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We've added a bunch of new stuff on April 15, and pruned out the dead offerings. We'll be adding to this list and periodically bumping it up to the top of AppleInsider as we authenticate what we find.

Maybe you've found yourself with an abundance of free time and you're not quite ready to dedicate yourself to binge-watching another season of your favorite show. Instead, maybe you're ready to learn something new or take up a new hobby. If that's the case, then this is the place for you.

Swift Playgrounds (macOS and iPad): If you've ever wanted to learn to code Swift, now is your chance. Swift Playgrounds teaches you how to code Swift through fun and intuitive games.

Duolingo: Now is as good of a time as ever to start learning another language or brushing up on one you haven't used in a while. Duolingo provides fun, quick lessons in over 94 different language courses in 23 languages.

Khan Academy: It never hurts to brush up on the basics, and Khan Academy has thousands of free lectures and practices on everything from grammar to science.

Udemy: Udemy is an app with tens of thousands of video lectures on a range of topics, from singing courses to event planning. Most courses aren't free (though they are affordable), but there are still free options available.

iTunes U allows anyone with an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to learn from a large collection of free education content in public courses from leading schools, universities, museums, and cultural institutions.

Archive.org: If you're looking for a large collection of public domain media, your best bet is Archive.org. It has millions of public domain books, songs, TV shows, magazines, and more. If you're feeling particularly bored, you can also use the site's Wayback Machine feature to snoop on what your favorite sites looked like way back in the day.

National Emergency Library: Archive.org is suspending waitlists for the 1.4 million (and growing) books in the lending library by creating a National Emergency Library to serve the nation's displaced learners. This suspension will run through June 30, 2020, or the end of the US national emergency, whichever is later.

Babbel: Students who are worried about falling behind on language courses can keep up on their studies on their own time. Babbel is offering students enrolled in schools and colleges in the U.S. three months' free access to its app and platform, in any and all of its 14 languages offered: Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, Russian, Dutch, Turkish, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Indonesian, and English.

JSTOR: University and college students will probably be familiar with JSTOR, the academic resource that contains a plethora of ebooks and journals. Now, JSTOR is making its entire library accessible to the public — without academic credentials.

The Great Courses will release free content to benefit the general public. Included is the course "An Introduction to Infectious Diseases," taught by Dr. Barry Fox, Clinical Professor of Infectious Disease at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, as well as the short video "Coronavirus Outbreak: What You Need to Know," led by Dr. Roy Benaroch, acting pediatrician and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Emory University School of Medicine.

Roblox for Educators: Roblox's new "Teaching Remotely" feature includes over 100 hours of free, ISTE certified content that can be used to teach game design and coding fundamentals in remote learning environments. Educators can learn how to set up Roblox Studio, the free online development tool to build and publish on Roblox, and use Team Create to allow students to collaborate on projects.

Arts, Culture, National Parks, and Zoos

The Met Opera: The Met is offering free nightly streams of their The Met: Live in HD series for anyone interested in taking a digital trip to the opera.

The Louvre: Now is as good as time as any to take a virtual trip to one of the world's most iconic museums — the Louvre! There are several virtual tours you can choose from, including "The Advent of the artist," which showcases artists like Rembrandt and Delacroix, "Egyptian Antiquities," which shows a collection of Pharaonic artifacts, and even a tour of the remains of the Louvre's moat!

Tour the Sistine Chapel Take a virtual tour of Vatican City's very own Sistine Chapel, including a close up look of the chapel's ceiling.

Yosemite Virtual Tours: Head to one of the United States' most profound park system, California's Yosemite National Park. You can spend the afternoon browsing the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, the Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, and Glacier Point, among others.

The Great Wall of China: One of the most famous World Heritage Sites is available to visit right from the comfort of your own home.

San Diego Zoo Live Cams: One of the best hidden gems on the internet, San Diego Zoo's live cams give you an up-close and personal look at some of the zoo's most popular residents, including penguins, polar bears, baboons, tigers, elephants, and more!

The Smithsonian: Now is a great time to take a virtual tour of America's most iconic museums. This tour includes permanent exhibits, past exhibits, and current exhibits like Bone Hall and Butterfly Pavilion, among others.

Yellowstone National Park: The National Park service has a great site set up for taking a virtual tour of many of Yellowstone's most iconic locations, including its famous hot springs, canyons, paint pots, and even geysers like Old Faithful.

FaceTime: This one should be obvious, but if you and your loved ones own Apple products, like the iPhone, iPad, iMac, or MacBook, using FaceTime to keep in touch can help ease the loneliness of social isolation. You can even use FaceTime with a group, perfect for virtual family get-togethers.

Taking care of your own health and wellness should never take a backseat, no matter what's going on in the foreground. With that in mind, there are several excellent apps that can help you work out indoors or find some zen in the midst of chaos.

Headspace: Science has proven that a meditation practice can reduce stress and anxiety, so there's no better time to start than now. Headspace has made several of its meditation collections free due to the ongoing pandemic. (Healthcare workers can also get a full subscription for free.)

Peloton: Peloton may be known for pricey fitness equipment, but its app actually offers a slew of different audio and video workouts across that you can use without the fancy bike. The company is offering a free 90 day trial to new users.

Active: Popsugar has made their ACTIVE app available for free, aiming to help users keep active during lockdown. Loaded with video workouts, photo tutorials, treadmill workouts and more.

Balance: If you're feeling stressed, Balance has begun offering a free one-year subscription to their personalized meditation app. In order to redeem the subscription, interested parties will need to email [email protected] for instructions.

Sanvello: Sanvello is a digital care app that offers mood tracking, self-assessment test, coping tools, and a peer support network. The service is offering free premium access for as long as COVID-19 remains a national emergency.

Dark Noise: If you've been having a particularly tough time dealing with the quietness of being home, Dark Noise is a great ambient noise app that can help fill the silence. It includes sounds from coffee shops, office spaces, camp fires, rain storms, and white noise. During the pandemic, the developer has opened up the Dark Noise Test Flight for anyone who would like to try the app.

Kids may be having an especially tough time during the coronavirus outbreak and may not understand why they can't go to school or visit friends and family. These apps and activities can help ease the boredom that comes along with social distancing.

Caribu: If your little one is missing their friends, set them up on a virtual playdate using Caribu. It functions like FaceTime but allows for on-screen activities, including reading books together, cooperative drawing, and playing games. Normally $7, the service is free during the outbreak, and does not require a credit card to use.

Time for Kids: Time is launching their Time For Kids digital library free for the rest of the 2020 school year. Included in the digital library are worksheets, teaching tools, and quizzes for both educators and family members.

Roblox Learn & Explore: Roblox is offering a series of self-paced programs designed to help kids and teens create their first Roblox games.

