iOS 15 Archives - Gizmochina

Windows 11 Finally Lets iPhone users Link Their Phones to their PCs

Leo Wong De Quan — Tue, 28 Feb 2023 17:30:40 +0000

Microsoft has unveiled a new feature for Windows 11 that will let iPhone users link their phones to their Windows PCs and access various features from their devices. The feature, let’s call it Phone Link for iPhones, is currently only available for preview under the Windows Insiders program.

Phone Link for iPhones on Windows 11

According to Microsoft, Phone Link works by installing a companion app on the iPhone that connects to the PC via Bluetooth. Once paired, users can see their phone’s notifications on their PC’s Action Center and manage them from there. They can also reply to text messages using the Phone Link app on their PC, which syncs with the Messages app on their iPhone. But it should be noted that Phone Link for iPhones does not support replying to group messages or sending media in messages.

However, it is not clear when Phone Link for iPhones will be available for all Windows 11 users or what other features it will offer. Microsoft says it is working on adding more functionality to Phone Link over time. For example, in Phone Link for Android phones, users can drag and drop photos from their phone to their PC using File Explorer or other apps.

Phone Link is one of the many new features that Microsoft has introduced with Windows 11, which launched in October 2021. The new operating system also features a redesigned Start menu that centers icons and shows recommended files and apps; a new Microsoft Store that offers more apps and games, including Android apps via the Amazon App Store; support for widgets that display personalized information; improved performance and security; and more.

Windows Insiders can try out Phone Link for iPhones by updating the Phone Link app to version 1.23012.169.0 or higher. To join Windows Insiders, users need to sign up with a Microsoft account and opt-in for preview builds in Settings > Windows Update > Windows Insider Program. Users should be aware that preview builds may have bugs or issues that affect their devices.

Phone Link for iPhone on Windows 11, Source: Microsoft’s Official YouTube Channel

Phone Link is similar to Apple’s Continuity system, which lets users seamlessly switch between their Macs and iPhones. Continuity supports features like making phone calls, sending SMS messages, using apps like Safari or Notes, copying and pasting content, unlocking devices with Apple Watch, and more. However, Phone Link for iPhones does not support these features yet.

Phone Link is aimed at making it easier for both Android and iPhone users to work across their devices without having to switch back and forth between them. It also shows Microsoft’s efforts to make Windows 11 more compatible with different platforms and ecosystems. Whether Phone Link will be useful or popular among iPhone users remains to be seen.

RELATED:

(Source)

The post Windows 11 Finally Lets iPhone users Link Their Phones to their PCs appeared first on Gizmochina.

Apple iPhone 13 and older models suffer from a WhatsApp crashing bug

Sean — Wed, 15 Dec 2021 08:08:14 +0000

A number of iPhone users have been unable to run the popular messaging based app, WhatsApp. At the moment, Apple iPhone 13 series and even older models are facing a crashing bug on the social media based platform across the globe.

As per numerous tweets on Twitter, many iPhone users have stated that their WhatsApp simply stopped working. Reportedly, the app kept crashing whenever they tried to launch it. This made it impossible for Apple users to access their chats or send any messages. Recently, there have been no new WhatsApp update on the App Store, with even the beta test build facing this crashing issue for some unknown reason. In other words, it could be an issue on Facebook’s servers rather than the app or may possibly be a bug related to the operating system, but that is highly unlikely.

According to the people that took to Twitter to voice their issues, the bug is affecting both the regular and WhatsApp Business app as well. To make matters more complicated, this issue affects models running the latest iOS 15.2 and others that are running older iOS builds as well. Unfortunately, WhatsApp has yet to respond to these issues as of right now. So stay tuned for more, as we will be providing updates when more information is available regarding this matter.

Apple makes DIY repairs harder on iPhone 13, screen replacement disables Face ID

Sean — Fri, 05 Nov 2021 13:08:13 +0000

Apple has just made DIY fixes from independent repair stores harder on the iPhone 13 series. While replacing the display on the 2021 iPhones, the Face ID biometric security feature will be disabled.

According to an iFixit report, the Cupertino based giant has been working on making unofficial repairs harder on its products for a while now. And now, the company’s latest attempt disables the Face ID technology on the iPhone 13 if the device undergoes a DIY screen replacement. The Face ID being disabled was confirmed by iFixit through numerous tests on multiple iPhones that are running on the iOS 15 and iOS 15.1.

In other words, this implies a bleak outlook for the future for independent repair officials and even those that are looking for DIY repairs. Those looking to replace the display on iPhones would now have to not just be good with tools but also know how to microsolder as well. So to replace a screen on your own, you would have to remove a tiny microcontroller from the original screen and to a newer display. This small change could potentially be disastrous for many small scale repair shops that might have invest on expensive tools that would allow them to make screen replacements on iPhones running the new software.

