2 – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
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iOS

iOS is Apple’s operating system for the iPhone and iPad. It’s also the basis for tvOS for the Apple TV and watchOS for the Apple Watch. It’s even beginning to infiltrate the Mac in some ways. Apple has worked hard to keep iOS private and secure, and it has a huge ecosystem of apps via its official App Store. Some have argued that it is too locked down, but the trade-off is that it’s fast and stable for most users.

Emma Roth
Emma Roth
Apple says the UK age verification prompt was an “error.”

Spokesperson Peter Ajemian tells The Verge that Apple has since removed the prompt, which showed up for UK users who downloaded the latest iOS 26.4 beta:

Some users on the beta software in the UK temporarily saw a message suggesting age verification is required to download apps. That message was displayed in error, and has been fixed. Developers may continue to use the Declared Age Range API to provide age appropriate experiences for users.

Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
Overwatch Rush is a top-down spinoff made for iOS and Android.

Blizzard apparently isn’t busy enough with Overwatch, announcing a mobile version of the game that “will begin select region testing soon.” Unlike mobile versions of games like Call of Duty, PUBG, or Fortnite, it’s not an attempt at an FPS and is being made by a separate team.

A gameplay preview trailer shows a similar feeling but slower-paced game capable of running on devices like an iPhone XS or Pixel 4a.

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Ball x Pit x Mobile.

The very good Ball x Pit is coming to iOS and Android on March 12th.

Andrew Liszewski
Andrew Liszewski
Two more retro Sega mobile games could be delisted soon.

Sonic The Hedgehog Classic and Sonic The Hedgehog 2 Classic are the latest games from Sega’s Forever program that could soon disappear from the Google Play and Apple app stores. Both games now display a pop-up message warning that “support for this game will be discontinued, but you can continue playing offline!”

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An end of service screenshot from Sonic The Hedgehog Classic on iOS.
There’s no timeline for when the two Sonic games may be delisted from digital storefronts.
Screenshot: Sonic The Hedgehog Classic
The best iPhonesThe best iPhones
Allison Johnson
Stevie Bonifield
Stevie Bonifield
Google is bringing a useful Meet feature for hybrid meetings to iOS and Android.

Google is adding Meet’s automatic conference room detection feature to the Meet and Gmail mobile apps. First launched on laptops last year, it uses silent ultrasound signals that are picked up by your phone’s mic to automatically check you into your conference room and prompt you to join Meet calls with your device in Companion mode, avoiding annoying feedback or other problems.

Screenshots of Google Meet’s automatic conference room detection feature running on the Meet mobile app
Now Android and iOS users will automatically get the “Companion mode” prompt in conference rooms.
Image: Google
Emma Roth
Emma Roth
Apple is getting closer to bringing notifications to third-party watches.

The iOS 26.3 beta introduces a new “Notification Forwarding” setting that you can use to forward alerts to non-Apple watches, according to MacRumors. The feature comes in response to an order from the EU, and is still a bit limited, as it only forwards notifications to one device at a time.

Andrew Liszewski
Andrew Liszewski
Google Maps on iOS now automatically remembers where you parked.

The new feature was recently announced by Rio Akasaka, Google Maps’ senior product manager, as spotted by 9to5Google. You’ll need to first connect your iPhone to your car through USB, Bluetooth, or CarPlay, but when you’re done driving Google Maps will automatically save your vehicle’s location for 48 hours, or until you start driving again.

A screenshot of Google Maps on iOS showing where a vehicle is parked.
Image: LinkedIn
Jess Weatherbed
Jess Weatherbed
iOS and Android face more UK regulation.

After a ten-month investigation, the Competition and Markets Authority has designated Apple and Google’s mobile platforms with “strategic market status,” describing them as having “substantial, entrenched market power.” The companies now face extra anti-competition regulations in the UK, following a similar ruling for Google Search.

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Apple might make it harder to dismiss alarms.

The newest iOS 26.1 developer beta forces you to slide to stop the alarm instead of mashing a button. This makes a lot of sense to me and I hope Apple keeps it in the final release, though I may regret saying that when I want to sleep more.

Jess Weatherbed
Jess Weatherbed
Adobe’s Premiere video editor arrives on iPhone.

The free iOS app is now available to download worldwide today, following its announcement earlier this month, bringing Premiere Pro editing features to mobile devices. An Android version is also in development, but Adobe hasn’t said when it will arrive.

Screenshots of Adobe’s Premiere mobile app and Premiere Pro desktop app.
Users can export projects from the Premiere mobile app to complete them using Adobe’s Premiere Pro desktop software.
Image: Adobe
Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
Apple releases minor iOS 26, macOS Tahoe updates with a few bug fixes.

There are fixes for bugs that some new iPhone 17 / Pro / Air owners have noticed, like wonky Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radios, as well as camera artifacts experienced “under certain lighting conditions.”

One iOS 26 issue addressed is blank custom tinted icons, plus one security flaw for a “maliciously crafted font.”