Good News, Bad News or NO News...?

With the latest iOS upgrade (iOS9), Apple released a News app. A few Year 4 parents have expressed concerns about some of the News content. When the off-field antics of certain footballers are considered sufficiently newsworthy to report in explicit detail via this News app, many more parents may discover similar concerns. This post explains how to remove News content from the iPad.

In Settings > iCloud, you will see News listed as a feature of iCloud that can be toggled off:

Settings > iCloud > News

The News app will still appear when you turn it off, but it won’t have any content when opened. 

Unfortunately there’s another step required to turn off the News content that automatically appears on the Spotlight search screen (swiping L > R from the Home screen). Here's what to do to remove this:

Go to Settings > General > Spotlight Search. Scroll waaaay down to Spotlight Suggestions and toggle this OFF:

Settings > General > Spotlight Search > Spotlight Suggestions

I’ve not yet experienced any issues with notifications from the News app but you could also turn those off in case. Go to Settings > News > Notifications and turn notifications OFF.

Settings > News > Notifications

Thanks, Parents, for monitoring your children's iPad use. Your vigilance benefits our entire community!

Apple Charger Recall

You may have already heard in the news that Apple have issued a global recall for AC wall plugs (chargers) of iOS devices (iPads, iPhones and iPods) shipped between 2003 and 2015. In very rare cases, these chargers may break and create a risk of electrical shock if touched.

You can find more information about this recall, and how to tell if your charger might be affected, on the Apple website.

If you believe you have an affected charger at home, you can take it into any Apple reseller and exchange it for a new, redesigned adapter, free of charge. Alternatively, you can request a replacement via the internet or contact Apple Support.