For at least the past eight months, Twitter has been developing an Instagram-like Close Friends feature for its platform. Finally, it seems this alternative timeline is almost ready, according to reverse engineer findings.

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The post Twitter channels Instagram Close Friends with upcoming Circle feature appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

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The post 9to5Mac Daily: February 28, 2022 – Apple Watch Series 8, Apple + NFL appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Many iOS apps sell your location data to data brokers, despite Apple’s privacy policies and clampdowns, says a new report today.

It says that while both Apple and Google have cracked down on one sneaky approach used by companies that buy and sell user data, a simple workaround is in widespread use …

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The post Apps sell your location data despite Apple policies, using simple workaround appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Pokémon just turned 26. With that, some of the games available for iPhone users are getting special events this week, including Pokémon GO, UNITE, Masters EX, and Café ReMix. Read on as we round up everything new with these iOS games.

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The post Pokémon GO, UNITE, Masters EX, and Café ReMix for iOS get special events for 26th franchise anniversary appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Apple has written a letter arguing that the change it has offered in the Dutch App Store complies with the law, despite that fact that the antitrust regulator has rejected the proposal as ‘not serious.’

The latest development follows the European Union suggesting that Apple was happy to pay fines rather than properly comply with antitrust rules …

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The post Dutch App Store change complies with law, says Apple, as antitrust regulator rejects proposal appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Lutron is out today with a new release for its veteran smart shade lineup. The Serena Smart Architectural Honeycomb Shades with HomeKit support bring over 40 fabrics and an updated modern aesthetic to create the perfect custom design for your space.

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The post Lutron’s latest HomeKit-enabled Serena smart shades arrive with 40+ fabric options appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman is suggesting that Apple should sell the existing iPhone SE for $199 as a loss leader in parts of the world where iPhones remain largely unaffordable to the masses.

Effectively he is arguing for the equivalent of the Apple Watch Series 3: a way to bring people on board who are unable or unwilling to pay even entry-level Apple pricing …

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The post Gurman suggests Apple should sell the existing iPhone SE for $199 appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Norway’s gigantic sovereign wealth fund is not enamored with the nearly $100 million pay package Apple has proposed CEO Tim Cook to compensate his 2021 achievements, and will express that displeasure by voting against it when shareholders meet on March 4.

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The post Norway’s sovereign wealth fund votes ‘nei’ to Apple CEO’s $100 million pay package appeared first on 9to5Mac.

During the 28th Annual Screen Actors Guild Award last night, Apple Originals were recognized with four SAG Awards thanks to CODA and Ted Lasso.

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The post Apple TV+ snags four wins with ‘Ted Lasso’ and ‘CODA’ on SAG Award appeared first on 9to5Mac.

We had two reports last week suggesting that Apple is working on some kind of foldable MacBook display. Designer Antonio De Rosa has created a set of renders – and a video – with his take on what such a device might look like.

Both reports came from reliable sources, so it seems clear that Apple is at least playing around with this idea, though the exact nature of any eventual product isn’t totally clear …

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The post Foldable MacBook display illustrated by concept images and video appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Have you noticed when you try to delete messages in Gmail on iOS you only get an archive option? Read on for how to delete Gmail on iPhone instead of archive in the Mail app.

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The post How to set Gmail to delete instead of archive in the Mail app on iPhone and iPad appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Instagram has infamously lacked a dedicated iPad app since day one, and it doesn’t appear that will change anytime soon. In a post on Twitter this weekend, Instagram boss Adam Mosseri again attempted to defend this decision, albeit with a pretty weak excuse…

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The post Instagram exec says there aren’t enough iPad users to justify making a dedicated app appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Earlier this week, 9to5Mac noted a new analyst report that indicated Apple is working on a foldable device with around a 20-inch screen. Now, in his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman doubles down on this future foldable MacBook/iPad.

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The post Gurman: Apple’s mysterious 20″ foldable could be MacBook/iPad hybrid with touchscreen keyboard appeared first on 9to5Mac.

The Apple Watch Series 7 brought a notable redesign with larger 41mm and 45mm sizes and even smaller display bezels than before. Now, a new report from Bloomberg indicates that 2022 could be the “biggest [year] in the history of the Apple since the original model” with new features, the Apple Watch Series 8, and more.

