iOS 14 and macOS Big Sur: Top 5 Features for Business Productivity and Beyond (WWDC 2020)

When thinking about business productivity, there are plenty of tools that have changed the way that business is done. But that being said, there are some tools and companies that have had a significantly larger impact than others. 

One of those companies is Apple. From creating the first game-changing smartphone to creating the most popular tablet device, Apple is one of the most important companies in recent corporate history. The market has certainly responded to Apple’s stunning track record of innovation, as the company now has a market capitalization near $2 trillion.

Every year, Apple hosts its Worldwide Developers Conference (“WWDC”). At WWDC, Apple CEO Tim Cook and others share news about exciting new products that Apple will be releasing in the near future. 

Cook’s WWDC address is often seen as an indicator of the coming year in technology. This is true even beyond the marquee products or features that Apple announces. If you go beneath the headlines, it is typically the smaller upgrades or updates that really affect the future.  

Because of COVID-19, this year’s WWDC was held virtually. The headline announcements from this year’s WWDC included news of software updates like iOS 14, iPadOS 14, watchOS 7, and macOS Big Sur. But along with these key updates, this conference had a ton of announcements that are relevant for business productivity. Some other announcements weren’t related to business per se, but they are fun and interesting. 

App Clips

To start, I want to talk about App Clips. Apple describes App Clips as “a small part of your app that’s discoverable at the moment it’s needed.” Apple says that they are great ways for app users “to quickly access and experience what your app has to offer.” To put it another way, App Clips are small app experiences packaged to you instantaneously and that leverage near-field communication (“NFC”) technology. If you are looking for a TK, they are actually pretty similar to Android’s instant apps. 

There are plenty of situations where App Clips can be useful. As just one simple example, let’s say that you own your local coffee shop. Whether they are new or repeat customers, you are looking for ways to engage with visitors who walk through your door. With App Clips, your customers can use NFC to tap their phones and quickly start engaging with your rewards. 

Essentially, it is reducing some of the friction that occurs when customers enter your business. Instead of needing to download your app, they can simply tap their phone to get started. Even though it may not seem like much, removing this friction can help you build customer relationships much more quickly. 

Car Keys and Car Play

Another cool announcement from WWDC was that Apple has decided to integrate car keys into CarPlay. If you haven’t yet used CarPlay, it is basically a safer way for you to use your iPhone when you are driving your car. CarPlay also features Siri voice control so that you can control everything from the music that you are hearing to phone calls that you are making.

This new update, however, lets you use your iPhone or Apple Watch as a car key. This means that you can now unlock your car with your iPhone. Your car will need to allow for digital car keys, so you’ll need to confirm this before using this feature. That being said, this feature can save you a good amount of time—both in your personal and professional lives. 

It may not be a “business productivity” tool per se, yet I think that it can be extremely helpful when you are in the thick of your day. For example, if you’re running late for a meeting, you won’t need to worry about going back up to your office to get your car keys. Instead, you’ll know that you can get in your car and speed off to your meeting. It’s a little thing, yet it can help you stay at ease in those stressful moments.

Threaded Replies in iMessage

This was another notable feature that came out of WWDC. That is the fact that you can now use threaded replies in iMessage. iMessage is one of the most popular social networks on the planet. If you have an iPhone, you undoubtedly use iMessage to communicate with your friends, family, and colleagues. 

Apple’s latest announcement shows that it is going after hot communication tools like Slack. Now, iMessage users can respond to specific group messages by using threads. You can also take advantage of inline replies, which lets you view replies within the full conversation or view them as their own thread. 

Apple also says that you can now “@ mention” people in group chats. This is similar to Twitter, Slack, and other social networks. One key difference, however, is that iMessage only requires you to type in someone’s name. You don’t need to include the “@” character when doing so. Finally, you can also set up iMessage so that you are only notified when you are specifically mentioned in a conversation. This can help you stay focused and eliminate unnecessary distractions when you are at work. 

Ultimately, the group chat feature has been completely overhauled. This is good news for all of us who use iMessage in our personal lives, but it is also excellent news if you use iMessage to communicate with colleagues and customers. Some group chats can be overwhelming and distracting, so these new features make it much easier to focus on your day-to-day work and be notified when you need to respond to a customer or colleague.

