Coinbase unlocks instant cryptocurrency purchases

Want your bitcoin purchases in a hurry? That’s doable now that Coinbase has opened up instant purchases for cryptocurrency. Whether you’re a fan of ethereum, litecoin or plain old bitcoin, you’re covered here. Previously you’d have to wait a few days between the initial purchase and actually being able to spend it. Coinbase says that you can buy up to $25,000 and gain access to it immediately. The functionality is available to “many” customers stateside right now and it will roll out to more people soon. Seeing that this deals with ethereum, if you’ve been waiting to pick up Ghostface’s cyrptocurrency now you can do that with a quickness.

Source: Coinbase

LastPass add-on beta prepares for upcoming changes in Firefox

Mozilla has some big changes in store for its next browser release, Firefox 57, on November 14th. It will introduce quite a few new features, including Firefox Quantum, which is twice as fast as Firefox was a year ago and 30 percent more RAM efficient as compared to Google Chrome. One of the changes is the switch to WebExtension, which is an API that allows for development of extensions across browsers.

LastPass, the popular password management system, has been toiling away to make their add-on work on the new system. Today, the company released a public beta for use in Firefox that’s compatible with WebExtension. LastPass also announced that the final version will be available when Firefox 57 makes its debut. Beta users will automatically be transitioned to the final release when that happens.

There are a few things to note if you’re already eagerly downloading that beta add-on. First, any features that use the binary component of LastPass are disabled because the installer doesn’t currently work with WebExtension. Presumably, that will change before the final release, but if you regularly use this feature, then hold off installing the beta plugin. And second, if you’re using version 4.1.54, then installing this will reset your preferences to the default. You’ll have to manually reconfigure them.

Source: LastPass

Qualcomm files lawsuit in China to stop production of iPhones

Qualcomm filed suit in China requesting a ban on the creation and sale of iPhones in the country, Bloomberg reported. It’s the latest in the bitter legal feud between the tech titans, which recently got the US trade commission to start looking into their patent fight.

Developing…

Source: Bloomberg

Apple Working on Fix for Users Who Can’t Open GarageBand on iOS 11

Apple is “aware of” an issue preventing the GarageBand app from opening on iOS 11 for some users, and “investigating solutions,” according to a new support document published on its website on Thursday.

If the GarageBand app won’t open after updating your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to iOS 11, Apple says to turn off iCloud for GarageBand on the device in Settings > Apple ID, iCloud, iTunes & App Store > iCloud.

After toggling off the feature, you won’t be able to access any GarageBand songs stored in iCloud Drive until this issue is fixed, but they won’t be removed from iCloud. New songs will be saved to your device locally.

Several users have reported the app crashing upon being opened on Twitter and the MacRumors discussion forums, but it doesn’t affect everyone. MacRumors hasn’t been able to reproduce the problem on multiple devices.

.@AppleSupport any news on when you will fix GarageBand in iOS 11 yet? #embarrassing pic.twitter.com/YjztXJZgwr

— Patrick Baird (@TheGBGuide) September 20, 2017

GarageBand is free on the App Store [Direct Link] for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

Tag: GarageBand
Discuss this article in our forums

Western Digital’s My Cloud Home is Easy to Use, But Apps Need Improvement

Western Digital’s My Cloud Home is a network-attached personal cloud storage solution, designed to combine the convenience of cloud storage with the privacy and security of local storage.

It’s available in capacities ranging from 2TB to 16TB, to meet the needs of both families and small businesses, and with apps for the Mac, PC, iOS devices, and a cloud website, content can be accessed from anywhere.

On the surface, the My Cloud Home sounds great, but there are some definite problems with the device, mostly concerning the apps that are used to access and upload your content.

Design and Features

Western Digital’s My Cloud Home has a simple white and silver design with a diamond-shaped pattern at the bottom of the device and a small Western Digital logo at the front. At the back, there’s a USB 3.0 port for attaching peripheral devices or attaching the My Cloud Home to a computer over USB, a spot for the power source to plug in, and a Gigabit Ethernet port. A white LED on the front lets you know when the My Cloud Home is powered on, and it will also blink if there is an issue.

