After iPhone users experienced repeated crashes to their devices, Apple released iOS 11.2 with a fix for the bug. Included within the update was Apple Pay Cash, but the feature wasn’t activated for most users. As of Tuesday, the new feature that allows you to send and receive payments through iMessage is officially available for all iPhone users.
Following the release of Apple Pay Cash, Discover announced its official partnership with Apple. Transactions made with the payment service are facilitated specifically through the Discover Network.
Apple joins a host of other services including Venmo, Zelle, PayPal, and Google Wallet in the peer-to-peer payment industry. It has also partnered with prepaid debit giant Green Dot to offer free payments between iPhone users. Even though Apple is coming late to the game with Apple Pay Cash, the company is trying to make the product a standout in terms of convenience and ease of use.
While Apple Pay Cash joins a number of other payment services, there are several big differences that make the service unique. The biggest is that the service is only available on the iPhone. Users on iPhones who want to make payments to Android users will have to use an alternate service to process peer-to-peer payments.
One of the most interesting features of Apple Pay Cash is the ability to send and receive funds in real time. While Zelle began offering almost instant transfers earlier this year, it involves a lengthy verification process with your bank upon your first use. Apple chose to go an alternate route, using the credit or debit card in your Apple Wallet to fund transfers.
While Apple Pay Cash does allow for immediate availability of funds at any location where Apple Pay is accepted, transferring funds to your bank account involves a little more legwork. You’ll have to add your banking information to Wallet when you begin using the service. Once your bank is verified, you can transfer funds to your bank account, which will take two to three days. If you’re looking to have funds deposited into your bank on the same day, Zelle still seems to be the best option.
Update: Apple Pay Cash is officially available on iOS 11.2
Two new highly requested iCloud plugins just got added to ChatGPT, giving people who rely on Apple’s Mail and Calendar services a way to search emails, check appointments, and manage their schedules directly through the chatbot.
The integration is rolling out to all ChatGPT plans, including the free tier. You can access it on the web, desktop, and iOS.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.
Samsung’s scandal over its Game Optimizing Service, or GOS, has returned with a bill attached. South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission has tentatively fined the company 20.1 billion won, or about $15.1 million, over gaming claims made for the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S22, and Tab S8.
The regulator says Samsung promoted the devices as gaming powerhouses without disclosing that GOS placed preset CPU and GPU limits on certain demanding games. Samsung disputes that conclusion, calling GOS a legitimate way to manage heat.