Apple Seeds iOS 9.3.3 Beta 2 to Public Beta Testers

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 Yesterday, we saw Apple seed the second beta of the iOS 9.3.3 firmware to developers. As expected, our favorite fruit company has now made iOS 9.3.3 beta 2 available to public beta testers, through the beta testing website.

The iOS 9.3.3 beta 2 seems to be a firmware filled with various bug fixes and under-the-hood changes. It is important to note that there is now also a iOS 9.3.3 beta firmware for the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, which previously bricked tablets for some users.

Apple has been testing iOS 9.3.3 with developers and public beta testers since May 23. The release of the public firmware is imminent, and expected to be pushed out before WWDC 2016 on June 13.

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Power tip: How to quickly launch apps on your iPhone or iPad

Forget digging around home screens: Use these three tricks to get your apps up and running faster than you thought possible.

Anyone who amasses a collection of apps and folders knows the pain of trying to find an infrequently-used app on a secondary Home screen: Swiping back and forth, digging through folders, trying to remember where you hid the app or even what its icon looks like.

Forget it. That way madness lies. Instead, take charge of your iPhone and iPad — launch apps faster than you thought possible with these shortcuts.

Use Siri

The simplest way to quickly launch an app is with your voice:

1. Press and hold the Home button until you see the Siri screen.
2. Tell Siri "Launch [app name]".
3. Your app should launch immediately. (If your device is locked, you may have to first enter your passcode or unlock with Touch ID.)

This is great for most apps, but doesn't work so well if you either can't remember the app's specific name, or the app has a hard-to-pronounce title (I'm looking at you, Authy). If you run into the latter issue, you can always spell out the name of the app:

1. Press and hold the Home button until you see the Siri screen.
2. Tell Siri "Launch CAPS [spell word]".

Use Spotlight

If voice launching isn't your thing, you can use Apple's built-in Spotlight search to not only findapps, but open them, too.

1. To launch Spotlight, either swipe down from the middle of any Home screen, or swipe right on the Home screen until you reach the Spotlight screen.
2. Type in the name of the app you want to launch. (You can also use a keyword in the app if you can't remember the exact app name.)
3. Tap on the app to launch it.

If you're using an external hardware keyboard, you can also trigger Spotlight at any time — from any app — by using the keyboard shortcut Command-Space. If you're in an an app and use the shortcut, you'll immediately return to the Home screen and the Spotlight screen will appear, ready for text.

If you have an external keyboard: Command-Tab

This last trick doesn't so much launch apps as let you quickly switch between your most recently-opened apps, but I include it anyway because so few people seem to know it exists. If you have an external keyboard hooked up to your iPad, you can instantly swap out your current app (or, if you're in Split View, the app on the left side of the screen) with any of the last ten apps you've recently opened.

1. Inside an app or your Home screen, press and hold Command-Tab on your keyboard.
2. While holding down the Command key, release and tap the Tab key to cycle through applications. (You can also use the Left or Right arrow keys.)
3. When you've selected the application you wish to switch to, release both keys.

Other launching tricks?

These are some of my most-used iPad Pro shortcuts. If you want want even more quick-launching tricks, there are some great third-party apps (like Launch Center Pro, for instance) that will let you launch apps from Notification Center. Any questions, comments, thoughts? Drop them in the comments.

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WWDC 2016

This year, WWDC is all about the software

Apple's annual World Wide Developers Conference — WWDC 2016 or "Dub Dub" for short — is set to take place starting June 13th. We're expecting to see and hear all about Apple's next-generation operating systems, including iOS 10 for iPhone and iPad, OS X (or macOS) for the Mac, and watchOS and tvOS for the Apple Watch and Apple TV respectively. What we're not expecting is... well, read on!

How's WWDC 2016 going to start?

The WWDC keynote usually starts with a humorous video. One year it was a short Siri address. Last year a Saturday Night Live-style kit. Apple's trying to mix the traditional and the modern, and we'll likely see the planning team continuing to do so until they nail it.