A video from iCorrect also perfectly showcases how the microcontroller switch is involved, with the repairs now being a ‘multi stage’ process that appears to be quite time consuming, requiring special equipment as well. Unfortunately, Apple has yet to offer any statements regarding this matter as of right now.

Some iPhone 13 users report intermittent touch issues, older models affected too following iOS 15

Zohaib Ahmed — Thu, 30 Sep 2021 07:24:40 +0000

Several Apple iPhone 13 series users are reporting intermittent touch screen issues on iOS 15 wherein their device doesn’t respond to touch inputs on certain parts of the display or even the entire panel. Users say that the only way to temporarily work around the problem when it strikes is by rebooting the device.

Posts on Reddit, Twitter, and Apple forums related to the issue all more or less say the same thing – the iPhone 13 touch sensitivity is screwed, requiring repeated taps for touches to register (via: MacRumors).

Anyone's iPhone 13 not registering touch events consistently? Is that an app thing, an iOS 15 thing, or my iPhone 13 thing

— Arnold Kim (@arnoldkim) September 29, 2021

@AppleSupport @Apple is just me or Iphone 13 Pro has some problems of sensitivity with some apps on the upper corners?

— Francisco Gonzalez (@miamifl786) September 29, 2021

The problem seems to vary from user to user. While some say that it occurs with all apps and the entire screen, others have observed that certain sections of the touch – particularly the upper corners – are more affected. The entire lineup seems to be plagued by touch screen issues, or at least the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max.

The cause is unknown at the moment, although isolated cases could be narrowed down to possible hardware malfunctions. However, a few reports following the iOS 15 update on older models point towards the possibility of something being wrong with the update itself.

After all, bugs on iOS 15 aren’t exactly a rare occurrence. MacRumors reports that the update has been tormented with problems, including bugs related to the ‌iPhone 13‌ and the Apple Watch, device storage, Apple Music, and widgets, on top of possible security vulnerabilities. Apple has promised to release an update to address some of the problems affecting iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 devices though.

The fixes may be brought along with an iOS 15.0.1 update, but there are chances that Apple may instead directly release iOS 15.1 when it clears beta testing next month.

That said, it is worth mentioning here that YouTuber and Apple beta specialist Zollotech in his latest video observed that the iPhone 13 touch issues seem to have been fixed on iOS 15.1 beta, according to his limited time with the build. Those affected can thus take a sigh of relief.

Apple releases iOS 15.1 beta with SharePlay and vaccination cards support

Jeet — Wed, 22 Sep 2021 05:29:08 +0000

Just a couple of days after releasing the stable version of the iOS 15 for iPhones, Apple has now started rolling out iOS 15.1 Beta. The update is currently available for developers to download as an over-the-air update in the Settings app.

It adds more features to the Health app which added support for storing health-related data for COVID-19 immunizations and test results. With the latest iOS 15.1 Beta, you can now add your vaccination cards to the Apple Wallet application.

For this new feature, Apple is using the SMART Health Cards specification. So, if your healthcare provider or state is using the SMART Health Cards platform, you can share verifiable health records stored in the Health app with approved third-party apps requesting this information, including airlines, event venues, and other businesses.

Currently, states like California, Louisiana, New York, Virginia, Hawaii, and some Maryland counties support Smart Health Cards. It is also available for those who were vaccinated through Walmart, Sam’s Club, and CVS Health.

Do note that the availability of the feature in the beta version doesn’t guarantee it for the stable build. Apple had added SharePlay to iOS 15 beta but the feature was later removed. It has now made a comeback in iOS 15.1, iPadOS 15.1, and tvOS 15.1 betas. It is designed to let users call up their friends and family and then watch TV, watch movies, and listen to music together with shared playlists and TV show syncing for all users.

Poll of the week: Which mobile OS are you looking forward to?

Habeeb Onawole — Sun, 04 Jul 2021 03:01:56 +0000

It is the second half of the year, and alongside several smartphones that are planned to launch, manufacturers are also expected to announce new versions of their operating systems.

Among the major mobile operating systems that will be unveiled in the coming months are Android 12 (stable), Apple’s iOS 15 (stable), Xiaomi’s MIUI 13, OPPO’s ColorOS 12, and Samsung’s One UI 4.

For this week’s poll, we want to know which of these operating systems (and Android forks) you are looking forward to. So please take the poll and also share your expectations in the comment box.