The body of the My Cloud Home measures in at 7 inches tall, 5.5 inches wide, and 2 inches thick, similar in size to other network-attached storage solutions. The My Cloud Home Duo, which has double the hard drives for mirrored backup functionality, is twice as thick, but I tested the single hard drive version.

The My Cloud Home is meant to be plugged in next to a router and tucked away on a shelf, and its unassuming design works well for that purpose. Mine’s hidden behind a TV on my entertainment unit because that’s where my router is, so it’s not visible, but I wouldn’t mind if it were.

Western Digital’s My Cloud Home can store all of your files from iOS and Mac devices in one location, and it can be used for device backups from a range of devices. During my testing, my unit was reliable and had no problems staying connected to my Wi-Fi network, so my files were always accessible to me.

My Cloud Home Apps and Setup

My Cloud Home setup consists of plugging the device in to a power source and connecting it to a router using an Ethernet cable. From there, it can be accessed over the web using the My Cloud website or through the accompanying Mac and iOS apps. There are also apps for PC and Android devices.

The performance of the My Cloud Home is going to depend on your own home connection speeds. If you have a slow home network, it’s going to take a long time to transfer files over WiFi. Even with fast speeds, it can be pretty tedious waiting for an iCloud photo backup, a Time Machine backup to complete, or a large file transfer to complete. I have a reasonably fast connection (100Mb/s down, 6Mb/s up) and file transfers both ways took more time than I would have expected.

iOS App

With the My Cloud iOS app, you can connect to the My Cloud Home from an iOS device. You can use the app to browse all of the files you’ve uploaded, and to upload photos from your iPhone or iPad to My Cloud Home. Multiple iOS devices can sync to the My Cloud Home if desired, so several family members can use it, and there’s an option to add new users.

There’s an option for automatic backup, which will upload all of the photos from your Camera Roll to the My Cloud device. I turned it on, and it took just over an hour to upload about 3,000 photos. You can also take photos and add them directly to My Cloud Home or upload photos from your device manually.

The app also features a section for enabling a cloud content backup, which downloads everything from Dropbox to your device. I enabled this, and it essentially copied everything from Dropbox to a folder on the My Cloud Home. Dropbox transfer worked flawlessly and everything copied over in a couple hours.

Aside from those options, there’s nothing else you can do with the iOS app — it’s only for photos and browsing files uploaded from the desktop. There is no integration with the new Files app in iOS 11, there’s no support for Drag and Drop on iPad, nor is there a proper iPad app, and there’s no way to upload a file that’s not a photo from an iOS device.

The app is bare bones and frustrating to use. There is no indicator bar that lets me know what the cloud syncing features are doing, so I have no idea when a backup is complete, and the organizational capabilities are non-existent.

I can view all of my photos in the Photos tab, where they’re seemingly organized by date, but that’s it. It lumps all photos together with no sorting options, no way to find anything, and no alternate views. Since I uploaded my Dropbox content and my iPhone 7 Plus photos, all of that content is lumped together in a giant mess in the Photos section.

There are photos that I synced from my iPhone that I can’t find in the My Cloud Home backup. Whether that’s because of the poor organization or some partial syncing failure, I don’t know, and I can’t troubleshoot because I can’t see what’s synced, what’s not, and whether the backup finished successfully. It’s also worth noting that if you have RAW image files synced to My Cloud Home, the app will not display them.

In the iPhone 7 Plus Camera Roll Backup section where my content is actually stored, organization is no better. It’s just a long list of files.

When you view the photos stored on the My Cloud Home, it takes a few seconds to load and there’s a definite short delay. This is based on your WiFi connection and the speed of the My Cloud Home itself.