Tim Cook, Apple's CEO, will almost certainly come out on stage first. He'll thank the developers, tell us Apple is doing great, and show off the opening of the new Apple Store at Union Square. I'd love to see Angela Ahrendts do that last part, but like Jony Ive, she seems to prefer working off-stage.

Will we get iOS 10 at WWDC 2016?

If Apple sticks to recent patterns, yes. Developer beta on keynote day with public beta to follow and release in September a couple days before the next new iPhone.

Apple's senior vice-president of software engineering, Craig Federighi, with the help of some app and service-specific designated hitters, has done most of the heavy lifting at WWDC for the last few years. And he's gotten really good at it. That should continue this year for iOS 10

iOS 7 gave us a complete redesign, transferring playfulness from texture to simulated physics. iOS 8 was all about new functionality, with Extensibility and Continuity breaking the old bonds of app binaries and letting content and features move between apps and even between devices. iOS 9 began increasing the intelligence, merging Spotlight into Siri and giving Siri the beginnings of proactivity.

I'm looking for that intelligence continue, not in a Facebook or Google manner, but an Apple manner that leverages on-device data, Apple services data, and partner data to provide compelling results while maintaining as much privacy as possible. Same with the long-rumored Siri API (application programming interface). Handling collisions between different services, and getting services integrated internationally are non-trivial. But as we've seen with HomeKit, the advantages of Siri access are transformative.

It's no accident that Apple has spent the last few years updating key apps like Maps, Messages, Photos, Music, and News. Yet the company remains in a pitched battle for attention with Google and Facebook for that attention. It's Apple's device, so they start off with it by default, but I'm looking for the company to do more to maintain it. The key advantage it has here is integration. Getting that intelligence into the apps, and the apps into each other, would make them not only more useful but more compelling.

The App Store will be turning nine this month, but given that senior vice president of worldwide marketing, Phil Schiller, only took complete control in the last year, ten seems like a far bigger — and more reasonable — anniversary for major announcements there. Besides, Apple Music and Beats is likely still getting, and needing, most of the services attention.

There's still a lot of low-hanging fruit on the system level. Apple could wait until it starts shipping OLED or Quantum Dot-based iOS devices before it releases its system-wide Night Mode, for example, but that or the more robust, CSS-style theming engine would be welcome by many who just want to tone things done for night time reading now. Likewise, we've had the static version of Control Center for years. I'd love it if Apple would ship the dynamic version already.

What about OS X 10.12 — or is it macOS now?

Same, and maybe! Developer beta at the show, public beta to follow, release in September/October.

Craig Federighi will probably continue doing double-duty for OS X 10.12 — or macOS if the rumored rebranding becomes a reality. Whether or not that affects the California landmark names we've had for the last three years, including Mavericks, Yosemite, and El Capitan, will be interesting to see. macOS 10.12, or better still, macOS 12, would not only look cleaner, it would match better.

While increased intelligence will be key for the Mac as well, Siri itself would be huge. From an accessibility point of view alone, not having voice control makes the Mac harder to use.

Getting News onto the Mac would be a great way to increase the value of the service, especially with competitors like AMP and Facebook Instant being mobile focused. (So would properly integrating news at the OS-level across all platforms, including merging it with Reading List, Shared Links, and Siri Suggestions.)

Other than that, I'll keep hoping for Continuity for media — the ability to handoff music and video from iPhone to Apple TV to iPad to Mac and back — every year until it ships

Chance of watchOS 3 at WWDC 2016?

We've only got one year of watchOS to base any guesses off of, but it seems very likely. There's hasn't been a public watchOS beta yet, though. So, whether Apple sticks with developer-only betas, or uses this year to launch a public beta, we'll have to wait and see.

While Jeff Williams, Apple's COO, has been handling Apple Watch hardware lately, the software demos have been done by vice-president of technology, Kevin Lynch.

A lot of what might be on some people's short lists will probably require new hardware, including an S2 computer-on-a-chip. Things like performance for Siri and apps, and features that will require greater battery efficiency. Software can always be optimized, but better chips are better chips.

watchOS 2 followed watchOS 1 so closely that it ended up being more about rounding out and completing feature sets. watchOS 3 has had time to observe how people use Watch in the real world, and the chance to start re-considering everything from Digital Touch to the nature of Watch apps themselves.

