Macworld A peculiar formatting bug is causing problems with text chains between iPhone and Android users, and no one seems quite sure who is to blame. Multiple reports in multiple threads on Reddit and elsewhere complain that the numbers of people using Android or Google Voice are showing up on iPhones with an extra + sign at the beginning. This leads to the iPhone becoming confused and thinking it must be an international number: if the first two digits of the area code were 44, for example, it would turn into the +44 international code for the U.K. when the iPhone applies its automatic number formatting. This Reddit user’s (U.S.) number has been misidentified as coming from Turkey because it…

Macworld It’s looking more and more like Apple’s next big thing won’t be something that fits in your pocket or a bag. Rather it could be another wearable device–specifically a headset that provides augmented and virtual reality, this strongly rumored mixed-reality headset has been dubbed “Reality Pro”. Analyst Ming Chi-Kuo said in 2021 that Apple’s “goal is to replace the ‌iPhone‌ with AR in 10 years.” Here’s everything we know so far about Apple’s rumored mixed-reality headset which could be coming in 2023. Apple AR/VR headset: Latest rumors April 24 2023: Mark Gurman reports that the battery pack, which is required for operation, is about the size of the MagSafe Battery Pack (about the same as a deck of cards).…

In the U.S., iMessage is one of the first features iPhone users mention as a benefit over Android. There are a lot of cool features inside Messages these days — here are five more hidden features inside Apple’s messaging app. (via Cult of Mac - Tech and culture through an Apple lens)

WhatsApp has its own payment platform called WhatsApp Pay, which lets users transfer money within a WhatsApp chat. After launching the platform in India and Brazil, the messaging app is now rolling out WhatsApp Pay to businesses in Singapore. more… The post WhatsApp users in Singapore can now pay merchants directly from the app appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Previously, WhatsApp has allowed users of the encrypted messaging platform to link up to four devices to their account, but only one of those devices could be a smartphone. Happily, that's now changed, and WhatsApp has introduced the ability to use the same account on multiple phones. So now you can link another phone as one of up to four additional devices, the same as when you link with WhatsApp on web browsers, tablets, and desktops. Whether it's an iPhone or an Android phone you choose to add, each linked phone connects to WhatsApp independently, ensuring that your personal messages, media, and calls are end-to-end encrypted. Just be aware that if your primary phone is inactive for a long period…

Google is holding the 2023 edition of its annual I/O conference today, and the company announced many new things for Android and Pixel products. During the keynote, the company again teased Apple for not providing support for the RCS messaging protocol on the iPhone. more… The post Google continues spending keynote time to remind us iPhones don’t support RCS appeared first on 9to5Mac.