Plus, the increasingly slow and outdated Apple Watch Series 3 “may finally be retired.”

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The post Report: Apple Watch Series 8 to include ‘major updates to activity tracking and faster chips,’ Series 3 may finally be discontinued appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Spring is almost here, which means new iPhone 13 MagSafe cases. With the first Apple event rumored for nine days from now, leaked photos reveal the new MagSafe silicone cases for the iPhone 13 line.

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The post Leaked photos reveal new colors for Spring iPhone 13 MagSafe cases appeared first on 9to5Mac.

There have been a lot of rumors about what design changes Apple could have in store for this year’s iPhone 14, particularly when it comes to the notch. While initial reports had indicated the notch would be dropped entirely in favor of a new hole-punch design, more recent reporting has indicated that Apple is planning a unique “hole + pill design” instead.

A newly leaked schematic posted to Weibo claims to offer a more precise look at this design change, showing the true size of that hole + pill design.

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The post Leaked schematic image claims to show true size of iPhone 14 ‘notch + pill’ cutout design appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Amid the crisis in Eastern Europe, a report by New York Times indicates that Russia is intensifying a censorship campaign by pressuring tech giants, such as Apple, Google, Spotify, Twitter, and others into complying with a new law.

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The post Report: Apple, Spotify, and others cave to new Russian law that could impact censorship demands appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Apple @ Work is brought to you by Mosyle, the leader in modern mobile device management (MDM) and security for Apple enterprise and education customers. Over 28,000 organizations leverage Mosyle solutions to automate the deployment, management, and security of millions of Apple devices daily. Request a FREE account today and discover how you can put your Apple fleet on auto-pilot at a price point that is hard to believe.

For many years, I’ve been reading articles and listening to podcasts about how Apple’s OS quality has gone downhill over the years, and Snow Leopard was peak reliability. However, whenever I talk to someone about it directly, I try to explain that technology has evolved a lot since 2009, so it’s not an Apples to Apples comparison (pun intended).

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The post Apple @ Work: Looking back at why people think Snow Leopard was peak ‘OS X reliability’ appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Facebook’s parent company Meta announced it’s prohibiting the Russian state media to run ads or monetize on all of its platforms during the conflict with Ukraine. Facebook is another big tech group to announce sanctions against the Russian Federation.

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The post Meta blocks Russian state media from running ads worldwide appeared first on 9to5Mac.

The vice prime minister of Ukraine is calling on Apple to halt product sales in Russia and shut down the App Store. In a letter to CEO Tim Cook, Ukrainian vice prime minister Mykhailo Fedorov wrote that Apple should “stop supplying Apple services and products to the Russia Federation.” The request comes as Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine.

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The post Ukraine calls on Apple to halt product sales in Russia, block App Store access appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Apple in 2020 announced a new App Store Small Business Program, which allows developers to qualify for a commission rate of 15% if they earn up to $1 million. However, Apple had been rejecting developers who transferred apps from one account to another – which is fortunately no longer the case.

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The post App Store Small Business Program no longer prohibits app transfers appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Last month we saw mophie unveil a sharp-looking 3-in-1 official MagSafe travel charger that seemed like the perfect solution for powering up iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods on the go. Spoiler alert, after testing it out for the last few weeks, it’s as fantastic as we hoped. Read on for all the details about why the mophie 3-in-1 is the best iPhone travel charger out there.

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The post Review: This mophie 3-in-1 is the quintessential travel charger for iPhone, Apple Watch, AirPods appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the US government and the European Union imposed economic sanctions on the country – which include restricting foreign transactions to Russian banks. As a result, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and other digital wallets have been suspended in Russia.

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The post Apple Pay payments suspended in Russia with local banks hit by sanctions appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Benjamin has put a Thunderbolt cable in his new MacBook’s HDMI port one too many times. Plus, Mark Gurman at Bloomberg gives us the breakdown on all the specs of the Apple Silicon Macs due this year. Plus, there are some wild rumors about foldable display MacBooks and iPhones. 

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The post 9to5Mac Happy Hour 370: 2022 Apple Silicon lineup, foldable rumors appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Patently Apple shows that Apple is working on an all-new computer concept. It envisions a Magic Keyboard designed with a full computer inside that can plug into any display. 