Sure, there's always more that can be done with watch faces and the amount of complications they hold, but there's also an opportunity to evolve the platform, to see where dynamic, on-demand interface can really do on the wrist.

How Apple continues to evolve watchOS for health and fitness will also be interesting to see.

This year there's tvOS 10 as well, right?

Yup! Last year Apple had to squeeze three operating systems into the WWDC keynote. This year, tvOS 10 makes four.

Although based on iOS, like watchOS, tvOS is developed by a separate team. That's why it was senior vice president of services, Eddy Cue, who showed it off as part of the new Apple TV introduction last year.

Apple has done a lot to iterate on tvOS since then, adding features that were obviously missing at launch, like Siri for Music and the Podcast app. While it has some amazing features on tvOS, Siri on the TV still doesn't have all the functionality it does on iPhone or iPad, including and especially HomeKit support. It also doesn't have all the apps, like News, which could work great as a video-centric version of your standard feed.

We still haven't seen the next-generation version of the Remote app yet. We also haven't yet seen any of Apple's Continuity-based handoff functionality. And, of course, there's all the intelligence and other new iOS features that can bleed over to tvOS as well.

New hardware? What about new Macs and Mac stuff?

So... about that. While Apple has used the WWDC keynote to announce new hardware in the past, especially developer-centric hardware like new MacBooks Pro and the new Mac Pro, it's primarily a software-focused show. Hardware announcements are opportunistic — a product is ready to ship, would benefit from a keynote, and the WWDC keynote is the closest one that makes sense.

When it's not opportunistic, though, Apple's perfectly happy to wait. That's why I don't expect a new 5K Apple Display with integrated GPU, or anything much in the way of new hardware.

New MacBooks Pro are coming. If it were just a Skylake bump, I hazard to guess we'd have seen them already. If it's something more, something that includes new technologies for the Mac, then that becomes harder to pin down.

Apple historically does not sit on products that are ready to ship, though, so expect it when you see it.

Any more things?

The keynote presentation, as usual, will kick things off at 10am PT, but at the Bill Graham Center, which is anything but usual. Last time Apple used the venue, it was at the September "Hey, Siri" event and it was in order to accommodate a large enough demo area for the iPhones 6s, 12.9-inch iPad Pro, and the dozen on so mock-living rooms required for the new Apple TV set ups. With WWDC expected to be software-focused, what would Apple need that venue for now? Maybe nothing. Maybe more Apple TV demos. Maybe something else. We'll have to wait and see.

That's what makes WWDC so fun. Priorities change, features get brought forward or pushed back, projects get sidelined or dragged back out. Never say never when it comes to Apple, but the company is logical when it comes to introducing and expanding software and services. They build on top of what's come before and take it in new directions.

Just remember: Nothing is confirmed until someone from Apple shows it off on stage.

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UPDATE NOW Bluetooth issues on iPhone SE? iOS 9.3.2 update fixes the problem!

One of the iPhone SE's few lingering bugs has been patched in the latest update to iOS 9.3, says Apple.

iOS 9.3.2, introduced today, reportedly fixes Bluetooth connectivity issues experienced by a number of users, many of whom went to our forums to complain and commiserate. The issue primarily affected those making phone calls over Bluetooth-connected speakers, which frustrated many drivers who rely on such tools to communicate safely while on the road.

Occasional Bluetooth issues have pestered iPhone users through the years, as Apple merely implements the standard, but doesn't control it. While Bluetooth 4.2, the most recent version, fixes many of the stability issues that afflicted smartphones and other connected devices in the past, some problems remain.

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Is it safe to buy an iPhone that is iCloud locked?

TL;DR: NO!

If you're looking for a used iPhone, find one in good condition and for a reasonable price, but the catch is, Activation Lock is on, it's an immediate red flag. An iPhone that has been Activation Locked can only be unlocked with the iCloud credentials of its owner. Therefore, buying an iCloud locked phone is equivalent to buying a very expensive paperweight.

