Why Would Developers Care?

Our takes on the important bits from Apple's WWDC 2021 keynote and State of the Union.

None of the fluff, just the stuff the mattered.

• FaceTime is coming to Android and Windows — Apple is turning FaceTime into a bit more of a Zoom-like video calling service with this update. FaceTime is also going to allow you to grab a link to a scheduled call so that you can share it with people in advance and join in at the right time.
• iPadOS 15 Preview - Features - Apple — A menu at the top of apps lets you enter Split View, Slide Over, full screen, or center window with just a tap. You can also quickly close a window from the menu.
• Siri coming to third-party devices for the first time
• iOS 15 adds offline Siri for faster query recognition — With iOS 15, Siri will now be able to handle a variety of requests without an Internet connection.
• iPadOS 15: You can now build apps on the iPad — For the first time, you can code, iterate and build apps on the iPad itself. Using Swift Playgrounds on iPadOS 15.
• Xcode Cloud Overview — Xcode Cloud is a continuous integration and delivery service built into Xcode and designed expressly for Apple developers.
• iOS 15 Includes Built-In Password Authenticator With Autofill — One of these new features is a built-in authenticator that will let iOS devices be used to generate verification codes for additional sign-in security.
• Sébastien Page on Twitter — So, Apple totally Sherlocked my app in iOS 15.
• Peter Steinberger on Twitter — VPNs sherlocked
• Apple Updates App Store Review Guidelines — First, developers who appeal an app rejection can now specify if they believe their app was rejected due to unfair treatment by the App Review team, including political bias or other forms of bias. Second, developers can now report other apps if they believe they present trust or safety concerns, or otherwise violate the App Store Review Guidelines.
• Apple’s new App Store Guidelines aim to crack down on fraud and scams