In a video released today, Apple has outlined several improvements coming to the Wallet app and Apple Pay with iOS 17. The software update is currently in beta and will be released to the public later this year for the iPhone XS and newer. A major redesign for the Wallet app that was rumored ahead of WWDC never materialized, with only modest changes made in iOS 17. Apple Pay order tracking is getting several enhancements, including Apple Maps support, receipts for transactions, the ability to add an order to the Wallet app from an email attachment, and a new "Track with Apple Wallet" button for apps and websites. If a user is tracking an Apple Pay order with a specified…

Macworld Apple holds a Back to School promotion (now known as the Higher Education Offer to avoid confusion because it’s not open to students before they enter higher education, only the institutions and teachers) every year and offers an incentive with purchases of qualifying Apple products. Apple has, for a long time, given away a pair of AirPods with qualifying sales, but this summer, like the summer of 2022, Apple isn’t giving away AirPods to students. Instead, Apple is offering gift cards with qualifying purchases. This change means those taking advantage of the deal get more choice about what they spent their money on, rather than being limited to headphones. However, Apple’s decision to revert to vouchers again in the…

Apple today announced that iPhone users will be able to present a driver's license or ID stored in the Wallet app at participating businesses and venues starting later this year. Users will simply hold their iPhone or Apple Watch near the business's iPhone to verify their age and identity for things like alcohol, rental cars, and more. Users will be shown what information is being requested and whether the receiving party will be storing the information, according to Apple. Users will then be asked to authenticate and consent by using Face ID or Touch ID. No additional hardware beyond an iPhone is required for the business to offer this functionality. Apple announced this feature in a press release covering several…

Macworld Every June at WWDC, Apple announces and demonstrates the next version of iOS for your iPhone, but the final version doesn’t actually launch until the fall (usually around September). What if you don’t want to wait that long to try out the new features? You need to install the beta! During the months between June and September Apple works on the upcoming version (which in 2023 is iOS 17) with help from developers and public testers. If you want to try out the new operating system it’s easy to get onboard. In this article, we walk you through the steps required to get the latest iOS beta. We explain how to join Apple’s beta programs, and how to install…

The Vision Pro headset that Apple announced today will have a unique biometric authentication method, employing iris scanning for the first time. Optic ID uses cameras in the headset to scan the eye, much like Face ID scans the face. It is, in fact, almost identical to ‌Face ID‌, but it uses the unique layout of a person's iris to verify identity. Optic ID can be used to unlock the headset, authorize purchases, and unlock passwords, much like ‌Face ID‌ and Touch ID. Optic ID data is encrypted, stays on device, and is stored in the Secture Enclave processor so it can never be accessed by Apple or third-party developers. The headset has numerous privacy features in addition to Optic…

The Vision Pro headset that Apple announced today will have a unique biometric authentication method, employing iris scanning for the first time. Optic ID uses cameras in the headset to scan the eye, much like Face ID scans the face. It is, in fact, almost identical to ‌Face ID‌, but it uses the unique layout of a person's iris to verify identity. Optic ID can be used to unlock the headset, authorize purchases, and unlock passwords, much like ‌Face ID‌ and Touch ID. Optic ID data is encrypted, stays on device, and is stored in the Secture Enclave processor so it can never be accessed by Apple or third-party developers. The headset has numerous privacy features in addition to Optic…