Despite what YouTube videos or websites say about hacks or programs that let you break past an iCloud lock, you can't do it. It's a layer of security designed by Apple to protect people from having their phones stolen and then resold by thieves. As such, you can't get around it unless you were the original owner of the phone who put the Activation Lock in place.

Not all iCloud locked phones are stolen, of course. Occasionally a seller might forget to deactivate their iCloud account through Find My iPhone before handing it over. That's why you need to check and make absolutely sure that step is done before you take possession of a new iPhone.

• How to check if a used iPhone is activation locked

If you're buying off eBay or online, and you can't verify the iPhone is unlocked, don't buy it. If you're buying off of Craigslist or in person, and the seller is unable to unlock it for you before handing it over, do not make the deal.

There are a lot of great deals on used iPhones out there. Activation Locked iPhones aren't one of them.

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Indian government formally rejects Apple's bid to sell used iPhones in the country

Apple has been trying for some time now to sell refurbished iPhones in India, with the companyfacing opposition from the government. Tim Cook made his way to the country last week to make his case for the program, but the government announced today that it has summarily rejected the proposal.

At a press conference, commerce and industry minister Nirmala Sitharaman said:

We are not in favour of any company selling used phones in the company, however certified they may be.

The government has also rejected the manufacturer's bid to be exempt from the mandatory local sourcing norms, after it initially looked like Apple would be given the go-ahead. It looks like wires were crossed between the finance and commerce ministries, as Sitharaman said that she will be discussing the matter:

We took a line that we would not mind waiving the 30% local sourcing norm for Apple. Now, the finance ministry has taken a different position. We will examine the matter in consultation with the finance ministry.

Selling refurbished iPhones would give Apple a significant boost in terms of sales, as the recertified units will be sold at a lower price point. The vendor has seen an uptick in sales in recent quarters, but pricing of its phones — which is significantly higher than U.S. retail prices — continues to be a sore point for most consumers in the country.

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iPhone 7: Rumor roundup

When is iPhone 7 being released? What will the specs be? Will it have special features? Here's everything we know!

iPhone 7 is the presumed name for Apple's next generation iPhone. If Apple holds to pattern, iPhone 7 would launch in September of 2016. It may or may not feature a major new design, but will almost certainly feature more powerful internals and new features as well.

Note: This article is continuously updated to include the latest news and rumors. Bookmark it, save it, share it, and check back often!

Will it be called the iPhone 7?

If Apple sticks to the same pattern the company has been using since 2010, the 2015 iPhone 6s will be followed by the 2016 iPhone 7.

• iPhone: 2007
• iPhone 3G: 2008
• iPhone 3GS: 2009
• iPhone 4: 2010
• iPhone 4s: 2011
• iPhone 5: 2012
• iPhone 5s: 2013
• iPhone 6: 2014
• iPhone 6s: 2015

Any pattern can be broken, of course, and Apple can ultimately call any iPhone anything the company wants — iPhone X, iPhone Pro, Apple Phone, etc. iPhone 7 is simply an easy, understandable way to refer to the next-generation flagship iPhone for now.

There are rumors the next iPhone may not have as radical a redesign as previous years, and that it might not even be called iPhone 7. In other words, instead of a tick-tock cycle, we could be getting a tick-tock-tock cycle. More iPhone 6se than iPhone 7, so to speak.

We'll keep updating as we learn more.

Will there be an iPhone 7 Plus?

There was an iPhone 6 and an iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, so if Apple sticks to that pattern, there'll be an iPhone 7 and an iPhone 7 Plus as well.

• iPhone 6 Plus: 2014
• iPhone 6s Plus: 2015

That lets Apple serve customers who want a phone with the 4.7-inch (or thereabouts) display size and customers who want a tiny tablet with the 5.5-inch (or thereabouts) display size.

When will the iPhone 7 be released?

September has been the month for Apple iPhone debuts for the last few years. Keeping to that pattern, the iPhone 7—and larger iPhone 7 Plus—will be announced the week of September 6 or 13, and ship the week of the 23rd or 30th.

