undeserved.

I use the new system all day every day. Here’s why there’s a lot to like in Stage Manager, although there are undoubtedly some problems, too.

Apple releases important iOS 15 security patch

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iOS 15.3 is here for your iPhone bugs
iOS 15.7.1 takes care of a long list of security bugs.
Photo: Cult of Mac/Egor Kamelev/Pexels

iPhone users not on iOS 16.1 can now update their handset to iOS 15.7.1. Apple says it “provides important security updates.” It closes almost 20 security holes in the OS.

There’s also iPadOS 15.7.1 that does the same for iPad.

4 great iPadOS 16.1 features that aren’t Stage Manager

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4 great iPadOS 16.1 features that aren't Stage Manager
iPad users get many new features in iPadOS 16.1 without Stage Manger ever being activated.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple finally released iPadOS 16.1. The debut of the Stage Manager multitasking system has drawn most of the attention, but plenty of other new features are worth checking out, too.

Monday’s launch is extra-significant because iPadOS 16 never launched. Version 16.1 is the first replacement for last year’s iPadOS 15.x.