There are tools for sharing, opening, renaming, and deleting individual files, but there are no options for mass file management. If you have multiple photos you want to delete from the backup, too bad. The app also doesn’t seem to delete photos that I have deleted from my photo library.

In a world where our iPhones and iPads are increasingly important and are beginning to replace PCs, apps like this should offer feature parity with their desktop counterparts. It’s disappointing that the iOS app is lacking to the point of being almost unusable for anything but uploading photos.

Mac App

The Mac app is better than the iOS app. It installs a Western Digital menu bar and makes the My Cloud Home accessible as an attached drive, so you’re essentially using Finder for all file management needs.

You can drag and drop files to My Cloud Home from Finder, you can view everything with Finder’s organizational tools, and you can search for content through Finder. This setup is simple to use and it makes it easy to find, upload, share, and access all of the content that’s stored on the My Cloud Home.

The My Cloud Home Mac app also makes a right-click sync option available for all files, so you can right-click on something and select the “Sync to My Cloud” feature to upload it immediately.

My Cloud Home can be used as a Time Machine backup option for a Mac, but I wasn’t a fan of how Time Machine backups were handled. Time Machine backups are stored in a shared folder on the network with no password protection, which means your backups are accessible on any computer that is connected to your home Wi-Fi — not just your own.

That’s fine if you are the sole user of your Wi-Fi network, but it’s not ideal when you have multiple people in the home or when guests are visiting. I don’t like the idea of my Time Machine backups being readily accessible like that. I asked Western Digital about this and was told that it’s designed to allow users to back up all computers connected to the network with content stored in a single place.

All my files visible and available on a Mac that isn’t mine
With your Time Machine backup accessible to anyone that has access to your home Wi-Fi network, that means every single file on your computer can be accessed with just a few clicks, and it’s not difficult to find the backup location, either, since it’s a shared folder.

As for Time Machine backups themselves, it obviously takes a long time to do a backup over a Wi-Fi connection. I had to leave mine on overnight and it did fail a few times before it managed to complete a backup.

I also thought Western Digital’s documentation in general for the My Cloud Home was poor. For Time Machine backups, as an example, it basically just redirects to Apple’s own support document. A device like this needs better support and documentation for users.

I had some other complaints about the Mac app. There was an update during the course of my testing and it instructed me to download an update, but gave no indication of what was new. Then it sent me an email letting me know an update had been installed, again with no information.

There’s also a section of the Mac app for “Apps,” which I initially thought was for apps that can be installed on the My Cloud Home, but it’s not. It’s for installing apps on direct-attached storage devices like the My Passport.

That’s because the WD Discovery app is for multiple Western Digital devices, which means WD’s cloud product isn’t even getting its own dedicated app.

Web Interface

My Cloud Home is also accessible through the web, and the web interface is decent. It’s similar to Dropbox in that it offers a list of all of the files on a device along with Photos and an Activity list so you can see what was uploaded when.

It has a search feature so you can search for specific files, multiple view options, and tools for adding services and change account settings. You can add files from the website, so it’s actually one of the better ways to access the device if you don’t need to make an iPhone/Mac backup.

Other Features

In addition to using the My Cloud Home as a backup solution for iOS devices, Macs, and your online cloud storage services, there are also options to enable IFTTT and a Plex Server on the My Cloud Home.

With Plex Server, you can upload content like videos and photos to the My Cloud Home and then stream it to any iOS device or Apple TV through the Plex app. Plex streaming, like all file transfers to this device, is reliant on your Wi-Fi connection speed.

Bottom Line

I wanted to like the My Cloud Home because I want there to be a simple, intuitive, easy-to-use NAS backup solution for people who just want to store their stuff and get to it from any device, but there were too many caveats with the apps.

The My Cloud Home is simple enough to use for basic purposes like uploading files and making backups, but the app interfaces are lacking features and need updating. In its current incarnation, I think the My Cloud Home is generally more frustrating to use than cloud-only solutions like Dropbox or Google Drive, but I have seen some positive reviews for the device on Best Buy from customers who like the simplicity of the device and don’t mind the apps.