Since the iPhone 5, Apple has announced every new iPhone during a special event held the first or second Tuesday or Wednesday of September:

• iPhone 5: September 12, 2012
• iPhone 5s: September 10, 2013
• iPhone 6: September 9, 2014
• iPhone 6s: September 9, 2015

Because of how the calendar falls in 2016, Tuesday the 6th is earlier than usual and Tuesday the 13th is slightly later. Which one Apple chooses may depend on how production schedules settle.

Likewise, since the iPhone 5, Apple has shipped every new iPhone the second Friday following the event, with the exception of the iPhone 6s in 2015, which shipped the third Friday following the event:

• iPhone 5: September 21, 2012
• iPhone 5S: September 20, 2013
• iPhone 6: September 19, 2014
• iPhone 6s: September 25, 2015

If the event is Tuesday the 6th, the iPhone 7 could be released on Friday the 16th or 23rd. If the event is Tuesday the 13th, it could be released on Friday the 23rd or 30th.

Past patterns are the best indicator of future events, but they aren't perfect. Apple can and will throw curveballs whenever the company's logistics or strategy demands. So, be aware of the dates but don't be bound to them.

What can we expect in the iPhone 7 design?

At any given point in time, Apple is working several years ahead on the iPhone line. Upcoming models may already be in the testing or prototype stages while future models may be little more than components attached to boards. Sometimes multiple versions will also exist, some more conservative, others more audacious. What eventually ships depends on what can reliably be produced given the limits of technology and economics.

Since 2008 Apple has also followed a "tick-tock" cycle for iPhones. On the "tick" year the company unveils a new design and on the "tock" year the company takes that same design to its limits.

• iPhone 3G: 2008 — Plastic shell.
• iPhone 4: 2010 — Antenna band and glass back.
• iPhone 5: 2012 — 16:9 aspect ratio, chamfered edges.
• iPhone 6: 2014 — Bigger screens, rounded edges.

If Apple holds to pattern, 2016 will be a "tick" year and feature a new design. If not, 2016 could be another "tock". If the latter is the case, we could see new, more concealed antenna designs.

But that would mean the bigger redesign, the one with less bezel around the sides and at the top and bottom and virtualized buttons wouldn't come until 2017...

What colors will the iPhone 7 be offered in?

So far Apple has saved the new iPhone finishes for the S models.

• iPhone 5s: 2013 — Gold.
• iPhone 6s: 2015 — Rose gold.

Again, Apple can do anything the company wants, any time the company wants, but if Apple holds to pattern we won't see another new finish until the iPhone 7s in 2017. (Purple, please!)

If iPhone 7 is less of a resign than previous odd years, though, a new color could help assuage complaints. Metallic purple, anyone?

What specs will the iPhone 7 have?

Since Apple introduced the company's first branded system-on-a-chip (SoC) in 2010, every new iPhone has come with a new A-series chipset. If Apple sticks to that pattern, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will ship with Apple A10 processors. New SoC typically take advantage of better processes that let them be faster and more powerful but also more energy efficient.

Apple has also been adding coprocessors to handle motion and, now, voice activation, and the A10 could further build on those capabilities as well.

The custom CPUs Apple has been producing have gone from Swift to Cyclone to Typhoon to Twister, so... Tropical Storm next? Hurricane? Rumors also persist that Apple is working on custom GPUs and even modems as well, which would allow the company to take full control of everything from graphics to radios.

While the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus finally made the jump to 2GB of RAM, frame drop on the iPhone Plus line has led to requests for 3GB of RAM in the larger phones. More recent versions of iOS, though, have fixed the frame drops, so it's unclear how necessary additional memory really is at this point.

Current iPhones also top out at 128GB of storage. Those with large media collections have gotten their hopes up for a 256GB model. Given the space constraints inside the iPhone, the costs of higher density memory, and the lengths Apple has gone to improve efficiencies with app thinning and nearline management, it's also unclear how realistic 256GB would be this year.

Will the iPhone 7 have a 3.5mm headphone jack?

