You’ll be able to use the iPhone’s NFC transactions separately from Apple Pay and Wallet and even set the app as your default contactless app.
Developers
Developers can now test Apple Intelligence with the new iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1 and macOS Sequoia developer betas
Apple Intelligence will arrive alongside iOS 18.1 in October, and Apple has now released new betas to test the upcoming AI features.
Third-party apps can now offer Apple-powered inline translation of text like comments, reviews, etc.
Apple’s new software tools make it easier for third-party developers to add translation capabilities to their iPhone and iPad apps powered by the system.
iOS 18 brings the seamless AirPods pairing process to third-party accessories
iOS 18 will enable compatible third-party Bluetooth and Wi-Fi accessories to pair with an iPhone using a seamless AirPods-like process.
iOS 18 enables third-party camera apps to implement spatial video recording
Spatial video recording is coming to third-party camera apps, though they won't be available on the App Store until iOS 18 launches for public consumption.
Sideloading, alternative app stores, custom browser engines, Fortnite and more coming to iPad users in the EU later this year
European Union (EU) users will soon be able to sideload iPadOS apps from websites and download iPad games like Fortnite from other app stores.
Game emulators are now permitted on iPhone and can offer downloadable titles
Retro game emulators are now allowed on iPhone, as are HTML5-based mini apps and mini games, streaming games, chatbots and plug-ins in apps.
iOS 17.5 brings support for downloading iPhone apps directly from websites
The iOS 17.5 update provides support for downloading iPhone apps from developer websites but only for customers in the European Union (EU).
Learn how to code in Swift with free tutorials from Apple
Bookmark this new page if you’re interested in learning how to code and develop apps with Swift that run natively on iPhone, iPad, Mac and other Apple platforms.
Apple announces WWDC24 will kick off with a June 10 keynote
WWDC24, Apple’s annual software-focused event, kicks off with a pre-taped keynote on June 10 with limited in-person attendance for developers and students.
Apple permits EU developers to distribute iPhone apps directly from their websites
Third-party developers from the European Union will be able to offer iPhone apps for download directly from their websites, bypassing the App Store altogether.
Apple allowing US App Store developers to link to web payments
Apple has made a change to its App Store policies in the United States to allow buttons or links for external payment methods in third-party apps.