Sesame Workshop, the makers of Sesame Street are offering a wide variety of free online resources for children throughout the pandemic. Part of the offer, which includes free shows and other items, includes a collection of 110 Sesame Street ebooks that are available to access on Apple Books and other services.

PBS Kids Video: If you've got a little one at home, this is one app you should snag. It's 100% free and includes free episodes of popular shows like Author, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Sesame Street, Caillou, and more. You can also sign up for the PBS KIDS daily newsletter, which gives activities and tips for helping kids play and learn at home.

There are plenty of free games on the App Store, but we've curated some highly rated ones that have been made free since the outbreak of 2019 Novel Coronavirus.

Monument Valley 2: The successor to the critically-acclaimed original provide more illusionary pathways and puzzles to explore in a seemingly impossible world.

On Steam for free is Drawful 2, the Jackbox Games party game where people secretly draw an image from a prompt, then have to guess which is the right title from a selection of made-up titles.

Digital marketplace GoG has compiled a list of "Stay at Home" games that are free to add to a user's library. The list includes quite a few Mac-compatible titles, including classic items, with games including "Beneath a Steel Sky," "Cayne," and "Ultima 4: Quest of the Avatar" on the roster.

Cards Against Humanity, Family Edition: If you've got some printer paper, a printer, scissors, and some free time, you can print your own Cards Against Humanity: Family Edition to play. The PG-rated humor makes it safe to play with kids, or those who weren't a big fan of the original game.

Google Stadia: Google Stadia, a video game streaming service, has just launched two free months for anyone who would like to try it out. While you won't be able to play on iOS, you can still play on your Mac with the Chrome browser.

Epic continues to cycle a few games into the "free" category during the coronavirus pandemic. Every week, they change what games they have on offer, so if you see something you like, you may want to act fast. This week's offerings are only available until April 23.

Just Cause 4: Dive into an open-world, action-adventure, sandbox experience. Cause chaos with a wide selection of weaponry and vehicles, and take to the skies with your wing suit and grappling hook.

Wheels of AureliaTake an immersive road trip through the gritty western coast of Italy during the roaring 1970's. In this narrative-driven racer, you'll play as as Lella, a bold, spunky woman, experience the sights and sounds of a tumultuous time in Italy's history while uncovering events from Lella's past.

E-Books, Audio Books, and Graphic Novels

Of course, we haven't forgotten about the bookworms out there, either. Whether you prefer reading an ebook on a tablet or an audiobook through your AirPods, here are some options for you.

Scribd: Scribd is now offering a 30 day free trial with no credit card requirement. They host over a million titles, including e-books, magazines, audiobooks and more.

Wattpad: If you're a fan of underground literature, it doesn't get much more unknown than Wattpad. Wattpad is a community that allows writers to publish new content across different genres, giving them a platform to have their works read.

Comic Chameleon: If you're a webcomic fan, it's high-time you check out Comic Chameleon. It's got a curated selection of some of the top webcomics out there, like Questionable Content, XKCD, Dinosaur Comics, and Girls With Slingshots.

Audible is providing hundreds of audiobooks for kids and teens for free, without a subscription. These include a number of classic works, such as Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, alongside fairy tales and foreign-language works. Audible is also now offering "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" as read by Stephen Fry for free. It provides over 9 hours of entertainment for Potter enthusiasts everywhere.

Izneo: Comic book fans rejoice — global comics service Izneo is offering 30 days of free service to anyone who wants to #StayHome and #ReadComics. Comics on the service include Star Trek, The X-Files, Judge Dredd, Transformers, Archie, Jem and the Holograms, and many more.

Marvel Unlimited: If you're a fan of Spider-Man, Captain America, and the X-Men, Marvel's making them free until May 4th. Simply download the app and gain access to a curated collection of Marvel's best, with no need to make an account or enter any payment information.

Whether you're a career musician or you just want to learn to play a few chords while you're social distancing, here are several free apps that are excellent for any level of music player.

Minimoog Model D Synthesizer: A digital emulation of a legendary analog synthesizer. Normally $4.99, it's now free to download. Just make to look up how to pronounce Moog correctly.

GarageBand: Sure, it may not be a "new discovery," but GarageBand is a free Apple-produced app with plenty of instruments, sounds and loops to play around with.

Also, Apple has now started to provide 90-day trials for Logic Pro X, if your music creation needs are greater than what GarageBand can provide.

Creative application suites aren't typically free, or even affordable. But we're keeping tabs on any special offers that the major players like Affinity and Adobe have during this time.

Affinity by Serif: Serif is making its suite of creative apps, including Affinity Photo and Affinity Publisher, free to use for three months.

Zencastr: Maybe you've got some extra time to dedicate to that podcast idea you've got kicking around. Zencastr is removing limits for its free hobbyist plan during the Coronavirus outbreak, allowing users to host as many guests as they want and unlimited recording time.

While not completely free, Apple has started to offer 90-day trials of Final Cut Pro X, if you want to try out a professional-level video editing suite over a long period of time.

Adobe Coloring Book: Looking for a way to unwind away from your phone and TV? Look no further, as Adobe has released coloring pages available to download and print to color at your convenience. Each week Adobe will change the coloring book pages on offer, so be sure to check back regularly.

Nikon: For the entire month of April, Nikon, a popular camera manufacturer, is offering free online photography classes. There are 10 classes in total, each lead by a professional photographer, and don't explicitly require a Nikon camera to participate in.

Fender Play: Guitar manufacturer Fender is giving those signing up to its Fender Play service three months of free lessons. To access the offer, participants must go to the dedicated offer page, click on the "Get Code" button, and to enter the code while creating their account.

The Apple TV app offers a number of free trials for paid third-party channels, but usually they are quite short in length. Due to the ongoing crisis, some services including Showtime are being provided with a longer one-month trial.

Other Apple TV channels offering longer trial subscriptions of a month or more include Acorn TV, A&E, Arrow, The History Channel Vault, Lifetime Movie Club, Noggin, PBS Living, Showtime, and Smithsonian Channel Plus. And, Apple is streaming some of its own programming for free now too.

Apple TV channel Moonbug Kids is offering free access to its service through early June, without requiring a subscription. The option replaced a one-month free offer from Epix that ended on May 2.

HBO GO and HBO NOW From April 3, HBO started to make some of its content available to view from its apps for free. Approximately 500 hours of films and TV shows are streamable as part of the offering, though it is unclear when the free period will end.

Filmmaker Gary Hustwit is offering his documentaries for free streaming during the crisis, with the film selection changing each week.

Sling TV is offering free access to news and entertainment during the COVID-19 outbreak, including channels like ABC News Live and thousands of shows and movies. No credit card required.

Shudder: If you like thriller, suspense, or horror movies, Shudder is offering 30 days of free access to its library for those who use the promo code SHUTIN.