Apple, like almost every major vendor, has considered life after the 100+-year-old headphone jack. It's not much thicker than a Lightning port, but it's an extra hole, it's analog, and it takes up space inside a casing that has precious little of it to spare. This year, though, rumor has it Apple may be serious about finally ditching the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Absent a headset jack, digital audio—potentially higher definition—would be provided via the Lightning port. A pair of Lightning EarBuds would be included in the box, Lightning and Bluetooth headphones would be available from Apple's Beats brand and other vendors, and an adapter with a digital audio converter (DAC) would enable the use of older 3.5mm headphones.

What about an iPad Pro-style Smart Connector?

Apple typically introduces a technology in one device and then rolls it out across the lineup. Retina was like that with iPhone 4 and Touch ID with iPhone 5s. The Smart Connector, which debuted with the iPad Pro in the fall of 2015, attaches via a magnet and runs power, data, and ground directly from the device. It currently powers Apple's Smart Keyboard and a similar keyboard from Logitech, with more expected to follow.

Apple could certainly engineer a Smart Connector for iPhone 7, but what it would be used for is a more interesting question. Apple made a smaller Smart Keyboard for the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, but would the company make an even smaller one for iPhone 7 Plus? For iPhone 7 standard?

If not a keyboard, then what else would benefit from a not-Lightning, non-Bluetooth connection on an iPhone 7-sized device? Answer that, and you're a long way towards answering whether or not the Smart Connector will be there.

True Tone

Introduced alongside the 9.7-inch iPad Pro in March of 2016, True Tone employs two ambient light sensors, with four channels each, to measure the color temperate of the surrounding area and then match the display to that temperature.

If you've ever seen a picture of an iPhone or iPad where the case looks white but the screen looks yellow or blue, that's what True Tone fixes. And once you get used to it, you want it everywhere.

Again, Apple typically pilots a new technology in a new device, but eventually rolls it out across the line. Here's hoping the same holds true with True Tone and we get the incredible calibration and dynamic compensation on iPhone 7 as well.

Will the iPhone 7 be waterproof?

The Apple Watch shipped with "splash proofing" that technically protected it from rain, sweat, and other minor exposure to water. Even so, Apple's CEO, Tim Cook, told people he took it in the shower and, since launch, people have even been swimming with it.

Other vendors have released waterproof phones in the past, but they either used nano coatings that may or may not be compatible with Apple's environmental policies, or they used little flaps to protect ports that could break off and ruin the protection.

The iPhone 6s, while officially possessing nothing in the way of water resistance, has held up startlingly well to splashes and even dunks. That's thanks to a new gasket around the edge and silicon seals inside.

There are rumors that the iPhone 7 will take that even further, with official "splash proofing" and perhaps even more.

Although swimming with an iPhone may not be on everyone's wish-list, those whose jobs or pastimes expose them to the elements, and even those who want to do underwater photography at shallow depths would be thrilled by the feature.

What changes can we expect in the iPhone 7 cameras?

Based on some recent acquisition, including smart camera company PrimeSense, speculation is high that Apple is working on taking even the 12 megapixels, 4K video camera in the iPhone 6s to the next level. What that means for the iPhone 7 is uncertain, though rumor has it Apple is aspiring to make the iPhone camera as good as a DSLR. That includes better low light, dynamic focus and depth of field, and potentially more.

The potentially more part is currently rumored to include two lenses allowing for even more advanced image signal processing. Whether, like optical image stabilization (OIS), that would be limited to the bigger, slightly more expensive Plus model is unknown.

The second lens could be used for wide-angle shots, to add extra data for better shots, or to pull black and white information for clearer, better low-light photography.

Will the iPhone 7 have wireless charging?

Up until mid-2015, it hadn't been possible to do wireless charging—also known as inductive charging—on a phone with a metal back. Since Apple switched from the glass of the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4s to the aluminum of the iPhone 5 and later models, that effectively meant the company couldn't offer wireless charging as well.

Now methods for induction through metal are being introduced, which means it's possible Apple could keep the aluminum back and offer wireless charging. The iPhone 7 is the first iPhone Apple could launch with the feature if the company chooses to.