During my testing, the My Cloud Home was reliable, remained accessible, and didn’t disconnect, which is a plus. It’s an okay file storage solution for use with a Mac or via the web, but I wouldn’t recommend it on iOS devices because of the app, nor would I use it for Time Machine backups due to both connection failures and privacy issues.

For people who like the idea of having a network-attached local storage device as a cloud alternative for things like backups and file storage, there are better options out there from companies like Synology and QNAP. These products aren’t as simple as the My Cloud Home and it will take quite a few more googling sessions to learn all the ins and outs, but these other devices are more robust, have better apps for the most part, and ultimately offer a lot more features than are included with the My Cloud Home.

How to Buy

The My Cloud Home can be purchased from Best Buy. Prices start at $160 for the 2TB version.

Note: Western Digital provided MacRumors with a 6TB My Cloud Home for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.

Tag: Western Digital
Discuss this article in our forums

Qualcomm Asks China to Stop Manufacturing and Selling iPhones via New Lawsuits

Qualcomm recently filed lawsuits in China in an attempt to stop Apple from selling and manufacturing iPhones in the country, reports Bloomberg. Much of Apple’s iPhone assembly process takes place in China, as does the manufacturing of many iPhone components. China is also an important market for Apple, accounting for 22.5 percent of Apple’s sales in 2016.

In a filing with the Beijing intellectual property court on September 29, Qualcomm claimed patent infringement and requested injunctive relief. “Apple employs technologies invented by Qualcomm without paying for them,” said a Qualcomm spokesperson about the filing.

According to Qualcomm, the lawsuits are based on three non-standard essential patents covering power management and the Force Touch technology that Apple uses in its touch screens.

Qualcomm and Apple have been embroiled in an escalating legal battle since the beginning of this year after the FTC complained that Qualcomm engaged in anticompetitive licensing practices. Shortly after, Apple sued Qualcomm for $1 billion and accused the company of charging unfair royalties for “technologies they have nothing to do with” and failing to pay for quarterly rebates.

Apple stopped paying licensing fees to Qualcomm at that time, as did Apple suppliers. Apple maintains that Qualcomm charges excessive licensing fees by requesting a percentage of an iPhone’s entire value, while Qualcomm says its technology is “at the heart of every iPhone.”

Qualcomm has since countersued and filed several patent infringement lawsuits against Apple. Qualcomm has also asked the United States International Trade Commission to block imports of some iPhone and iPad models.

Qualcomm is also facing an FTC lawsuit in the U.S. for using anticompetitive tactics to remain the dominant supplier of baseband processors for smartphones and was recently fined $773 million in Taiwan for violating antitrust rules.

Tag: Qualcomm
Discuss this article in our forums

Stay Pixel-perfect: Seven of the best Pixel 2 cases and covers

If you’re looking for a smartphone that represents the very best Android experience, you rarely need to look further than Google’s own Pixel phones. The Pixel 2 range comes complete with the latest improvements to the Android experience, including Android 8.0 Oreo, Daydream VR, and the powerful Snapdragon 835 processor. It’s not a bad looker either — the glass strip from the original Pixel phones has returned, and the rest of the phone is clad in an attractive unibody metal shell.

Of course you want to protect those good looks. A smartphone’s lifespan is anywhere above two years, and it’s best to keep your phone looking as good as the day you bought it with a protective case that will keep it safe from dirt and scratches, and insulate it from sudden shocks like drops and bumps. But choosing a case can be a complicated affair — do you want a slim, sleek gel case or an executive-style leather wallet? Ultra-protection against drops, or something with a little more style? The right pick can be hard to find — and that’s why we’ve put together a list of the best Pixel 2 cases that you can buy to keep your phone protected.

