2026-03-31 05:33:02
Apple has removed a "vibe coding" app from its App Store, reports The Information. AI app building app "Anything" was pulled from the App Store, and Anything co-founder Dhruv Amin was told that his app violated Guideline 2.5.2.
"Vibe coding" is a term used for code generated using AI based on natural language with no coding experience necessary. Anything and other apps like it let users create apps, websites, and tools with text-based prompts.
Apple started removing vibe coding apps from the App Store earlier in March, and the company said that certain features in the apps that were pulled violate code execution rules. In a statement to MacRumors, Apple said that there are no specific rules against vibe coding, but the apps have to adhere to longstanding guidelines. Apple specifically mentioned Guideline 2.5.2, which is the rule Anything apparently violated.
Apps should be self-contained in their bundles, and may not read or write data outside the designated container area, nor may they download, install, or execute code which introduces or changes features or functionality of the app, including other apps. Educational apps designed to teach, develop, or allow students to test executable code may, in limited circumstances, download code provided that such code is not used for other purposes. Such apps must make the source code provided by the app completely viewable and editable by the user.
2026-03-31 05:05:34
Apple is planning to introduce ads to the Apple Maps app in the near future, and the iOS 26.5 beta lays the groundwork for the feature.
Code in the update says the following: "Maps may show local ads based on your approximate location, current search terms, or view of the map while you search."
Apple also says that a user's location and ads interacted with in Apple Maps are not linked to an Apple account to protect user privacy. Apple does not plan to collect or store Maps app data, or share it with third parties.
Last week, Apple said that ads are coming to the Apple Maps app for iPhone and iPad in the U.S. and Canada "this summer."
Businesses in the U.S. and Canada will be able to show ads in search results and at the top of a "Suggested Places" section in the app, which is new in iOS 26.5. Suggested Places displays recommendations for locations to visit based on trending places nearby, recent searches, and more.
Ads in the Maps app will have a clear "Ad" label, much like the ads shown in the App Store search results.
2026-03-31 04:42:10
For the last several months, Apple has been working on interoperability changes that are set to be implemented in the European Union to comply with the Digital Markets Act. Apple is developing AirPods-like pairing and notification forwarding for third-party wearables.
Testing on these features started back in iOS 26.3 and continued in iOS 26.4, but the options have not yet launched. Apple is still testing them in iOS 26.5, and both notification forwarding and proximity pairing for wearables are included in the iOS 26.5 beta. Today's update also appears to include a new feature forwarding Live Activities to a third-party wearable device, so Live Activities will be included under the notification forwarding umbrella.
Third-party wearables like earbuds will be able to use proximity pairing, similar to AirPods. Bringing a set of earbuds close to an iPhone or iPad will initiate an AirPods-like one-tap pairing process, so pairing third-party earbuds and other wearables will no longer require multiple steps.
Apple is also planning to allow third-party accessories like smartwatches to receive notifications from the iPhone. Users will be able to view and react to incoming notifications, which is a capability currently limited to the Apple Watch. Notifications are only able to be forwarded to one connected device at a time, and turning on notifications for a third-party device disables notifications on an Apple Watch.
Apple has not provided details on when these features will launch in the European Union, but the European Commission said that Apple will roll them out in Europe in 2026. Developers can test third-party TVs, smartwatches, and headphones with the new options.
The notification forwarding and proximity pairing features are only going to be available to device makers and users in the EU.
2026-03-31 03:48:12
Apple accidentally started rolling out Apple Intelligence features in China before receiving regulatory approval, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Some Chinese users began seeing Apple Intelligence features listed as available and active in the Settings app on their iPhones, but Apple made no formal announcement. Gurman says that Apple is not planning to launch the feature imminently, and that its availability was a mistake. Apple has since removed the Apple Intelligence features.
Gurman claims that Apple would not launch AI features in China without an announcement, nor would it launch AI in China in the middle of the night local time. The feature also currently uses Google reverse image search, and Google is banned in China.
Apple has not been able to launch Apple Intelligence features in China because the country restricts foreign AI technology. Apple is partnering with Alibaba to power Apple Intelligence capabilities, but Apple needs regulatory approval from China's Cyberspace Administration (CAC). The CAC has to test and approve all AI models before AI services are able to launch in China, and there have been ongoing delays with that process.
It is unclear when Apple Intelligence features will come to China, but Apple is eager to launch in the country. Chinese smartphone makers like Huawei and Xiaomi have a variety of AI features available to customers, which puts Apple far behind in the AI race.
2026-03-31 03:06:56
The iOS 26.5 beta that Apple released today includes no new Apple Intelligence Siri functionality, which suggests we're going to be waiting until iOS 27 to see any of the promised Siri features.
Apple was initially targeting iOS 26.4 for new Siri capabilities, but in February, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the company wasn't going to make that goal due to ongoing accuracy issues. He said that Apple could postpone some or all of the new Siri features until iOS 26.5 and iOS 27.
At the time, Apple engineers were apparently using iOS 26.5 for internal Siri testing, and the employees said the update included all of the Apple Intelligence Siri features that Apple promised back at WWDC 2024, but there are no signs of those additions to Siri now that the beta is available to developers.
It's possible that Siri features could come in a later beta of iOS 26.5, but that's looking less and less likely as we get closer to June and the iOS 27 WWDC debut.
Last week, Gurman said that iOS 27 would include a standalone Siri chatbot app and all of the Apple Intelligence Siri features, indicating members of the public won't get a smarter Siri until iOS 27 launches in September 2026.
When Apple introduced Apple Intelligence Siri in June 2024, it said the feature set would launch in an update to iOS 26 coming in 2025. When spring 2025 rolled around, Apple announced a delay and said that Siri was not ready and needed more time. After that setback, Apple made no promise other than saying the revamped version of Siri would launch in 2026.
Behind-the-scenes rumors suggested Apple was targeting iOS 26.4 and development was further delayed, but Apple never publicly mentioned the iOS 26.4 update. As long as Apple launches the new Siri features before December 2026, it will be on track to deliver what it promised.
The version of Siri that Apple has planned for iOS 27 will go above and beyond what was demonstrated at WWDC 2024. Siri is turning into a full chatbot, with a standalone Siri app and feature set that will put the personal assistant on par with Gemini, Claude, ChatGPT, and other AI chatbots.
2026-03-31 03:05:32
While it felt inevitable, it was still big news last week when Apple announced that the Mac Pro was discontinued after a nearly 20-year run.
Apple discontinued a lot more than just the Mac Pro this month, though, as outlined below.
