IPhone and iPad ‘Unexpected’ Update Threatens App Crashes

Owners of iPhones and iPads are cautioned that some apps may experience glitches because Apple only gave one day’s notice of a major update for its mobile operating systems.

CEO Tim Cook revealed Tuesday that iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 would launch on Wednesday.

Last year, Apple announced the release date more than a week in advance.

Developers have complained that they don’t have enough time to search for bugs and submit their products to the App Store.

He has advised players to delay installing the new operating systems until the end of this month.

Apple declined to comment.

Cook described the updates as a “great release that transforms the core experience” of using their mobile devices.

But within minutes of the announcement, the developers began posting on social media that they had been caught off guard for the moment.

A prominent voice in the developer community told the BBC that it was “shocked” by the announcement.

Apple had “not given the developers any final notice or tools to submit their applications,” Steve Troughton-Smith said.

“Some applications may definitely not work properly.”

Even apps that don’t have obvious issues may lack planned features that were supposed to be ready in time for the update.

Although developers have been able to test their software running on “beta” versions of new operating systems for months, the final “gold master” versions have just been released.

Some developers have also reported issues trying to speed up their products through Apple’s app review process to meet the deadline.

The development threatens to worsen relations between Apple and developers.

Many in the community have already complained about the 30% cut the company gets from sales and its sometimes “opaque” review process.

The problem overshadowed Apple’s WWDC conference earlier in the year, when it became involved in a high-profile public dispute with the creators of a new email app called Hey.

More recently, a clash with game developer Epic has led to Apple device owners being unable to get the latest version of Fortnite or install the game from scratch.

Apple’s restrictions on third-party gaming platforms have also been criticized by Microsoft and have resulted in iPhone and iPad users being unable to play Xbox games on the devices, even though they are available for Android.

Apple, however, justifies its actions on the basis that its policies provide security for users and allow it to invest in supporting the broader app economy.

Some people’s devices are set to automatically install Apple mobile updates.

In general, this can be a good idea to ensure that the latest features and cybersecurity protection are automatically added when a device goes online overnight and connects to a wireless network.

However, this feature is limited to “spot releases” and not major “round number” updates such as the switch from iOS 13.7 to iOS 14.

In this case, the new code will be downloaded in the background on devices running version 13.6 and higher, but will not be installed without first requesting the express permission of the user, which may be rejected.

Owners can check if this will happen by:

Those who dare to become early adopters face a significant overhaul of Apple’s mobile operating systems.

Widgets can be added to the home screens to display weather, time, stock prices, or other information at a glance, and the selection can be set to change based on the time of day.

Applications can be automatically organized into thematic folders to make it easier for users to find their favorite services.

And videos and Facetime calls can be made to appear in a small box that floats above the application in use, rather than occupying the entire screen.

IPad owners also get new features for the signature stylus, including automatic handwriting-to-text conversion and shape recognition.

“Users will certainly appreciate the substantial changes to the user experience in iOS 14, improving usability and productivity,” said Simon Forrest of consultancy Futuresource.

He added that developers would also benefit from the expanded access that Apple had given to the “neural engines” of its processors, which should allow more artificial intelligence tasks to be performed on the device instead of relying on remote computer servers.