LK Ultra Slim Gel Case — Clear ($9)

We always like to kick off these round-ups with some of the slimmer and less restrictive case options. This clear, TPU gel case from LK ticks all the right boxes if you’re looking for a case, but don’t want to compromise the unique look of the Pixel 2. The flexible TPU easily snaps around your phone, resists stains, and is so slim that you’ll probably forget it’s there. A raised edge along the outside of the front of the case protects your phone’s display when placed face down, and specially formed button covers match the placement of the buttons on your device, giving extra protection against dirt to those vulnerable areas. While it won’t offer as much protection as some of the other cases on this list for more serious drops and knocks, it will certainly resist scratches and give some protection to the device inside. A good choice if you want a case that doesn’t obscure your view of your phone.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

Olixar ExoShield Tough Case — Clear ($11)

Another clear option that doesn’t obscure your phone from view, Olixar‘s ExoShield for the Pixel 2 is perhaps the next step up in protection from a standard clear case. Using elements of stiff polycarbonate, as well as TPU, means that the ExoShield has the flexibility to lend additional grip and impact-absorption to your phone, and to resist damage that other TPU cases might lack the structure to resist. In particular, Olixar has reinforced the corners of the case — since the corners are the areas most likely to take the brunt of any fall. It’s also a slim-fitting case, adding barely any bulk to your phone — though the slight increase in size on the corners may mean it’s not for everyone. However, it’s good all-round protection (including a raised edge around the front, again protecting the screen), and is a great choice for anyone who wants protection, but doesn’t want a bulky case.

Buy one now from:

Mobile Fun

Ringke Bevel Case ($7)

There’s nothing technically extraordinary about Ringke’s Bevel case. As a TPU case it covers everything that you’d expect from Ringke — good protection from scratches against the exterior of the case, and some protection against impacts and drops from the soft TPU material. A raised edge around the screen and camera cut-out keep those areas from touching surfaces and getting scratched, and it comes with all the cut-outs for ports and button covers that you’d expect. But this case really caught our eye because of the stunning looking bevel pattern that takes it to another level beyond the usual gel case. It’s a slim, translucent offering that adds another layer of style to your already stunning phone. It’s also available in Smoke Black and Clear if the Rose Gold doesn’t tickle your fancy.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

Spigen Neo Hybrid Herringbone Case ($16)

Spigen is one of the finest names in device protection, and it’s a measure of a device’s success whether or not the veteran case creators are putting out their full range for it. The Neo Hybrid is always one of the standout designs. We’ve seen the winning combination of TPU and polycarbonate earlier on this list, and the Neo Hybrid doesn’t disappoint in terms of toughness. Drop protection and resistance to outside scratches is heightened with Spigen’s shock-absorbent TPU and hard outer polycarbonate shell. Spigen cases feel and look good, and the Neo Hybrid is no different in this regard, with a herringbone look that brings a whole new style to your Pixel 2, and a weighty feel that screams of a high-quality construction.

Buy one now from:

Amazon Spigen

Tauri PU Leather Wallet Case ($10)

If you’re looking for something a little more executive and sleek, then this leather-style wallet case from Tauri might be your thing. Made of a synthetic PU leather that’s durable and easy to keep clean, this case is designed to wrap around the front of your device when not in use, protecting your screen from scratches and damage while in your bag or pocket. It also folds into a handy kickstand, perfect for hands-free media viewing, video calls, or just setting up at the side of your bed like an alarm clock. Built-in card pockets mean that you can consolidate your credit cards and cash into the case, or use it to keep loyalty cards in when you pay with Android Pay, giving you the option of leaving your wallet at home.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

Speck Presidio Grip + Glitter ($45)

The perfect case for anyone who wants to make a statement with their choice of accessories, the Speck Presidio Grip + Glitter is a gorgeous case that offers fantastic protection. Speck’s drop protection pedigree is well known, and Speck claims that the two-layer construction will keep your Pixel 2 safe against drops up to 10 feet — though we don’t recommend you testing that claim. It’s also a looker, if you like the style. The shimmering crystal finish isn’t all style with no substance either, as the pattern on the back aids grip on your phone, making sure you can keep hold of your phone while still looking good. It’s slim in design, and a fantastic choice to keep your phone looking great and well protected — even if it is on the pricey side. Still, Speck’s a name worth paying for.