Netflix Party: The popular Google Chrome extension allows users to sync their Netflix accounts for free to watch movies and shows simultaneously while practicing safe social hygiene and social distancing.

NFL Game Pass: If you're craving sports, the NFL is extending complimentary access to its Game Pass through May 31. Viewers will be treated to replay games from 2009-2019 in commercial-free HD. Also includes bonus content such as behind-the-scenes interviews with players and coaches.

Plex: If you have an HD antenna and tuner, then now you can stream your free live TV to all your devices from now until the end of June— no Plex Pass required. DVR and other premium features will still require a Plex Pass. Plex has also stated that if you don't have hardware, their hardware partners will provide discounts for those with a Plex account.

SiriusXM: SiriusXM recently announced that it's making its full lineup of Premier Streaming content available to users, free of charge and with no credit card requirements. You can listen on the iOS app, or head to the website on a PC.

HBO Now & HBO Go : Now you can stream over 500 hours of programming for free, including popular shows like The Wire, The Sopranos, Veep, and Pokemon Detective Pikachu, thanks to HBO's #StayHomeBoxOffice campaign.

While it may not be the most entertaining or calming thing to do, keeping informed and up-to-date is important during a crisis. Because of that, we've highlighted several national news outlets that have let down their paywalls for COVID-19 coverage (some of them have even got rid of their paywalls altogether).

Many local newspapers across the U.S. have also dropped their paywalls, so check the media outlets in your own neck of the woods. Be sure to look at our previous coverage on sources for accurate COVID-19 information, as well.

Are you an app developer or have a service that's been made free to help out? Send us an email to tell us about it!

Update 5/2/2020: The Apple TV app's Epix free trial has been replaced by an offering from Moonbug Kids.

Mario Guzman (tweet):

Apple’s own documentation for Apple Help has moved to the documentation archive on their developer site. You’ll find tons of questions on Stack Overflow and other… more questionable sites. Apple did do a minor revision to their documentation back in 2013. 2013!!!

By now, 2020, Apple Help is neglected and well, crusty. Very crusty (no, not that Crusty). It still works but certain parts of it don’t seem to work as well anymore. Not sure why it’s neglected. They advise you include a Help Book in their HIG that was recently published — and they link to the documentation (from 2013). Personally, I think they have a lot of potential and a lot to offer. I just wish this was a component at Apple that would get some attention in both development and documentation.

[…]

I spent countless hours and days trying to piece together all the information from all corners of the internet to build a Help Book. It was super frustrating and excruciatingly time consuming. I don’t want anyone else to feel this way so I hope this speeds things up for the next Mac Developer who wants to include a Help Book with their awesome app!

I prefer the command-line tool over the Help Indexer app because I can invoke it from my build script.

Previously:

Apple HelpCocoaDocumentationMacmacOS 10.15 CatalinaProgramming

The Coding Monkeys:

If you find yourself frequently in the vicinity of great TV screens with AirPlay support, this app is for you. For us and our famlies it has become second nature to just project our foto library onto them to have a great group experience. However, every now and then we want to show something physical too. But if you just mirror the built in camera or loupe app, you never get a pleasant result. Black bars, incorrect rotation or the touch interface icons overlaying everything.

With Tageslicht you now have a great experience streaming your camera so it fills the screen, is low latency, and shows exactly what you want it to show.

AirPlayCameraiOSiOS 13iOS App

Adam Engst:

During the setup of the new iMac, I had no issues migrating all my data from the Samsung T5 SSD that I had been using to boot the old iMac, but I was somewhat surprised at how much additional work was necessary afterward. The promise implicit in Setup Assistant’s migration is that you won’t have to reconfigure everything and can just get back to work.

It’s a nice idea, but in reality, there are numerous areas where Setup Assistant simply doesn’t—and probably can’t—save you from additional work. All of these relate to how the underlying identity of the Mac has changed, even if its name and the names of all the drives in play remain the same.

[…]

However, there are also a few instances of apps that have requested permission to something on the old Mac that did not migrate to the new one.

BackblazeCarbon Copy ClonerDropboxGoogle DriveiCloudiMessageMacmacOS 10.15 CatalinaMigration AssistantPrivacySetappShort Message Service (SMS)SuperDuperTime Machine

Marit Hinnosaar et al. (PDF):

We document a causal impact of online user-generated information on real-world economic outcomes. In particular, we conduct a randomized field experiment to test whether additional content on Wikipedia pages about cities affects tourists’ choices of overnight visits. Our treatment of adding information to Wikipedia in- creases overnight stays in treated cities compared to non-treated cities. The impact is largely driven by improvements to shorter and relatively incomplete pages on Wikipedia. Our findings highlight the value of content in digital public goods for informing individual choices.

Via Ethan Mollick:

Adding two paragraphs of text & nice pictures to randomly selected articles about small European cities led to an over 9% increase in hotel stays; the edit is worth $190k per year!

Ethan Mollick:

As any academic will tell you, influencing the direction of science through research is hard... so here is an easier path. One quality Wikipedia article written by chemistry experts influenced the content of 250 published peer-reviewed academic papers!

Wikipedia is an MMORPG (via Hacker News):

One theory that explains the addictive nature of Wikipedia and its tendency to produce Wikipediholics is that Wikipedia is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). The following article explains how Wikipedia shares many characteristics with MMORPGs.

ScienceTravelWebWikipedia

Apple (MacRumors, Hacker News):

• Individual includes Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and 50GB of iCloud storage for $14.95 per month.
• Family includes Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and 200GB of iCloud storage for $19.95 per month, and can be shared among up to six family members. 
• Premier, where available, includes Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple News+, Apple Fitness+, and 2TB of iCloud storage for $29.95 per month, and can be shared among up to six family members.

Apple ArcadeApple EventApple Fitness+Apple MusicApple NewsApple TV+iCloud

Joe Rossignol:

Apple today announced that iOS 14, iPadOS 14, watchOS 7, and tvOS 14 will be officially released on Wednesday, September 16.

This makes perfect sense considering that the iOS 14 GM and Xcode 12 GM have been available since this afternoon. So developers have several hours in which to test and submit their updates and get them approved in the App Store.

The download page for Xcode 12 GM says:

Xcode 12 includes everything you need to create amazing apps for all Apple platforms. Includes the latest SDKs for iOS, watchOS, and tvOS, and macOS Catalina. For development on macOS Big Sur or to support Apple silicon, continue to use Xcode 12 beta 6.

Presumably, final development for Big Sur will require a forthcoming Xcode 12.1. I’m not sure why they couldn’t put the Big Sur SDK in Xcode 12.0, though. This makes development more complicated.

