The 10 free Apple upgrades to try
A PRIVACY TOOL TO TRACK YOUR TRACKERS AND AN INTUITIVE TRANSLATOR APP ARE TWO OF THE INNOVATIONS IN STORE FOR IPADS, IPHONES AND MACS
Can you smell fresh gadgets in the air?
Apple launched a suite of new hardware from its spaceship-styled headquarters overnight that is bound to command attention until Christmas.
But the trillion-dollar company also released something that won’t cost its fans a thing: new software features across phones, tablets, and computers.
These are the 10 highlights from macOS Big Sur, iOS 14, and iPadOS 14 that you can unlock for free.
1. PRIVACY REPORTS:
So many unseen trackers follow you around the web. Apple’s new software not only stops them but names them in Safari. You can find out who’s tracking your every click by tapping the first icon in Safari’s address bar and selecting Privacy Report. You might be surprised by how many followers you have.
2. SCRIBBLE:
Apple Pencil fans no longer need to keep putting down their instrument. There’s a new rule: if you can type text in it, you can scratch words in it. A feature called Scribble lets Pencil users write everything from website addresses to search queries on the iPad. It’s been trained using a lot of handwriting samples and could even make sense of a doctor’s script.
3. WIDGETS:
This addition will have Android fans screaming that they got here first. You can finally add a range of widgets to the home screen of your iPad or iPhone but, in a very Apple way, there are a limited number of options and they’re all exceedingly stylish. Mac users will even be able to add widgets to their computer’s Notification Centre on the right of the screen.
4. MEMOJI:
A superficial change, perhaps, but a useful one. You can now add a face mask to your personalised Memoji (and choose its design and colour), deliver a fist bump, or more accurately show your age. 5. AIRPODS UPGRADE:
Fans of wireless audio should appreciate the AirPods switching automatically between devices on their account as they turn off one screen and turn on another. AirPod Pro owners will also benefit from a new feature called Spatial Audio that will mimic surround sound in their ears.
6. PRIVACY WARNINGS:
Apple will now warn you if an app is listening to you by showing an orange light, make apps ask for permission before tracking you, and only share your approximate position rather than exact location.
7. HANDWRITING:
You can now employ advanced machine learning to turn messy handwriting into neat, easyto-read text. After scribbling down a note with the Apple Pencil, you can select it and tap ‘convert to text’ to paste it in text form. Useful for sharing lecture notes or minutes of a meeting.
8. CALLS:
Incoming phone calls need not interrupt you after
this update. Instead of using the whole screen, they’ll appear as a pop-up bar, letting you sweep them away or answer without changing your view.
9. APP LIBRARY:
Everyone has their own system for filing and arranging apps but Apple adds its own, unobtrusively. Scroll to the end of your home screens while using iOS 14 and you’ll find the Library, where your apps will be categorised by their content.
10. TRANSLATE:
While arguably more useful when we’re allowed overseas again, Apple’s new Translate app is impressive. You can choose to type or speak into the app, and turn your iPhone on its side to get a real-time translation.