If Apple is serious about removing the 3.5mm headphone jack, wireless charging would be a way to let customers listen via Lightning while charging via inductive magnet.

Recent rumors have also suggested Apple is working on resonant inductive coupling, which would let devices charge even at a distance. (The greater the distance, the lower the efficiency.) Such technology is likely a year or more away, though.

What about iPad Pro style speakers?

iPad Pro has four speakers, two on each side. They're loud and clear. iPhone, to date, has only had one. Hold it wrong, and no sound for you. While iPhone 7 almost certainly won't have space inside for the large speaker chambers the iPads Pro enjoy, there have been rumors it might get the same number of speakers. That way you could hold it in any orientation, and in any position, and still hear everything.

Okay, what do we know for sure?

Only that nothing is confirmed until an Apple executive holds an iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus up on stage!

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The hottest app in Canada right now is from a bank

A banking app I won't hate using? Sign me up.

It's not often a banking app cracks the App Store's top 10 charts. But a new app from TD Canada Trust called MySpend has found a way to cross that invisible line between utility and every day necessity. And that's no accident.

"We've been on this journey for four years," says Rizwan Khalfan, TD Canada Trust's Chief Digital Officer. MySpend, which was developed by Philadelphia-based Movencorp and adapted for the highly-regulated Canadian market, provides instant access to customers' recent transactions across bank accounts, credit cards, and other TD products. Users get push notifications the moment a transaction goes through, along with insights on spending based on category and trends.

None of this is particularly new in the online banking space; what is unique about MySpend, though, is that it was developed specifically for mobile, which Khalfan says has been the key to the app's success. "Most competitors [in this space] had been offering a Banking Finance Manager (BFM) online, but we found that the maximum uptake was around 4%." He found that mobile users tend to engage with their banks nearly four times as much as those on the web, largely due to the speed at which they can log in to their accounts.

The result is an app that has quickly risen to the App Store's free apps chart, peaking at number 8 of a highly dynamic list that includes mainstays like Facebook Messenger and Snapchat. How could a banking app garner such a positive consumer reaction? To Khalfan, it was about focusing on the features that really matter to users.

I thought, 'Couldn't we make a more real-time service to help people budget?'

"Other products [in the category] forced people to wait until the end of the month to see trends, which prevent people from making changes. I thought, 'Couldn't we make a more real-time service to help people budget?'" After working with Moven, the result was MySpend, which outlines spending trends in clear ways. You spent over $400 on entertainment this month, it says, which is $250 more than usual. What happened?

Khalfan notes that the app provides 'soft advice' and helpful hints that guide users towards corrective behaviour, rather than reprimand users for so-called spending mistakes. "You know your life best," he says. "We're not here to change you."

But working with a startup was an entirely new direction for Khalfan's digital team, which is managing the transition from retail-first to an increasingly mobile-first customer base. He says that MySpend is a plug-in that hooks into TD's growing app platform, utilizing authorization tokens from the core app to maintain security and privacy within Apple's and Google's respective silos. "We can constantly bring innovations to our customers" by unplugging older units that are no longer useful. In that way, the company saves in-house development costs and gets to navigate the mobile space with more agility than typical bureaucracy-laden institutions, other banks included.

The app's success can largely be attributed to TD's growing base of 3.5 million monthly mobile users.

The app's success can largely be attributed to TD's growing base of mobile users, which total over 3.5 million every month. The company has also announced support for Apple Pay, which will be coming to the iPhone in mid-June, a feature that will surely bring even more people to the fold as they realize its utility. "We have the best customer acquisition in the country," Khalfan continues, attributing the bank's success in the retail space to a sustained focus on physical and digital products, with an emphasis on customer service across both categories.

But the popularity of MySpend is likely much simpler than that. It's a great product that benefits everyone, not just those who use the core app to check account balances or deposit cheques. In that way, MySpend has graduated from being an app opened monthly to one used daily. And that gives TD and Movencorp the freedom to add features without concern users will abandon it for greener pastures — since they're the only pasture in town.

. Free download link from here

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