Apple today shared a new television ad on its YouTube channel, designed to introduce people to the new Screen Effects feature in iOS 10. In the minute-long spot, a sole red balloon drifts through mountains, over the sea, and through hilly terrain to reach the city, where it's joined by hundreds of additional balloons floating through the streets.
The shot pans to an iPhone user who receives a "Happy Birthday" message, where balloons fill up the screen to accompany the text. It ends with the tagline "Expressive messages on iPhone 7. Practically magic."
Introduced in iOS 10, Screen Effects are designed to make the messages experience more emotive, personal, and fun. Screen Effects temporarily alter the look of the Messages display with full screen animations that play alongside text messages. There are several animations, ranging from balloons and confetti to lasers and fireworks.
With certain keywords like "Congratulations!" or "Happy Birthday!" Screen Effects play automatically whenever the relevant text phrase is sent to an iPhone user who has iOS 10 installed.
Wednesday September 2, 2026 10:25 am PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today shared a short video featuring an Apple Watch user named Amanda who says her device saved her life.
In 2024, Amanda began receiving alerts about an abnormal heart rate. Her watch alerted her about changes to her resting heart rate and her overnight vitals, prompting her to visit her doctor.
She ended up being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, an aggressive cancer. After...
The One Club for Creativity, a U.S. non-profit organization that promotes excellence in advertising and design, today announced that Apple has been selected as the first brand to be inducted into its newly established "Brand Hall of Fame."
Apple's most famous ads include its iconic "1984" Super Bowl commercial for the original Macintosh, the "Think Different" campaign from the late 1990s, the...
Tuesday August 25, 2026 1:40 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Ads in Apple Maps are live in the United States and Canada, which means iPhone and iPad users will see them when searching for locations and when viewing Suggested Places.
Apple announced plans to bring ads to the Maps app in March, and said the feature would roll out starting in late summer. Apple confirmed to 9to5Mac that ads began showing up for users over the last few days, with ad...
I find apples new ads to be stupid. Honestly, my favorite was the retina macbook pro ad they ran years ago for the 15 inch. short sweet and to the point.