[yop_poll id=”91″]

Here’s the official list of Apple devices eligible for iOS 15, iPadOS 15, watchOS 8, and macOS Monterey

Sudarshan Ravichandran — Tue, 08 Jun 2021 08:30:41 +0000

Yesterday, Apple kickstarted its annual developer conference called WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference) for the year 2021. At the opening keynote, the Cupertino-based tech giant unveiled the latest version of its operating systems, namely iOS 15, iPadOS 15, watchOS 8, and macOS Monterey. Here, in this article, let’s take a look at the list of devices that are eligible for the new update.

iOS 15 Eligible/Supported Devices

The list of supported devices for iOS 15 remains identical to last year. This means the 6-year-old iPhone 6S series and the 5-year-old iPhone SE are also eligible for the update. That said, here’s the entire list of supported iPhones and iPods.

iPhones

iPod Touch

iPod Touch 7th Generation

iPadOS 15 Eligible/Supported Devices

Just like the iPhones, all the iPads that are currently running iPadOS 14 are eligible for iPadOS 15. That means even the 7-year-old iPad Air 2nd Generation will be getting the update. With that being said, take a look at the full list of iPadOS 15 supported iPads.

iPad Pro Series

iPad Air Series

iPad Air 10.9-inch 4th Generation (2020)
iPad Air 10.5-inch 3rd Generation (2019)
iPad Air 9.7-inch 2nd Generation (2014)

iPad Mini Series

iPad Mini 7.9-inch 5th Generation (2019)
iPad Mini 7.9-inch 4th Generation (2015)

Base iPad Series

watchOS 8 Eligible/Supported Devices

Just like iPhones and iPadOS, all the Apple Watches running the current-gen watchOS 7 are eligible for watchOS 8. Hence, the 4-year-old Apple Watch Series 3 will also be receiving the update. Here’s the complete list of Apple Watches that will be updated to watchOS 8.

Apple Watch Series 6
Apple Watch SE
Apple Watch Series 5
Apple Watch Series 4
Apple Watch Series 3

macOS Monterey Eligible/Supported Devices

Unlike iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches, not all Macs running the current-gen macOS Big Sur will be upgraded to macOS Monterey. According to the official announcement, late 2013 MacBook Pro, 2013 MacBook Air, 2014 iMac, and 2015 MacBook are not eligible for the update.

This means only the following Macs will be updated to macOS Monterey.

Mac Pro (Late 2013 and later)
iMac Pro (2017 and later)
iMac (Late 2015 and later)
MacBook Pro (Early 2015 and later)
MacBook Air (Early 2015 and later)
MacBook (Early 2016 and later)
Mac Mini (Late 2014 and later).

The developer beta builds for all the above-mentioned Apple operating systems are already live. The public beta builds will be released in July. Last but not least, although many older devices are eligible for the new update, they may not get all the announced features due to hardware limitations.

The post Here’s the official list of Apple devices eligible for iOS 15, iPadOS 15, watchOS 8, and macOS Monterey appeared first on Gizmochina.

Apple announces iOS 15 with improvements to Facetime, Apple Maps, and a few other tweaks

Jed John Ikoba — Tue, 08 Jun 2021 03:48:06 +0000

Apple has announced the latest software update to its operating system with the new improved iOS 15. The new operating system for iPhones was perhaps the biggest news of the WWDC 2021 event. The iOS 15 is already available to Apple Developer members, while the public beta version will come on stream with a public beta by July 2021.

A major highlight of the iOS 15 is the overhauling of the video chat feature via Facetime to accommodate new features and provide a very compelling real-time communication within the apple device. The iOS 15 will have the spatial audio feature incorporated into Facetime to provide a more exciting video chat experience on the latest operating system from Apple.

The spatial audio feature will enable users to hear the recipients from the direction of the Apple device. The spatial audio will give an all-round quality to the audio setup. Background noise reduction helps to get clearer communication from the other end of the video chat. The purpose of the spatial audio feature is to have a more immersive conversation between several users without interference from their environments. It is possible to generate FaceTime links and share them with your friend who may have an iOS or Android device, meaning that FaceTime calls now have Android support.

The Apple Maps will get a revamped layout. More detailed maps in select cities would be available. Navigation will be seamless with 3D content and a solid experience.

Another addition is the Portrait Mode which will enable users to tinker with the view of their screen background. The SharePlay feature on FaceTime enables you to easily use and share content from one FaceTime user to another FaceTime user. It is also possible to enjoy audio content from several Apple platforms with a FaceTime call.

Apple has also made it easy for developers to add FaceTime support in their apps. Tik Tok, ESPN, NBA, and HBO Max are among several brands that have now interfaced FaceTime into their processes. With the innovations Apple had included on FaceTime, we expect greater use of the app on iOS.

Notifications have also been enhanced, with a Notification Summary present. Unlike a long string of items, the new Notification summary shows a single tile.