A week from tomorrow Apple will live stream the WWDC 2020 Developers Conference and we will get a good idea about the new features to expect on iOS 14 when it drops this coming September. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Apple decided to
move the WWDC festivities online back in March. Just last week, the company released a schedule of events that can now be viewed at the Apple Developer website or on the Apple Developer app. If you choose to use the latter, you’ll have to tap on the WWDC tab at the bottom of the screen.
Call recording feature for iOS 14 will not be available for consumers
The Keynote, which
Apple says will include “the latest software updates and innovations”
will start at 9 am PDT on June 22nd. That will be followed by the Platforms State of the Union which discusses in more detail some of the changes coming to Apple’s operating systems. Both are free to view with the Keynote expected to stream over Apple.com, the
Apple Developer website, the Apple Developer app, the Apple TV app, and YouTube. The Platforms State of the Union, also free, will be streamed over the Apple Developer app and website.
A feature that records phone calls on the iPhone will not be offered to consumers on iOS 14
One of the rumored new features for iOS 14 would allow users to record voice and FaceTime calls.
According to IT Home (via
9to5Mac), someone in the Jailbreak community received a leaked system engineering image. The image notes that it is up to the user to get the necessary permission from the other side of the call to record it. In addition, once the Enable Audio Call Recording toggle is on, the user is not allowed to share his iPhone with anyone. But before you get excited at the prospect of entrapping someone by recording a conversation with them, it appears that this feature may not be meant for the general public.
Sources that spoke with 9to5Mac were able to confirm that the feature does exist, but they also pointed out that it is for internal use only by Apple employees. The latter could be expected to use it in the process of exterminating bugs in iOS 14 by testing certain scenarios that iOS 14 users might experience. And the warning not to share an iPhone with someone when the feature is enabled is another sign that the recording of calls is meant for Apple employees.
Google has reportedly been
testing a similar feature for Android phones that is integrated inside the Google Phones app. Back in April, some Android users in India woke up to find out that their handset had the capability to record phone conversations.
A Google support page for the feature was discovered and it says, “You can use your Phone app to record calls and listen to saved recordings. Only certain devices and carriers support this feature. Call recording is not available in all countries and regions.” Similar to Apple’s warning, Android users are told the first time that they use the feature that they are responsible for complying with local laws. Google states that in some jurisdictions consent to record a call is required from all parties involved.
When an Android user starts recording, a disclosure is heard over the phone by the other party to the call telling him/her that it is being recorded. When the recording stops, the other party hears a disclosure stating that the recording has ended. So far though, there the feature has yet to be officially announced.
Now that we’ve mentioned what won’t be on iOS 14, we expect Apple to offer Home screen customizations for iOS 14 along with Android-style widgets. Other new features could include offline Siri, a built-in translator, AR Maps, iMessage retraction, picture-in-picture for videos, a fitness app, and more.