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The post Apple patents Magic Keyboard with integrated Mac inside to bring macOS to any display appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Apple is once again said to be in talks with the NFL about acquiring the streaming rights for Sunday Ticket games. According to a new report from Sports Business Journal this week, Amazon and Apple are the “front-runners” to acquire the rights to NFL Sunday Ticket starting in 2023.

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The post Report: Apple a ‘front-runner’ for $2 billion deal for NFL Sunday Ticket rights appeared first on 9to5Mac.

A variety of third-party mail apps for Mac have come and gone over the years, ranging from the once-revolutionary but now defunct Mailbox app, to currently-available options like Spark. One of the more recent options to enter this space is an app called Mimestream, and it comes from a former Apple engineer. It just might be the best Gmail app for macOS yet.

A new update to Mimestream today brings a handful of new features, including deeper integration with Google Calendar, additional customization options, and more.

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The post An ex-Apple Mail engineer has made the native Gmail app for macOS we’ve always needed appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Ahead of the rumored Apple headset debut, Meta has a change of plans for their own AR/VR devices. After many roadblocks, Facebook’s parent company has scrapped the idea of making its own operating system from scratch. 

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The post Meta disbands custom AR/VR OS team after denying report it would disband AR/VR OS team appeared first on 9to5Mac.

One of the challenges of going ‘all in’ with HomeKit and other smart home platforms is it creates challenges when guests come to your home, as they need to turn on lights, etc. However, the is so simple yet powerful when simplifying daily usage of HomeKit. With its mountable frame to match a light switch, it might be one of my most recommended HomeKit products in the future.

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The post HomeKit Weekly: Wemo Stage is the ideal accessory for simplifying day to day HomeKit usage appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Heading into the weekend, all of today’s best deals are now headlined by up to $829 in refurbished discounts on iPhone 11/Pro/Max models. That’s alongside the Roku Streaming Stick 4K+ with AirPlay 2 down at $49 and the second discount on Belkin’s latest MagSafe Car Charger. Hit the jump for all that and more in the latest 9to5Toys Lunch Break.

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The post Friday’s best deals: iPhone 11/Pro/Max $829 refurb discounts, Belkin MagSafe charger, more appeared first on 9to5Mac.

The iPhone average selling price (ASP) hit double-digit growth last year, increasing 14% year-on-year. The popularity of the iPhone 13 was the key driver, helping propel the global smartphone market as a whole to record annual revenue of $448B.

Despite component shortages, the smartphone market grew 7% year-on-year, with Apple taking by far the largest slice of the pie …

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The post iPhone average selling price up 14% as iPhone 13 drives record revenue appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Apple News local news coverage is rolling out to Canada, starting with Toronto and Montreal. It follows a recent expansion of the service in the US.

Local news was first launched in the US in 2020, and now covers 11 areas: the Bay Area, Charlotte, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Sacramento, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, and Washington DC …

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The post Apple News: Local news coverage expands to Canada, starting with two cities appeared first on 9to5Mac.

It doesn’t take long for caches to fill up on iOS. From the default Safari browser, to third-party apps, follow along for how to clear the cache, history, and cookies on iPhone and iPad.

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The post iPhone & iPad: How to clear cache, history, and cookies appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Users have been experiencing difficulties when trying to access some Apple services on Thursday evening. Multiple reports indicate that iCloud, iMessage, FaceTime, and others are partially or completely down around the world.

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The post PSA: iCloud, iMessage, FaceTime, and other Apple services down for some users [U] appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Clubhouse launched in 2020 as a social network dedicated to live audio chat, an idea that was later followed by competitors such as Twitter and Reddit. Now Clubhouse has announced a major change to its app, which will now let users interact in voice rooms with text chat.

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The post Clubhouse now lets users interact in voice rooms with text chat appeared first on 9to5Mac.

The social network and microblogging platform Tumblr announced on Thursday that its users can now pay to remove advertisements when browsing blogs and posts. Those who pay the subscription will no longer see advertisements when using the social network on the web or through the mobile app.

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The post Tumblr now offers subscription to remove ads from its app and website appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Worldwide consumer spending in mobile apps reached an all-time high in 2021. Data from Sensor Tower shows that App Store users spent more than double the amount of money on subscription services that Google Play users did. 