Buy one now from:

Speck

Moment Photo Case ($30)

If prior performance is anything to go by, the Pixel 2 is likely to have an incredible camera. Google is using a whole new method of machine learning to bring out a host of new camera tricks, so why not get a case that complements your shooting style? This case from Moment has been specially designed to facilitate easy use of your Pixel 2’s camera, with curved edges and a textured back that helps you to keep your grip, an attachment for wrist straps, and a durable construction that puts your mind at ease while shooting. The real draw here, though, is Moment’s range of additional camera lenses that clip on top of the case itself, letting you shoot with wide angle, fish-eye, macro, and a telephoto zoom. While the lenses are on the pricey side, if you’re looking to get serious with your smartphone photography, then this case is worth a look. But even if you’re not interested in the lenses, this is still an attractive case that offers good protection.

Buy one now from:

Amazon Moment

Best iOS app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time

Everyone likes Apple apps, but sometimes the best ones are a bit expensive. Now and then, developers put paid apps on sale for free for a limited time, but you have to snatch them up while you have the chance. Here are the latest and greatest iOS app deals available from the iOS App Store.

These apps normally cost money and this sale lasts for a limited time only. If you go to the App Store and it says the app costs money, that means the deal has expired and you will be charged. 

Tangle Patterns Mega Pack

Learn to draw beautiful illustrations while you practice mindfulness and meditate. It’s a must-have tool for tangle artists and enthusiasts.

Available on:

iOS

Time Manager

Time Manager is an easy way to keep track of your daily activities. All your tasks will be totaled and broken down into reports and graphs for you to see how well you’re spending your time.

Available on:

iOS

TranslateSafari

The app is a Safari extension that translates and speaks aloud the entire web page of Safari app. A must-have app to translate and speak aloud web pages of Safari.

Available on:

iOS

OVLA

OVLA is an application to add text and artwork into your own photo. Make your photo into an awesome work in the easiest and simplest way.

Available on:

iOS

Extreme Week Calendar

This app is the light version of the popular Extreme Agenda organizer app. It gives you a seven-day-week view and an inline day view to add great features not found in the default calendar.

Available on:

iOS

DayCalc Pro

DayCalc is an easy-to-use, beautifully packaged calculator and Unit Converter. It includes both a standard and scientific calculator, and just might be the best calculator for your iPhone.

Available on:

iOS

Brother launches its latest all-in-one printer exclusively at Staples

Why it matters to you

You can now grab one of Brother’s cost-saving INKvestment printers at a lower price than ever.

Office technology manufacturer Brother has lowered the barrier to entry in its INKvestment lineup of printers with the release of its all-in-one MFC-J775DW printer.

For those who missed the news last year, Brother’s INKvestment lineup of printers is designed to reduce the cost of printing both black-and-white and color pages through high-yield cartridges and duplex (two-sided) printing. According to Brother, using its high-yield ink cartridges can reduce the cost of printing black and white pages to just one cent and color pages to just five cents.

Like its predecessors, the MFC-J985DW, MFC-J5830DW and MFC-J6535DW, the MFC-J775DW doesn’t offer anything new or revolutionary in the world of home office inkjet printing. Instead, it focuses on providing simple, reliable printing without costing you an arm and a leg.

The MFC-J775DW works with smartphones, tablets, laptops and desktops through either wireless connectivity or a single USB port. Documents can be printed through mobile devices using Google Cloud Print, Morris, Wi-Fi Direct, and Brother’s own iPrint&Scan functionality. It can even connect to cloud drive services including: Google Drive, Evernote, Dropbox, Box, OneDrive, and OneNote to print documents from the cloud.