Update (2020-09-16): Juri Pakaste:

So “Time Flies” referred to the iOS release schedule, huh

Jesse Squires (also):

Given the increasingly tenuous relationship that Apple has with developers, I do not understand how it could be in their interest to act like such an asshole right now. Not to mention, it is unlikely that they will even be able to review all of these app submissions in time. We already do not feel valued due to the aforementioned issues, and this is an outright negligent response to developer relationships the company has damaged over the past few years. Announcing that iOS 14 ships tomorrow with virtually no notice to developers is yet another breach of trust, another disappointment, and quite frankly feels like a big ‘fuck you’ to developers.

Paul Haddad:

“Dear iOS dev. Because of X we had to make some tough choices and release iOS 14 without enough time for you to prepare. We’ll be doing Y to prevent this from happening again. We’re sorry.”

Would go a long way. Will never happen.

Josh Avant:

Talked to iOS lead at a popular app. Apple made their usual petition to develop new-to-iOS 14 features for launch day. Things were broken in betas, are still broken in GM, and this whole kerfuffle has prevented them from shipping + being day one partner Apple asked them to be.

Peter Steinberger:

Apple removed OSLogStore completely from iOS with the GM release. This is a surprising move and really sad.

The removal of this API will make logging slower and less secure for everyone.

Marco Arment:

I thought I was being smart by submitting an update built with the 13 SDK on Monday, a day before the likely 14 GM release and rush of submissions.

I think it backfired. 14 SDK apps are being prioritized and reviewed in record time. I bet 13 apps are at the bottom of the queue.

Xcode Releases:

The website and API have been updated. To keep things “simple”, 12A7209 has replaced 12A7208.

Seán Labastille:

For posterity: The tale of two Xcode 12 GMs — 12A7208 and 12A7209, built only days apart and yet at least a week before their sudden release.

Interestingly builds from 12A7208 have been approved for the App Store.

ARM MacsiOSiOS 14MacmacOS 11.0 Big Suros_logXcode

Apple (MacRumors):

Apple today introduced the eighth-generation iPad, featuring the powerful A12 Bionic chip that brings the Neural Engine to the entry iPad for the first time. Starting at just $329, the upgrade packs even more value into the most popular and affordable iPad, featuring a stunning 10.2-inch Retina display, advanced cameras, and great all-day battery life.

Apple (MacRumors, HackerNews):

Apple today introduced an all-new iPad Air — the most powerful, versatile, and colorful iPad Air ever. Now available in five gorgeous finishes, iPad Air features an all-screen design with a larger 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display, camera and audio upgrades, a new integrated Touch ID sensor in the top button, and the powerful A14 Bionic for a massive boost in performance, making this by far the most powerful and capable iPad Air ever made.

[…]

Wi-Fi models of iPad Air will be available with a starting price of $599 (US) and Wi-Fi + Cellular models start at $729 (US). The new iPad Air, in 64GB and 256GB configurations, will be available in five beautiful finishes including silver, space gray, rose gold, green, and sky blue.

Here’s the event coverage.

Previously:

Update (2020-09-16): Gene Munster:

Biggest news saved for last: iPad Air priced at $599 is up from previous $499 price. Evidence that Apple continues to experience huge iPad demand and company confident that the 20% price increase won’t slow that down. We estimate iPad is 11% of total revenue and iPad Air is 4%.

David Ruddock:

Re: Education

iPad being 6x faster than the “best selling chromebook” is meaningless as long as iPads are comparatively expensive ($300 + keyboard + case), fragile, and ridiculously difficult to administer on the IT side.

Nothing about today changes any of that.

Apple EventiOSiOS 14iPadiPad Air

Apple (MacRumors, Hacker News):

Apple today announced Apple Watch Series 6, introducing a revolutionary Blood Oxygen feature that offers users even more insight into their overall wellness. Apple Watch Series 6 delivers many notable hardware improvements, including a faster S6 System in Package (SiP) and next-generation always-on altimeter, along with its most colorful lineup yet, featuring a beautiful palette of new case finishes and bands.

[…]

Using a new dual-core processor based on A13 Bionic in iPhone 11, the upgraded S6 SiP runs up to 20 percent faster, allowing apps to also launch 20 percent faster, while maintaining the same all-day 18-hour battery life. Additionally, Apple Watch Series 6 features the U1 chip and Ultra Wideband antennas, which will enable short-range wireless location to support new experiences, such as next-generation digital car keys. Apple Watch Series 6 offers faster charging, completing a full charge in under 1.5 hours, and improved battery life for tracking certain workouts, such as indoor and outdoor runs.

[…]

Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS) starts at $399 and Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS + Cellular) starts at $499.

Apple (MacRumors):

Apple today announced Apple Watch SE, packing the essential features of Apple Watch into a modern design customers love — all at a more affordable price. The largest and most advanced Retina display allows customers to easily see more details and the information that matters most, right on their wrist. Apple Watch SE features the same accelerometer, gyroscope, and always-on altimeter as Apple Watch Series 6, and with the latest motion sensors and microphone, it offers robust health and safety capabilities including fall detection, Emergency SOS, international emergency calling, and the Noise app.

[…]

Apple Watch SE (GPS) starts at $279 and Apple Watch SE (GPS + Cellular) starts at $329.

Juli Clover:

With the launch of the Apple Watch Series 6, Apple has discontinued the higher-end premium ceramic Apple Watch models that were previously available.

Apple (MacRumors, Hacker News):

Apple today unveiled Fitness+, the first fitness experience built for Apple Watch, arriving later this year. Apple Fitness+ intelligently incorporates metrics from Apple Watch for users to visualize right on their iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV, offering a first-of-its-kind personalized workout experience. Everyone from beginners to committed exercisers can access studio-style workouts delivered by inspiring world-class trainers and underscored by motivating music from renowned artists, making it easier and more rewarding for customers to exercise, whenever and wherever they like.

[…]

Fitness+ will be available to Apple Watch customers as a subscription service before the end of 2020 for $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year. Everyone can try Fitness+ free for one month.

Previously:

Update (2020-09-16): Darshan Shankar:

Did anyone notice Apple further flexing their monopolistic powers today?

3rd-party fitness apps need to pay 30% tax to Apple, while Apple launch their own first party competitor (Apple Fitness+)

Same issue with Spotify & Apple Music

Facebook is doing the same to Bigscreen in VR

Apple EventApple Fitness+Apple U1Apple WatchCOVID-19HealthwatchOS

John Gruber:

My biggest question and deepest concern regarding Apple’s leadership, especially now that Ive is gone and Phil Schiller has moved on to a fellowship with only the App Store and events on his plate, is whose taste is driving product development? We know the actors, we know the writers, we know the cinematographers, but who is directing? Who is saying “This isn’t good enough” — or in the words of Apple’s former director, “This is shit”? When a product decision comes down to this or that, who is making that call?

Previously:

AppleDesign

Nilay Patel:

Did you know Pixel camera creator Marc Levoy’s entire Stanford lecture series on digital photography is on YouTube? It’s on YouTube.

