Send us a text!
This week: we bring you a huge list of great iOS 14 features Apple DID NOT mention on-stage at WWDC 20, and there’s a lot to love. Plus: why iOS 14's new Home screen widgets aren't as powerful as you might think, and get ready to log into websites with Face ID or Touch ID.
This episode supported by
CleanMyMac X is an all in one utility that takes care of your Mac's health: it’s a macOS cleaner, a performance monitor, a malware remover, and occasionally, a lifesaver. And until July 5th, you can go to macpaw.com/cultofmac to get CleanMyMac X with a 30% discount.
Cult of Mac's watch store is full of beautiful straps that cost way less than Apple's. See the full curated collection at Store.Cultofmac.com
CultCloth will keep your iPhone 11, Apple Watch, Mac Pro and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co.
On the show this week
@erfon / @lkahney / @lewiswallace
This week's stories
iOS 14's new Home screen widgets aren't as powerful as you might think
- Widgets in iOS 14 currently offer little more than a tiny snippet of useful information. They can display weather conditions, upcoming appointments, items on your to-do list, and what you’re listening to. But Apple doesn’t make them (or allow them to be) interactive like Google does.
macOS Big Sur
- One of the most significant redesigns since Yosemite 6 years ago. Almost everything has changed.
- macOS now looks a lot like iOS
- All-new sounds. Trash sound different. Move files sounds different.
- Translucent menu bar with new icons
- All-new icons for drives and folders
- Dock has been redesigned with a note iOS-type feel
- Icons for Apple’s apps are now square, like their iOS counterparts
- Message notifications now give much more information
- The icons used in open folders look those those in iOS
- Popup menus are translucent and have new buttons
- New control toggle in the menu bar that brings up icons for Wi-Fi-, Bluetooth, brightness and sound, just like the control panel on your iPhone or iPad
- Maps and messages now look and feel just like the iPhone versions.
iOS 14 hidden features
- Double or triple tap back to activate shortcut
- Widget stacks let you use the same space for up to 10 different widgets. You can swipe through them.
- Smart stack widget uses on device AI to show the right widget based on factors like time, location, and activity.
- Battery notification lets you know when you need to charge your AirPods, or when your Apple Watch has been charged
- Hide home screen pages you’re not using
- Picture in picture will let you watch a video while using another app, but you can also use it for FaceTime, so you can see your caller while doing something else
-
- And just like on the iPad, you can move the picture off screen but still hear the audio.
- You probably remember you can have pinned conversations in messages. But did you know can have up to nine pinned conversations and they will sync across Messages in iOS, iPadOS, and macOS.
-
- In group messages conversations, people can now @ your name to speak directly to you, and you can set your notifications to only ping when so
