iOS 14 Insights

This article was first published on EGR on 14 August 2020 : https://egr.global/technology/opinion/developer-insight-the-good-the-bad-and-the-privacy-of-ios-14/

With the release of Apple’s iOS 14 coming soon, Tristram Bates, engineering manager at mkodo, unpacks the update’s biggest changes and considers how these new developments will impact betting and gaming companies

It has been a challenging year for iGaming operators following Apple’s changes to real-money gaming guidelines.Industry developers waited with bated breath for the June unveiling of iOS14. To no surprise, the system upgrade, previewed at the virtual World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC), includes changes that will have major consequences for betting and gaming operators as Apple has made strong moves to improve privacy and enforce its dominance in the tech space.

To start with the positives, iOS14 has focused on improving the design and layout for a superior user experience on iPhones. It has introduced the biggest changes to the home screen yet with redesigned widgets that finally match the functionality offered by Android. iPhone users could previously access widgets by swiping left to the Today view, but now they can drag and drop them to the home screen, making it easier to instantly access certain features and information without launching the application.

By putting widgets front and centre, developers can now significantly improve an app’s usability and navigation. Take a live casino application as an example: players can tap the widget to see the next start time for one of their favourite rooms, or when a friend comes online, without leaving the device home screen. Meanwhile, a sports betting app could instantly display a user’s balance, winnings or how many VIP points they have with a single touch. Before the update, communicating this information was only possible through notifications.

Another headline front-end advancement is App Clip. The new feature provides a lighter version of an app experience that doesn’t require users to download an application from the store when it is only needed to perform a specific task. If you were paying for a parking ticket, for example, you could discover and access the app by scanning a code to complete the transaction. In the betting and gaming world, a customer can use an App Clip to fill out a digital bet slip or lottery ticket in a retail environment and then tap their phone at check out to pay, offering a more streamlined user journey.

Apple’s done a lot of tinkering behind the scenes too. Last year, it introduced a tool called Swift UI, making it simpler for developers to build UI across devices using a series of developer tools. Using SwiftUI developers can write code that can easily support today’s mobile app challenges, including automatic support for dark/light mode and resizing to support split screen apps. Also, importantly SwiftUI makes it easier to design apps with accessibility in mind.

But iOS14 is not all about shiny new features and redesigns. With the update, Apple has ramped up its focus on privacy, giving users significantly more control over their data and app owners much less freedom. Since iOS7, the tech firm has been closing off developer access to the unique IDs that make a device identifiable, such as an iPhone’s IMEI number or a MAC address. In the latest system update, Apple has finally clamped down on the last remaining access - Unique Advertising Identifiers (UAIs) – so that advertisers no longer have visibility on whose phone is whose and users can be truly anonymous. The consequence for the betting industry is that users visiting an iGaming app or website will be able to view which affiliate sites are tracking their behaviour - and block them from doing so. Although this gives greater transparency to customers, it increases opacity for operators on player behaviour with potentially severe consequences.

Off the back of these tracking permission changes, users will now also get more transparency into an app’s use of permissions including the microphone and camera. An additional indicator will be available to make it obvious when user’s camera is in use. This will be visible when users scan betting slips or cash winning lottery tickets and scratch cards.

There’s a compliance angle, too. The update offers users the option to share an approximate rather than a precise location for the first time, but for heavily regulated industries like the gaming sector where apps are sometimes only permitted to be used in certain jurisdictions, operators could find themselves on the wrong end of law. This is particularly important in regions such as the US and Canada where there are different laws in place in different states and territories. We are investigating ways we can build our own library to support greater accuracy, but as it stands, developers will have to either block players from using gambling apps if they only provide an approximate location or request greater permissions.

Aside from privacy, another undertone of this year’s WWDC is that the tech giant is moving even closer towards bringing every component in house. Apple announced the company is ditching Intel’s chips in its Macintosh computers after 14 years for its own processors which are already used to power iPhones and iPads, yet again increasing control over its hardware and software. The benefit for users is that the new silicon Macs promise longer battery lives and better performance, plus the ability to run iOS apps with little/no modification.

Of course, the WWDC conference did bring some good news for the industry and it’ll be interesting to see how betting and gaming operators leverage iOS14’s design features to advance their mobile applications. Even the privacy restrictions, which will no doubt present huge challenges, are designed with the user in mind. It is up to the industry to find solutions that ultimately deliver a better experience to their customers and make digital gaming entertainment more accessible to all.

Tristram Bates is mkodo’s engineering manager and head of iOS. He has been making apps since the App Store was introduced. From starting out at mkodo building apps for gaming, sportsbook and lottery businesses, he now leads the company’s talented team of iOS developers delivering digital products across its client base.

Would you like to discuss how mkodo can support you with iOS14 updates? We offer, for example, tailored consultancy packages covering review and recommendations for your Apps. Please contact us on hello@mkodo.com or +44(0)2077294545.