Things I want Apple to adopt rather sooner than later

If you use Apple products, you eventually get annoyed at some of the decisions that were made, or you start wondering why this feature has not been included yet. This is true for any kind of technology, but with Apple the feeling is just more intense, more vocal.

Hence this tiny list of things I want Apple to do, change, implement, or just simply fix.

1. Two-factor authentication

In the case of a stolen or hacked account password, two-factor authentication — or 2FA — is a way to prevent the bad guys to access that account. Basically, 2FA adds a layer of security on top of the login + password combination. Sometimes it is a simple code received via SMS (not secure, to avoid), but the easiest and best way has to be one-time passwords — OTP, usually generated by authenticator apps.

Apple’s own 2FA system — which is very easy to use by the way — uses OTP but only works with Apple ID. Since Apple’s own password manager — Keychain — doesn’t offer any kind of 2FA, you have to use a third-party app to generate OTPs for the accounts offering proper 2FA. I don’t mind at all using 1Password,¹ as you already know, but I wish all Apple users had access to this level of security natively through Keychain.

2. Cables

By embracing USB-C for MacBooks, Apple abandoned MagSafe. The magnetic connector was without a question a fantastic innovation. It was easily detachable — saving many laptops from crashing on the floor — and the LED indicator was absolutely perfect. You could just look from across the room and check if your laptop was still charging. If the outlet you were using had no juice, you knew instantly, without having to open and power-up your laptop, also avoiding leaving your laptop plugged thinking it is charging when it is actually not.

What is lost in the ease of plugging and unplugging is more than compensated by the ubiquity of USB type C, but I still miss the LED indicator. What I do understand though is why Apple did not use this opportunity to change the cable material. I don’t know who likes this white rubbery material, but I find it outdated, not durable, and it seems to pick up way too much dust. Apple certainly can do better in this department, they proved it by including a very nice braided cable in the Mac Pro box.

3. Subscriptions

This is an easy one: I am happy to pay for Apple TV+,² Apple Arcade, Apple Music, and iCloud storage, I really am. But wouldn’t it be nice if you could have a single invoice every month, instead of three, four, five? Maybe each of these services can be considered as an option within the same Apple subscription? This would be so much easier, and it would make a lot more sense.

Also, if someone pays for every service there is, a cheaper services bundle doesn’t seem like a crazy idea, does it?

My wish list of course doesn’t end here, but I feel like my other demands are not as important or as meaningful as the ones listed here, so I will just list them quickly:

• Please Apple, stop using Yelp for information on venues in Apple Maps.
• If someone pays the price for a ceramic or titanium Apple Watch, I believe it would be very nice if it was possible to upgrade the computer (and the battery) inside, and keep using the case. Maybe Apple already buys back the previous generation of watch for a fair price, but it would be cool.
• Safari’s Reading List deserves an optional shortcut on the homescreen.
• This one is driving me nuts: It has been months and maybe years now that Techmeme for instance is displayed “Techmem” and the final “e” is centered on the next line on my Favourites pop-up window, as you can see here. This is stupid and ugly and very un-Apple.

As usual, thanks for reading, and please let me know about your main Apple complaints by sending me a message on Twitter or via email.

UPDATE: A reader sent me an email with a link to this recent article on Gizmodo that I completely missed. It mentions the rumours that a 2FA feature for Keychain — like the one I describe — is coming to iOS 14. Thanks for the tip John!