Google PixelPhotography

Ian Bogost:

Certain photographs and videos of the surreal, orange sky seemed to wash it out, as if to erase the danger. “I didn’t filter these,” tweeted the journalist Sarah Frier, posting photos she took of San Francisco’s haunting morning sky. “In fact the iPhone color corrected the sky to make it look less scary. Imagine more orange.” The photos looked vaguely marigold in hue, but not too different from a misty sunrise in a city prone to fog. In some cases, the scene seemed to revert to a neutral gray, as if the smartphones that captured the pictures were engaged in a conspiracy to silence this latest cataclysm.

Via John Gruber:

This is not a bug, but a side effect of the built-in Camera app on iOS (and likewise on most Android phones) being decidedly consumer-focused. Setting a manual white balance point is a feature in any “pro” camera app worth its salt.

CameraColoriOSiOS 13Photography

Mike Zornek:

I paid Google for 222 clicks but can only reconcile 77 of them. I asked for delivery to United States only and they did not seem to honor that. Turned off the ad campaign for now.

I’ve turned off almost all of my Google ads because the numbers don’t make any sense. Most keywords require ridiculously high bids even though test searches show that they aren’t actually being bid up. Google’s technical support was no help.

Previously:

AdvertisingAdWordsBusinessWeb

Cyrus Farivar (tweet):

The app offers a variety of typical casino games to play, including their favorite, called Reel Rivals, a game in which players accrue points by playing a virtual slot machine. As in a real casino, players exchange money for coins to bet.

Unlike in a real casino, there is no way to win money back or earn a payout on coins.

But that has not stopped Shellz and her husband from spending about $150,000 in the game in just two years.

[…]

According to data provided by Apptopia, an app analytics company, Big Fish Games took in an estimated $139.3 million from Big Fish Casino and Jackpot Magic players from February 2019 through July 2020.

I’m not saying that games like this should be banned from the App Store, as I think users should be able to install what they want on their devices. It doesn’t seem like they are being deceptive.

But something seems out of whack when you look at the totality of apps that are allowed vs. rejected. Casino game apps where it’s impossible to win are OK, and Apple gets 30%. But users must be protected from streaming games and direct payment.

And regular apps get rejected for the oddest reasons. Paul Haddad:

Pastebot needs to generate a ⌘v keystroke in order to paste. When generating this keystroke on >= 10.14 an Accessibility permissions alert is shown by the OS.

Apple rejected our app because of this.

In order to get around the App Store we had to offer (and users had to install) a separate Paste service that shipped outside the App Store. The service would do nothing other than generate the ⌘v and would show the same alert on first use.

Is that really better for the user? Who knows what rule this violated or why it was eventually approved two years later.

And for not adhering to vague and changing guidelines that Apple itself doesn’t follow. Joe Cieplinski:

Got rejected today for the button on this screen.

So I’ll be sending them a screenshot of this button in response.

Won’t make a difference. But I just can’t help being sassy every now and then.

Cabel Sasser:

Oh hey us too 🥴

Timothy Buck:

This stuff is really killing the Apple brand for me. If they believe these rules are helping keep consumers safe, why are they skirting their own rules instead of leading the way in transparency?

Previously:

App StoreBig Fish CasinoGameiOSiOS 13iOS AppMacMac AppMac App StoremacOS 10.15 CatalinaPastebotStrategy Tax

Marco Arment (tweet):

A summary of today’s changes to 3.1.3 Other Purchase Methods[…]

[…]

How about an alternative that’s clear, fair, reasonable, and consistently enforceable?

Apps can offer other payment mechanisms in their app, as long as terms are clear and customers aren’t misled, and may or may not choose to implement in-app purchase based on its merits.

In one stroke, antitrust and regulatory pressure disappear, developer relations are significantly repaired, and Apple can go back to spending its time, resources, PR, and political capital on making their products better and customers happier.

Chase:

This guideline is surprisingly similar to laws in authoritarian countries: Start with unclear/blurry rules but don’t enforce it. When the timing is right, begin interpreting/enforcing them more strictly without others knowing. If everyone realizes and rebel, add small exceptions.

Previously:

Update (2020-09-14): Marco Arment:

I love how my ridiculous post doesn’t even actually include every IAP exemption. There are so many that I forgot at least three major ones.

Ryan Jones:

Are you missing the professional database loophole?

Ryan Jones:

Oh and this one?

See also: Hacker News.

App StoreApp Store Review GuidelinesIn-App PurchaseiOSiOS 13

Tyler Hall:

Here, let’s go back to Jobs on stage at WWDC 2007. (I had third row seats that year.)

He justifies the translucent menu bar by saying that most users choose their own digital photo instead of the default wallpaper. The updated design adapts to that photo and, I assume, makes your desktop feel more immersive.

Regardless of the reasons for the change, Apple did eventually add a system preference to turn off the translucency. And at some point, even that preference went away in favor of an opaque bar again.

But it’s back in Big Sur.

I’ve been following along with screenshots and design critiques of the new OS since it was revealed. I really was (still am) excited to explore all of the UI nooks and crannies. But in less than a day of using it, I’ve lost track of how many times my eyes have had trouble settling on menu items because, well, I can’t see them.

So he made an app to make the menu bar opaque.

Tyler Hall:

Also, I don’t know why I keep harping on menus lately (other than them being a primary means of using macOS), but every time I see this I think “Huh, why are all those items disabled?” before I remember all over again they’ve just grayed out the shortcut keys.

Frank Reiff:

macOS 11 Big Sur does many things right and after a bit of getting used to, the visual style really grows on you. The transparent menu bar, however, is a bit of a legibility nightmare and something I could not live with. So I developed Boring Old Menu Bar to bring the “perfectly fine” macOS Catalina menu bar to macOS 11 Big Sur.

Previously:

AccessibilityDesignKeyboard ShortcutsMacMac AppMac OS X 10.5 LeopardmacOS 11.0 Big SurOpen SourceSteve Jobs

Apple (Hacker News):

3.1.3(d): Person-to-Person Experiences: If your app enables the purchase of realtime person-to-person experiences between two individuals (for example tutoring students, medical consultations, real estate tours, or fitness training), you may use purchase methods other than in-app purchase to collect those payments. One-to-few and one-to-many realtime experiences must use in-app purchase.

I’m not sure what principle is operating there. You can tutor one child but not siblings? No medical consultations sitting in with an aging parent? A married couple can’t shop for a house or work out together?

3.1.3: Other Purchase Methods: The following apps may use purchase methods other than in-app purchase. Apps in this section cannot, either within the app or through communications sent to points of contact obtained from account registration within the app (like email or text), encourage users to use a purchasing method other than in-app purchase.