Accessing the settings and navigating the menu is done using the integrated 1.8-inch color display, which is placed alongside a collection of other navigational and input buttons on the front face of the printer.

Similar to the other printers in Brother’s INKvestment lineup, this entry-level printer is designed with the home office in mind. It doesn’t have all of the bells and whistles higher-end printers offer, but that’s what its more robust siblings are for. If you’re looking for an all-in-one solution that can print, scan, copy, and fax documents, it has you covered.

The MFC-J775DW is available for order online exclusively at Staples and will make its way into physical Staples stores by November. The standard printer package, which comes with a single set of ink retails for $150. A special INKvestment package, which comes with three sets of ink cartridges, is also available for $250. Brother says the INKvestment package should have enough ink for two years worth of printing.

How to set up and get started with Movies Anywhere

Set your digital movies free!

Before there was Android, before there was Google Play, there were movies on iTunes and Amazon, and there were digital copies of movies that were redeemed on iTunes, Amazon, and Vudu. Well, we can free them from their unused services and bring them all together on Movies Anywhere, adding them to your Google Play library and making them watchable just about anywhere!

Getting set up is a breeze, and you can get 5 free movies for doing it, so what are you waiting for?

Movies Anywhere is the multi-studio successor to Disney Movies Anywhere, and the setup works exactly the same, which is simple and you can do most of it straight from your phone after downloading the Movies Anywhere app.

Open Movies Anywhere.
Tap Get Started.

Tap the account you wish to log in with. On Android, Google will connect with the account set up on the device.

Agree to the Video Data Sharing agreement, which is required for the various studios and video services to talk to each other and share your library information.
Tap the checkbox next to the terms of use for the service to agree. You can also opt out of the marketing and promotion emails from Movies Anywhere and its studios by unchecking the opt-in boxes below the terms of service.

Tap I Agree.

If you already had a Disney Movies Anywhere account linked to the same email you used for setup, you’ll be prompted to import all your Disney movies. Tap Agree & Continue.
Tap Finish.

Tap the three-line menu icon in the top left corner.

Tap Manage Retailers.
Tap Google Play to link your account to Google Play.

Choose a Google account to link your account to.

Tap Allow to allow Movies Anywhere to add movies to your account and see what movies you own that are Movies Anywhere eligible.

You’ll receive the first two promotional movies. Tap Connect Retailers to link another account.

You can easily link Google Play and Amazon via the Movies Anywhere app. Vudu was experiencing issues connecting to Movies Anywhere on mobile and desktop, but this should be cleared up. Connecting iTunes requires you to log into Movies Anywhere on a device with iTunes, such as an iPad or desktop computer.

Note: After you link any account, give Movies Anywhere a few minutes for your movies to show up. The eligible titles will appear once your libraries sync. The current studios working with Movies Anywhere are Disney, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros., and 20th Century Fox.

Once you’ve linked all your accounts, you can stream the movies to your device, or you can Save Offline to watch when you’re stranded without data. As was done in Disney Movies Anywhere, offline copies in Movies Anywhere are handled by Google Play. By default, Movies Anywhere has Wi-Fi Only enabled to help you avoid breaking any data caps, and it can be easily toggled off from the main menu.

Because you sometimes hand your phone over to your kids to let them watch something while in the car/grocery store/backyard, Movies Anywhere has a profile system to let you quickly and easily switch to an age-restricted account for your little ones.

Tap the three-line menu icon in the top left corner.
Tap Add Profile.

Tap Change Avatar.

Tap the avatar that you desire for the profile.
Name the profile.
Slide the rating viewer to adjust what movie ratings your kids can see.
Tap Create Profile.

Now you can switch profiles by coming back to the main menu and tapping Switch Profile.

How are you liking Movies Anywhere? The bonus features UI could use a little work right now, but the app is as stable and capable as its predecessor, with a whole lot more movies that can use it. And once more studios sign on, I can see the next frontier for this service: TV shows.

Movies Anywhere: Everything you need to know!