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The post App Store users spend twice as much money on subscriptions as Google Play users appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Apple newsroom’s latest feature is all about an iOS app focused on shrinking the inequalities surrounding pregnancy and infant loss. Poppy Seed Health advocates to help birthing people through postpartum care. It provides 24/7 access to doulas, midwives, and nurses regarding birthing, postpartum, pregnancy, and infant loss support.

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The post Apple spotlights app addressing maternal health inequities appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Earlier this year, the new Arc Pulse case launched to give iPhone 13 owners a sleek alternative to not rocking a cover at all. Wrapping your handset in an ultra-minimal form-factor, its high-end titanium build offers added protection without all of the usual bulk. But is the premium build worth a fittingly steep price tag? Our latest Tested with 9to5Toys review is on the case.

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The post Tested: Arc Pulse delivers an elegant and ultra-minimal titanium iPhone 13 case appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Back at CES in January, Belkin announced its Wemo Smart Plug, Light Switch, and Dimmer would be seeing an upgrade with Matter over Thread support. Now the more capable Smart Plug is available for purchase.

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The post Wemo HomeKit Smart Plug with Thread featuring boosted performance and reliability now available appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Apple Watch continues to gain adoption in a variety of different enterprise settings. A new report from ComputerWorld today details how Volvo has distributed Apple Watch to over 1,500 service engineers. The goal is for service engineers to use the Apple Watch to improve communication and streamline the repair process for customers.

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The post Volvo ditches PCs and paper, gives 1,500 service engineers iPhone + Apple Watch instead appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Back in 2020, Mint debuted the ability to integrate your Apple Card within your account. After serious issues affecting its use, this feature was temporarily removed. Apple Card users have the opportunity once again to integrate their card usage within the Mint app.

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The post Apple Card reintegrates with Mint budgeting service after rocky launch appeared first on 9to5Mac.

If you have a Thunderbolt 4 compatible Mac, there is a growing number of docks and hubs available to expand your port choices. Belkin is the latest company to enter this category, officially announcing its new Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 Dock. While it packs an impressive variety of ports, it comes with the .

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The post Belkin’s new Thunderbolt 4 dock offers a 12-port design, but with a hefty price tag appeared first on 9to5Mac.

For the seventh year in a row, Apple has been found to be the most relevant brand to consumers. The result was announced after surveying the views of 13,500 US consumers on 293 brands across 27 categories.

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The post Apple scores most relevant consumer brand for 7th consecutive year appeared first on 9to5Mac.

All of Thursday’s best deals are now up for the taking, with a $589 refurbished Apple 11-inch iPad Pro discount leading the way. That’s alongside Apple’s official Silicone iPhone 13 MagSafe case at $26 and VOCOlinc’s HomeKit air purifier. Hit the jump for all that and more in the latest 9to5Toys Lunch Break.

more…

The post Thursday’s best deals: 11-inch refurb iPad Pro $589 off, official iPhone 13 cases from $26, more appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

Enjoy the podcast?: Shop or check out our merch to support 9to5Mac Daily!

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The post 9to5Mac Daily: February 24, 2022 – Face ID repairs, Intel vs Apple Silicon appeared first on 9to5Mac.

While we wait for Apple’s rumored headset with mixed reality capabilities to be unveiled this year, it seems like Samsung is taking another approach for a future product betting on holograms instead.

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The post Apple headset remains likely to adopt Micro OLED as Samsung develops ‘hologram’ competitor appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Apple is preparing to make a major change to the Face ID repair process on iPhone 12 and newer, according to a new report. This change will allow Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers to repair Face ID without having to replace the entire iPhone itself.

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The post Apple has somehow found a way to fix Face ID without replacing the whole iPhone appeared first on 9to5Mac.

As iPhone 14 production has reportedly started already, it’s only natural we’re going to hear more details about this upcoming product. Now, a report indicates that Samsung Display is adding a new supplier for the OLED material of the new iPhone.

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The post Samsung gains help from an old friend for iPhone 14 OLED ‘M12’ material appeared first on 9to5Mac.

WhatsApp has been working for a while to introduce a new iMessage-like Reactions feature to all users. While it’s still not available for beta testers to try it out, the company seems to be planning a simultaneous rollout of the function, as the app is now readying Reactions for its Mac version as well.

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The post WhatsApp for Mac also set to receive upcoming iMessage-like Reactions feature appeared first on 9to5Mac.