3.1.3(c): Enterprise Services: If your app is only sold directly by you to organizations or groups for their employees or students (for example professional databases and classroom management tools), you may use purchase methods in addition to in-app purchase to collect those payments. Consumer, single user, or family sales must use in-app purchase.

Previously:

App StoreApp Store Review GuidelinesIn-App PurchaseiOSiOS 13

Apple:

3.1.3(a): Reader apps may offer account creation for free tiers, and account management functionality for existing customers.

I wonder whether Netflix will start offering a free tier.

3.1.3(f): Free Stand-alone Apps: Free apps acting as a stand-alone companion to a paid web based tool (eg. VOIP, Cloud Storage, Email Services, Web Hosting) do not need to use in-app purchase, provided there is no purchasing inside the app, or calls to action for purchase outside of the app.

I’m not sure whether this changes anything for apps like HEY, Fastmail, and WordPress, except to more explicitly allow them. They already don’t have to use IAP if they don’t sell anything within the app. And they’re already not allowed to mention or link to the world outside the app. Presumably, they will still be required to “work” if the user doesn’t already have an account.

Michael Love:

The old bit about ‘must not directly or indirectly target’ for discouraging IAP has been greatly pared back; now it only applies to communication within the app or ‘communications sent to points of contact obtained from account registration within the app.’

This is a most welcome change, since it means we can say whatever we like on our websites / newsletters (if you don’t tie those to accounts, which thankfully I don’t) / etc. (just have to be careful how we link to the website within the app, I guess)

Previously:

App StoreApp Store Review GuidelinesBusinessE-mail ClientHEYIn-App PurchaseiOSiOS 13NetflixWordPress

Apple (also: Federico Viticci, John Voorhees, Juli Clover):

3.1.2(a): Games offered in a streaming game service subscription must be downloaded directly from the App Store, must be designed to avoid duplicate payment by a subscriber, and should not disadvantage non-subscriber customers.

I’m not sure what that means. Are games not allowed to be subscriber-only? Are discounts forbidden for customers who purchased directly?

4.9: Streaming games Streaming games are permitted so long as they adhere to all guidelines — for example, each game update must be submitted for review, developers must provide appropriate metadata for search, games must use in-app purchase to unlock features or functionality, etc.

[…]

Of course, there is always the open Internet and web browser apps to reach all users outside of the App Store.

Ah, yes, the very sweet solution that Apple disadvantages.

4.9.1: Each streaming game must be submitted to the App Store as an individual app so that it has an App Store product page, appears in charts and search, has user ratings and review, can be managed with ScreenTime and other parental control apps, appears on the user’s device, etc.

4.9.2: Streaming game services may offer a catalog app on the App Store to help users sign up for the service and find the games on the App Store, provided that the app adheres to all guidelines, including offering users the option to pay for a subscription with in-app purchase and use Sign in with Apple. All the games included in the catalog app must link to an individual App Store product page.

Apple is trying to force a new paradigm into its old App Store model. It’s not a good sign when rules have so many special cases. Apps that offer curated catalogs of other apps are not allowed, except for streaming games. Multiple copies of the same shell app just showing different content are not allowed, except they are required for streaming games. With video and book apps, there can be innovation in managing that content within a single app, but not for streaming games.

2.3.1: Don’t include any hidden, dormant, or undocumented features in your app; your app’s functionality should be clear to end users and App Review.

Don’t be Epic.

2.3.1: All new features, functionality, and product changes must be described with specificity in the Notes for Review section of App Store Connect (generic descriptions will be rejected) and accessible for review.

Let’s see whether this is actually enforced.

Kyle Howells:

In other news: Netflix will be allowed on the AppStore, but each tv show episode or movie must be available on the AppStore as it’s own separately downloadable app.

John Voorhees:

Obviously, many game streaming services offer games that aren’t UIKit games that can be downloaded from the App Store, which will be a technical roadblock to many services.

Steve Troughton-Smith:

Of course, that will mean that any game provided by xCloud needs to follow Apple’s other rules — which means in-app purchases would need to go through Apple’s system (which, due to the nature of xCloud, basically means any game with microtransactions will not be allowed)

Jason Snell:

Real question is, did Apple create these guidelines knowing that Google and Microsoft will never agree to them? And would access to iOS be worth Google and Microsoft jumping through all these hoops? My guess is yes and no, but you never know.

Dan Moren:

From Apple’s point of view, it now has explicit rules to point to, but honestly, all this really means is that there won’t be game streaming services on the App Store. Neither Microsoft nor Epic is going to spend the time or money on what is not an insignificant amount of work and have to hand over the 30 percent cut to Apple on top of that. Just not going to happen.

To my mind, this remains a short-sighted and ill thought out decision on Apple’s part. Game streaming services aren’t going away, and if iOS is the only platform that they’re not available on, then, honestly, that just hurts iOS. Apple has clearly decided that it doesn’t care about losing those customers—that it’s an acceptable trade-off for not losing the revenue and the control over App Store contents.

Michael Gartenberg:

Unbelievable what’s going on over there. It’s Apple going to war with developers and Apple has the upper hand? Where do devs go to get on the platform of choice for so many. App store was once great for all parties. Not so much anymore.

Rich Mogull:

I just don’t get these updated App Store guidelines. If the game is streaming and not running locally the security model is the same for all games. Basically, this is like approving every movie on Netflix and having a different App Store listing for each. What am I missing?

It’s not about security.

McCloud:

The added friction alone is a significant handicap. Yes, your streaming library is there but you have to extract it title-by-title from the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying “Beware of the Leopard”.

Eli Hodapp:

Here’s what’s TRULY unbelievable about today’s App Store policy update to “allow” xCloud and Stadia, that you can really only appreciate if you’ve been following the wacky decisions of Apple on how to awkwardly handle everything to do with games…

[…]

Apple cited 4.3 in the App Store guidelines, specifically telling Choice of Games that their separate apps are “too similar,” even though each of them were their own truly unique narrative adventure. To Apple, books with words on a page and choices are all just the same I guess.

Apple held firm on the decision to block Choice of Games from releasing individual books, instead forcing them to rapidly develop an omnibus app that could serve as the singular container for all of their titles since individual skus were no longer allowed.

This was a complete nightmare for Choice of Games as their releases were at a complete standstill until they could develop this new container app that Apple was forcing them into. It also created a huge support headache as you can tell by the FAQ

With this in mind, it’s really amusing that Apple’s “solution” for xCloud and Stadia being “allowed” is having them spam the App Store with what could be quite literally hundreds of viewer apps for all the different games, particularly with the secondary App Store-only versions.

Previously:

Update (2020-09-14): Tom Warren (via Dieter Bohn):

Microsoft isn’t impressed.

“This remains a bad experience for customers,” says a Microsoft spokesperson in a statement to The Verge. “Gamers want to jump directly into a game from their curated catalog within one app just like they do with movies or songs, and not be forced to download over 100 apps to play individual games from the cloud. We’re committed to putting gamers at the center of everything we do, and providing a great experience is core to that mission.”