Upgrades to Safari

It was also notable that Apple announced some major upgrades to Safari. Nearly everyone understands that Google Chrome is the most dominant Internet browser today. This naturally doesn’t sit well with Apple, so the company has decided to invest in improving the Safari browsing experience. The company has argued that this is Safari’s biggest update since its launch in 2003. 

For one thing, Safari is now a much faster browser. Apple argues that the new Safari now loads frequently visited sites around 50% faster than Chrome. Apple has also boosted Safari extensions. Ultimately, this means that Safari extensions are more friendly and accessible. 

Before this change, it was difficult to find and use Safari extensions. This is likely part of the reason why so many Chrome users thought that it was such a cool browser. You could (and still can) easily download extensions from third-party developers (like Dubb). Now, however, Safari users have a lot more control over their extensions.

Along with this focus on speed and extensions, Apple is offering more privacy features within Safari. A new Privacy Report will show Safari users how the browser is protecting their browsing activities and data across the Internet. Apple is even offering data breach password monitoring which never reveals your password (even to Apple). 

So if you are a Safari user (whether that’s on desktop, tablet, or your phone), I’m sure that you’ll appreciate these upgrades. In all likelihood, they’ll make your life easier as you complete your day-to-day work. 

Using AirPods to Switch Between Devices

Finally, another big announcement from Apple centered on AirPods. AirPods have been one of Apple’s most exciting products in the past few years. And like Apple’s other products, the company is always looking for ways to improve its products and provide even more value to customers.

At WWDC, Apple announced that it was releasing a feature that would let AirPods users more easily switch between devices. For example, when you have your AirPods on and are using both your iPhone and iPad, your AirPods will now intelligently switch when you are actively using either device. This can be an extremely useful feature when you are trying to multitask, whether you are at the office or are working on your couch.

The introduction of this new feature also says a larger point about Apple. While Apple is in the business of improving things, it also isn’t afraid to copy things from products or other features spearheaded by other startups. Yes, every company borrows ideas, but few companies have more power to completely upend a market or sector like Apple. 

If Apple comes out with a feature that competes with your product and that feature is integrated within Apple’s ecosystem, developers say that you have been Sherlocked. For example, in terms of this AirPods feature, there was a third-party app called ToothFairy that let you easily switch your AirPods between devices. It goes without saying, but Apple’s recent announcement is huge news for apps like ToothFairy.

Overall Themes From WWDC

Those were just a few of the business productivity tools and features that were discussed during WWDC. While they may not be as headline-grabbing as a new iPhone or iPad, these features can help you become more productive when you’re at work.

One of the overall themes that we saw from WWDC is that Apple is focused on developing software that intelligently brings content and data to you. This is instead of you having to go and find the data or content yourself. It all comes down to instantaneous data accessibility and I think that this is going to be a huge trend to watch. Not only will customers demand more of it, but there is a great opportunity for small and large companies to innovate in this area.

Another notable theme from WWDC is human-to-human connectivity. You can see this in Apple’s updates to group chats in iMessage. Apple has definitely noticed that tools like Slack have changed the way that we connect and communicate. You can also see this in App Clips, as App Clips are triggered by NFC. Even though we’re spending less time together due to Covid-19, App Clips will be a great way to provide more value to customers who walk through your door.

At its core, Apple is a consumer tech company. If consumers are overwhelmingly using features or behaving in ways that Apple products won’t allow, the company will most likely respond to that customer behavior. The same is true of tech giants like Google, Facebook, and even Snapchat. Viewing keynote addresses at their respective conferences can give you an advanced look at upcoming tech trends that your business may be able to leverage.

Supercharging Your Business Productivity

Taking advantage of these new features and updates, I believe that you’ll be able to supercharge your business productivity. Some of these features may take some getting used to—especially App Clips. However, by investing the time and experimenting with these new features, I’m sure that you’ll be satisfied with the results. 

If you’d like to learn more about accelerating your business productivity, I also recommend that you check out Dubb. At Dubb, we offer tools that can help you leverage the power of video sales and marketing. You can click here to learn more about us and click here for a free trial of our paid plans.