Hands-up if you’ve subscribed to an app for the free trial, forgotten about it, then been stung for the subscription fee thereafter? Ok, now everyone put their hands down, we have a story to tell.
Apple is hoping to cut down on such instances, through a helpful new iOS 13 tool. In the latest beta, the company is adding a new pop-up when users delete an application.
If the iPhone or iPad owner still has an active subscription, Apple will ask them whether they want to keep the subscription active, or manage the subscription through the account settings. It also tells users when the subscription will automatically renew unless cancelled.
Never seen this alert before – Apple now tells you if an app you're deleting has a subscription still active. Good move.
(Taken on iOS 13 beta 2.) pic.twitter.com/WU57nS8Ziv
— Federico Viticci (@viticci) June 18, 2019
The feature was spotted within the second iOS 13 developer beta by MacStories editor Federico Viticci (via Engadget), but wasn’t unveiled during the WWDC keynote earlier this month.
Apple is already working to help users avoid unwanted subscriptions. Earlier this year it added an extra step to the process. When users authenticate a subscription with Touch ID or Face ID, they’re now asked to confirm they really want to subscribe.
“The subscription will continue unless canceled in Settings at least one day before a subscription period ends,” the company says.
Related: iOS 13 Features
At the beginning of the year Apple revised its App Store guidelines to ensure developers clearly label how much subscriptions cost for a month, six months or year, while pointing out the savings on offer by subscribing for a longer period of time.
iOS 13 will arrive in September 2019, bringing a brand new, system-wide dark mode into play, along with performance boosts, Memoji with make-up, and the new Sign In With Apple feature that aims to stop data guzzling companies in their tracks, by creating burner email addresses for each account you sign into.
The new OS also improves Maps, audio streaming and introduces support for PlayStation Dualshock 4 and Xbox One games controllers.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