Steve Troughton-Smith:

Framed another way, Apple has the opportunity to get access to all the best Xbox games on all of its platforms — games that would never otherwise come to them — and all they have to do is give Microsoft a reasonable deal. Apple should be paying Microsoft for this.

Nick Heer:

The main thing that is different is that Apple is expressly allowing a launcher-type wrapper app, something that had murky permissions before.

Update (2020-09-16): Jared Nelson:

This whole thing feels like Apple trying to give themselves some sort of out for any future antitrust litigation. It’s like putting a cupcake in the middle of a live bear trap, and then offering it to someone. “Oh, I guess you don’t WANT that cupcake then. Well, you can’t say we didn’t offer it to you!" Apple is presenting a set of guidelines that are impossible for a game streaming service to adhere to while still being able to call itself a game streaming service. It’s just asinine, and it’s hard to tell if it’s through sheer incompetence on Apple’s part, greed, vindictiveness, or a combination of all of those things.

Personally I’ve already gone out and picked up an Android device and will have a relatively cheap little xCloud portable gaming setup ready for next week’s launch, and I hope to have a little guide put together by then on my whole setup for anyone else interested in doing the same. But honestly, as a devout Apple fan for decades who has hand-waived and sometimes even come to the defense of many of their absurd decisions over the years, this latest debacle with game streaming services is just too much and has me seriously questioning if I’ll be picking up a new iPhone this year or if I’ll finally dive into one of the many excellent Android handsets out there.

App StoreApp Store Review GuidelinesGameiOSiOS 13iOS AppMicrosoftMicrosoft xCloud

Kim Lyons:

The country’s proposed News Media Bargaining Code law, which is in draft form at present, stemmed from a 2019 inquiry that found tech giants like Facebook and Google take too large a share of online advertising revenue from media organizations in Australia. The Treasurer of Australia ordered the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to develop a voluntary code of conduct which would force the platforms to pay media companies. The ACCC told the government it seemed “unlikely” that a voluntary agreement could be reached, however.

Under the proposed legislation, Google and Facebook would have to provide publishers with advance notice of changes to their algorithms, with penalties for failing to comply.

Ben Thompson:

The actual draft code for this new regulation is here; this is a bit impenetrable, as Australian law is generally enacted by hard-to-follow directions on inserting and excerpting various lines of text into existing regulation. The Explanatory Materials that accompany the code are more helpful, but for the purposes of this Daily Update, I’m going to focus on this Q&A document from the ACCC.

[…]

What makes Google and Facebook different from, say, Twitter or email, when it comes to directing traffic to news media sites? The answer I suspect isn’t volume: it’s the fact that Google and Facebook make a lot of money, of which the Australian news media business feels entitled to[…]

[…]

Do you see the absolute absurdity here? This language suggests that Google and Facebook are using their gatekeeping power to gouge news media businesses for sending traffic their way, when in fact they send traffic for free. As I noted in May, if anyone should be getting paid in this relationship it is Google and Facebook (although, to be clear, I am not saying Google and Facebook should actually be paid).

Facebook (Hacker News, Slashdot):

Assuming this draft code becomes law, we will reluctantly stop allowing publishers and people in Australia from sharing local and international news on Facebook and Instagram.

[…]

The ACCC presumes that Facebook benefits most in its relationship with publishers, when in fact the reverse is true. News represents a fraction of what people see in their News Feed and is not a significant source of revenue for us. Still, we recognize that news provides a vitally important role in society and democracy, which is why we offer free tools and training to help media companies reach an audience many times larger than they have previously.

Previously:

AustraliaBusinessFacebookInstagramThe MediaWeb

Apple:

By default, if you don’t specify a document icon for a file type in your app, macOS will automatically create one for you by compositing your app’s icon together with the correct extension name. This is a common pattern for imported document types or non-proprietary file formats that your application can open such as MP3, JPG or PNG.

[…]

To create a new custom document icon, you can provide a background fill, center image, or text string. Each of these three elements is optional, allowing you to use just one element or any combination of the three to customize your icon. From there, macOS will automatically layer, position, and mask these elements, then composite them into a page icon with a right corner fold.

Previously:

DesignGraphicsIconsMacmacOS 11.0 Big Sur

Linden Tibbets:

Out of the gate Pro launches with many of your most requested features:

• Multi-step Applets
• Queries and conditional logic
• Multiple actions
• Faster Applet execution

[…]

Another change we’re announcing is that only Pro plan subscribers will be able to create unlimited Applets. Our regular free-plan will be able to create up to 3 Applets.

It seems like they are missing a pricing plan between three basic applets for free and unlimited pro ones for $9.99/month. That’s the same as Adobe’s Photography plan, more than Microsoft 365, more than Tower. I don’t need more advanced features. Mostly, I use it to archive subscribed/favorited tweets to e-mail and to post from RSS to Twitter.

It’s never been a great fit for the former (awkward interface, huge e-mails), so I’ll probably look for an alternative. But, for now, I have subscribed.

Paying was interesting:

• The app wants you to type in a credit card number directly. It does not have In-App Purchase. I don’t understand why Apple allows this. It seems like a textbook case of functionality that is consumed within the app, just like HEY and Fortnite.

• I ended up purchasing from the Web site because it supports Apple Pay and was surprised to see the last 4 digits of my credit card number show up in my account. I thought Apple Pay was supposed to keep that private. Apple says:

  Like with in-store payments, Apple sends your Device Account Number to the app or website along with the transaction-specific dynamic security code. Neither Apple nor your device sends your actual payment card number[…]

Previously:

App StoreApp SubscriptionsApple PayBusinessIFTTTIn-App PurchaseiOSiOS 13iOS AppPrivacyTwitterWeb

Nick Heer:

I see these back buttons as a sort of cop-out — an easy way of covering for a lack of deeper consideration. You can see this most clearly in iTunes running on Mojave, in which there are two very different implementations of every view: the Apple Music way, and the local library way. If you open an album from the Recently Added view, it expands to reveal the track list below. If you open an album from Apple Music, you get sent to a new page, presumably because it is not possible to implement the local library style in a way that is performative or works across different platforms. It reveals the web-based underpinnings of Apple Music, it is slow, and it necessitates a back button.

In Catalina’s Music app, the two different implementations of an album view were dropped in favour of the Apple Music style. Now, it always opens an album in a separate view. As in every one of the apps I listed above, this decision makes Music feel like a semi-native wrapper around a collection of webpages, even when many parts of the app are still entirely native.

