Apple released the iOS 14 software Sept. 16. iOS 14 marks a new shift in Apple’s interface and has been anticipated by users since its announcement in June. The software update includes improvements to iPhone features and added security protections.

When you update your iPhone, most users will immediately notice that their home screen looks very different. iOS 14 introduces users to widgets which can be small, medium or large, along with display information from different apps such as weather and news. There are also smart stacks, which rotate different widgets to give additional customization.  

Many users have complained that it is difficult to resize and edit widgets on their home screen. Several users have gotten creative with the new update by customizing widgets and app icons with third-party apps. Users also now have access to an app library which creates categories for apps on the last page of their home screen. However, there is no way to edit the categories.

Apple Messenger has also been updated to include new features that give users more options to communicate. You can now pin conversations with contacts so that you can see their actions more clearly such as when they are typing or send a message. Within group chats you can now respond to a specific message so your response doesn’t get lost in the group. This is a convenient feature in big group chats and makes communication easier. iOS 14 also now includes an emoji search bar so you can find the perfect emoji without having to scroll through all the options. 

iOS 14 includes a new notification bar for phone and FaceTime calls. Instead of an incoming call taking up the entire screen of your phone, it now only appears as a banner at the top of the phone so you can continue to use your phone while ignoring calls. Many users have expressed gratitude for this feature and it’s a favorite from iOS 14. Siri also now only takes up a small portion of the screen when activated, compared to previously taking up the entire screen. There is also a new picture-in-picture mode so users can multitask while simultaneously watching videos or taking FaceTime calls.

Apple Maps has new features in iOS 14, such as including cycling instructions in big cities – a convenience for bikers and commuters. Maps also now includes routes for electric cars, showing charging stations. Users can now be alerted for speed and red-light cameras, which is a helpful feature to many drivers.

iPhone users will find the new privacy updates comforting as it allows more autonomy than previous updates. Users now can see a green dot when their camera is activated and a yellow dot when their microphone is activated. There are new app permissions, such as the new approximate location feature in which an app will ask for access to an approximate location rather than a specific pinpoint. This allows users more control when allowing apps to access their location. iOS 14 also now allows you to grant an app access to only specific photos or albums rather than your entire photo album. 

The new iOS 14 update offers Apple users new and exciting features that improve user experience by providing more opportunities for personalization and ease of access. The new notification banners, Message features and multitasking allow for a more seamless and efficient experience. Additional privacy protections give Apple users peace of mind that their data is protected. Overall, the iOS 14 upgrades user experience and provides a breath of change. 

TikTok, an app that allows people to upload a variety of videos up to one minute, has taken social media by storm. The app allows people to share their talents, as well as become famous and build careers on social media because of viral videos. The app allows people to share their favorite videos on other platforms, helping spread awareness about the app and bringing new content creators and app downloads.

In an article from  How to Geek, Matthew Hughes explains the basics of the platform. 

“TikTok is owned by a Chinese company called ByteDance,” Hughes said. “It’s the result of an amalgamation between two existing apps: musical.ly and douyin. TikTok is unusual because it’s the only internationally-successful Chinese social network, with an appeal that extends far into the Western world.”

Because of its origin, TikTok has caused a bit of controversy with the United States. In Hughes’ article he explains that lawmakers in congress see the app as a security threat, and two senators, Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), are calling for an intelligence probe into the app. TikTok has been known to censor content that it finds inappropriate, especially about topics concerning the protests in China, which is not shocking considering China shields its citizens from most information that Westerners can receive online.

Though it might be controversial and a little dangerous, TikTok has amassed quite a large following. DeAnna Jones, author of the article “What in the World Is TikTok? A Beginner’s Guide to the Fast-Growing Social Media App,” notes the widespread usage of the platform. 

“TikTok now has more than half a billion monthly users worldwide, with nearly 80 million downloads in the United States,” Jones said. “And here’s another nugget of a stat: In the first half of 2018, it was the number one downloaded app in the iTunes App Store.”

Clearly, TikTok has a mass appeal to everyone worldwide with the creative content that swirls around the app.

Many people have taken the opportunity to become famous online by using TikTok. Known as Kombucha Girl, Brittany Broski (@brittany_broski) uploaded a video of herself trying kombucha for the first time, and it went viral. Today she has over 2.6 million followers and 44.4 million likes on TikTok. 

Though there are plenty of others who have gained quite a following, one user at William Jewell College, Evan Sanders (@e_sand) has become quite a star on the app. Since his debut on TikTok, Sanders has gained more than 24,000 followers and over 1.1 million likes. How did both gain such a following? The answer is consistency. By continuously uploading videos, more people are brought to their pages, causing their views, likes and followers to increase. 

Sanders consistently posts a TikTok about once per day, gaining about a few thousand views and likes from each video, though some earn more than others. Since Broski is much more famous than Sanders, she doesn’t have to upload as often to keep her stream of fans happy, allowing her to post up to a few times a week.

Unlike Instagram influencers, TikTok stars are not paid what other influencers might be earning on different apps. The monetization comes from the live streams that the famous people do, allowing their fans to send emojis that can be transformed into actual money.

TikTok has become a fun app for all to enjoy. People of different ages, beliefs and backgrounds are able to find their type of humor and content that they enjoy because of how international the app is.