I do not think it is always wrong for an app to have a back button; it is a mechanism that works just fine in a web browser and in file managers. But I think that this new breed of apps that try to bridge the gap between MacOS and iOS use this specific implementation of the back button as a crutch. It is an inelegant way of dealing with inelegant and unique design problems. Its pervasion is a big flashing CAUTION sign that Apple’s Mac apps are not being lavished with the design attention they once were and still deserve. What bothers me more than what the button is is what it represents: it is, uncharacteristically for Apple, lazy.

Previously:

Update (2020-09-14): Nick Heer:

Are there any guidelines on when a search field should be in an app’s sidebar in MacOS instead of the toolbar? I don’t see anything in the HIG and it seems to be the case primarily in Catalyst or Catalyst-adjacent apps (e.g. Music). I don’t like it!

Apple NewsApple PodcastsDesignMacMac AppMac App StoremacOS 10.15 CatalinaMusic.appPhotos.appStocksTV.app

Panic:

Our next text editor — the follow-up to Coda 2 — couldn’t just add a few features and call it a day. It had to change dramatically. It had to catch up to where things are today. And it had to consider where web development will be tomorrow.

Panic:

Nova will be $99, or $79 if you own Coda. When you buy it, you own it. Plus, your purchase includes one year of new features and fixes, released the moment they’re ready. After that, you can get another year of updates at any point — even much later — for $49/year. That’s it!

Shipping next week. This seems most similar to the Sketch business model. It won’t be coming to the Mac App Store due to sandboxing issues.

Previously:

BusinessCodaMacMac AppMac App StoreNovaSandboxingText Editor

Mark C:

Side-by-side, you can actually see the reflective differences between the two screens.

Looks great, but I thought the old matte displays were fine without the price premium.

Previously:

DisplayHardwareiMacMac

Epic (tweet, Hacker News, MacRumors):

Apple will no longer allow users to sign into Epic Games accounts using “Sign In with Apple” as soon as September 11, 2020. If you have previously used “Sign In with Apple”, please update your Epic Games account email address and password immediately so that you can still login after September 11, 2020.

Apple doesn’t retaliate, but it considers it more important to hurt Epic (and make an example of it) than to help its own customers who placed their trust in its service. As a user, I would rather rely on a password manager than a login provider. As a developer, it’s a harder choice because many users like universal logins. Apple doesn’t let you support other third-party login providers without also supporting Sign In with Apple.

Riley Testut:

Lesson: Don’t use “Sign In with Apple” unless you want Apple to be able to remotely kill all your user accounts…

Nathan Lawrence:

If you’re Epic, it stinks, but you know it’s coming — you can scarcely retain API keys without a dev account — and can prepare. Not so if you’re an indie accidentally flagged for abuse by one of the large companies in control of these sign-on systems. You just lose customer data.

The entire point of open authentication standards once was that auth could be democratized and open, and you could choose an identity provider that worked for you and fit your personal standards — even your own server.

Now, it centers even more power on large companies instead.

Tanner Bennett:

Apple is really shooting themselves in the foot here, just to spite someone…

They’re NEVER going to fully recover from this battle, not in the next 20 years at least. Their new reputation for being a petty, spiteful bully is basically set in stone at this point.

Not to mention all the developer trust they’re eroding with this. They now also have a reputation for offering services that can be revoked at any time (not to mention having the ability to remove your app at any time and make you go bankrupt…), which is not appealing.

Previously:

Update (2020-09-11): Viruthagiri Thirumavalavan:

This “Sign in with Apple” issue with epic games is not “personal” as you think. It’s because of the patent claim I wrote to protect my invention.

He developed a service called Dombox, which he says Apple copied. Whether or not that’s actually the case, the interesting part is that Dombox’s pending patent only applies to services that don’t have a native mobile app. And Apple, perhaps not coincidentally, says that “An app on the App Store is required” in order to use the Sign In with Apple API. Well, thanks to Apple closing Epic’s developer account, they no longer have an app on the App Store.

I’ve also seen speculation that it’s technically not possible to use Sign In with Apple without a developer account, e.g. because of certificate renewal. This is probably true, but I don’t think it really changes anything with the story. Apple is the one that tied its service to an account that does so many other things. And it’s the one who chose to terminate the account, when that was not necessary to block the offending app from the App Store.

Fortnite Status:

Apple previously stated they would terminate “Sign In with Apple” support for Epic Games accounts after Sept 11, 2020, but today provided an indefinite extension.

I guess Apple’s not afraid of the patent, or perhaps that’s why they are calling it an indefinite extension.

Francisco Tolmasky:

Forget what developers think of Sign In with Apple, as a customer, I’m never going to use it again. I was already skeptical of routing all my email communications through Apple, but the fact that Apple can drop it arguably affects me more than the developer.

In the best case scenario, it’s a hassle for me to have to transfer my account in an event like the Epic situation. In the worst case, it seems like I could potentially lose my account? Maybe that doesn’t matter for a game, but I certainly won’t trust it for stuff that matters.

I’m really not impressed with this “it’s such a weird edge case!” excuse either. Only at Apple is it considered an edge case that your service could possibly also exist outside the AppStore, and thus someday possibly exist only outside the AppStore.

Update (2020-09-14): Jay Peters:

When reached for comment about yesterday’s news, Apple told The Verge that it was not doing anything to stop “Sign In with Apple” accounts from working with Epic Games. So there’s some kind of discrepancy in who is telling the truth, as Epic is maintaining that Apple was previously enforcing the shutoff (and the way Epic is talking about it, still possibly could). Apple did not immediately reply to a request for comment about today’s development.

Since we know that Sign In with Apple requires a developer account, which Apple terminated, it seems like Apple is trying to make it look like Epic was lying, while actually working behind the scenes to either lift that technical requirement or provide some sort of limited functionality account.

AppleBusinessE-mailEpiciOSiOS 13PasswordsPatentsSign In with AppleStrategy TaxWeb

Juli Clover (HackerNews, 9to5Mac):

In a court filing today [link], Apple says that Epic’s lawsuit is “nothing more than a basic disagreement over money,” highlighting the revenue that Epic Games has earned through the Fortnite iOS app and Apple’s developer tools.

[…]

Epic, says Apple, has used more than 400 of Apple’s APIs and frameworks, five versions of the Apple SDK, has had its apps reviewed more than 200 times, and has pushed more than 140 updates to Apple customers. Apple says that it also provided advertising each time Epic released a new season for Fortnite, offering “free promotion and favorable tweets” to more than 500 million end users.

This idea that Apple is owed because a developer “used” its APIs is bonkers.

Also, it’s hilarious that, in the Spotify case, Apple argued that “Spotify wants all the benefits of a free app without being free. A full 84 percent of the apps in the App Store pay nothing to Apple[…]. That’s not discrimination, as Spotify claims; it’s by design.” Now it argues that “Epic decided it would like to reap the benefits of the App Store without paying anything for them.”

Steve Troughton-Smith: