Apple TV 4K delivers highest quality cinematic experience with tvOS 12
Charter Communications to Offer Apple TV 4K to Spectrum Cable Customers
San Jose, California — Apple today previewed tvOS 12, the powerful operating system designed for enjoying entertainment on the big screen, which takes the cinematic experience of Apple TV 4K to the next level with support for Dolby Atmos audio, convenient new features to easily access the shows and movies you love and breathtaking aerials shot from space.
Apple TV 4K has been a hit since its debut last fall, offering customers the largest collection of 4K HDR movies, including free 4K HDR upgrades to previously purchased movies in customers’ iTunes libraries. This fall, iTunes will be home to the largest collection of Dolby Atmos-supported movies anywhere, and these titles will also include Dolby Atmos audio for free. With tvOS 12, Apple TV 4K will be the only streaming player both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos certified, delivering the highest quality cinematic experience of stunning 4K HDR visuals and immersive sound that flows all around in three-dimensional space.
Video providers around the world are choosing Apple TV 4K to deliver their subscription services to customers. Apple today announced that Charter Communications, the second-largest cable operator in the US, will begin offering Apple TV 4K to their customers. Later this year, customers in nearly 50 million households will have access to live channels and tens of thousands of on-demand programs via an all-new Spectrum TV app on their Apple TV 4K, iPhone and iPad, seamlessly integrated with Siri and the Apple TV App. In addition, as part of this collaboration, Charter will be offering iPhone and iPad to customers as they grow their mobile presence. Charter joins AT&T’s DirecTV Now in the US, CANAL+ in France and Salt in Switzerland, which have begun offering their customers Apple TV 4K with their services.
The Apple TV App on iPhone, iPad and Apple TV is the single destination to find and watch TV shows and movies from more than 100 participating video apps in 10 countries. Single sign-on for Apple TV and iOS has allowed users to sign in once to get access to all the video apps available through their cable subscription. With tvOS 12, Apple further simplifies the authentication process with zero sign-on. Apple TV simply detects the user’s broadband network and automatically signs them in to all the supported apps they receive through their subscription — no typing required. Zero sign-on begins with Charter later this year and will expand to other providers over time.
Aerial screensavers are a favorite of Apple TV users and reach new heights with tvOS 12. Apple, in collaboration with the International Space Station National Lab and the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, unveiled brand new aerials shot from space by NASA astronauts, so Apple TV customers can enjoy even more stunning scenes filmed in 4K HDR. Aerial screensavers will also be more interactive, allowing viewers to see the location information and swipe between dozens of beautiful aerials.
Additional tvOS 12 features for Apple TV 4K and Apple TV 4th generation make it even easier for customers to access the shows and movies they love:
With iOS 12, users can securely AutoFill passwords from iPhone and iPad to Apple TV to easily sign in to Apple TV apps.
The Apple TV Remote will be automatically added to Control Center on iPhone or iPad for Apple TV users, giving users quick access to Apple TV controls.
Home control systems like Control4, Crestron and Savant can be used to control Apple TV, including using Siri for voice search and control.
Availability
The tvOS developer preview is available for Apple Developer Program members at developer.apple.com starting today. The new tvOS will be available this fall as a free software update for Apple TV 4K and Apple TV 4th generation. For more information, visit apple.com/apple-tv-4K. Features are subject to change. Some features may not be available in all regions or all languages.
Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV. Apple’s four software platforms — iOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay and iCloud. Apple’s more than 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.
Press Contacts
Christine Monaghan,Apple, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ,(408) 974-8850
Bernadette Simpao,Apple,This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,(669) 227-9273
Apple Media Helpline,This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,(408) 974-2042

Apple previews iOS 12
Shared AR Experiences, Fun New Ways to Communicate and Screen Time Come To iPhone and iPad This Fall
San Jose, California — Apple today announced iOS 12, the latest version of the most advanced mobile operating system, designed to make everyday tasks faster and more responsive. iOS 12 changes the way iOS users see the world using AR, makes communications fun and expressive with Memoji and Group FaceTime, and with Screen Time, helps customers understand and take control of the time they spend interacting with their iOS devices. iOS 12 introduces Siri Shortcuts, enabling Siri to work with any app, delivering a much faster way to get things done.
“We’re very excited about the new communications features we’re bringing to iPhone and iPad with Memoji, a more personal form of Animoji, fun camera effects and Group FaceTime,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “With iOS 12, we’re enabling new experiences that weren’t possible before. We’re using advanced algorithms to make AR even more engaging and on-device intelligence to deliver faster ways to get things done using Siri.”
Faster and More Responsive
iOS 12 is designed to make everyday tasks on iPhone and iPad faster and more responsive with performance improvements across the system. Camera launches up to 70 percent faster, the keyboard appears up to 50 percent faster and typing is more responsive. Even when there is a lot going on across the system, apps can launch up to twice as fast. From iPhone 5s, introduced in 2013, to the most advanced iPhone ever, iPhone X, iOS 12 brings performance improvements to more devices than any previous version.1
Shared AR Experiences
ARKit 2 enables developers to create the most innovative AR apps for the world’s largest AR platform, with new tools to integrate shared experiences, persistent AR experiences tied to a specific location, object detection and image tracking, making AR apps even more dynamic. Designed in collaboration with Pixar, a new open file format, usdz, makes it easy to experience AR nearly anywhere in iOS, including apps like Messages, Safari, Mail, Files and News, delivering powerful graphics and animation features.
Memoji and Fun Camera Effects
New features make communicating with friends and family from iPhone X more expressive with new Animoji and personalized Memoji characters that are customizable and fun. Create beautifully designed Memoji right within Messages by choosing from a set of inclusive and diverse characteristics to form a unique personality. The existing set of Animoji also expands with ghost, koala, tiger and T. rex. All Animoji and Memoji now feature winks and tongue detection to capture even more expressions.
New camera effects bring Animoji, Filters, Text and Stickers to Messages and FaceTime. Filters like comic book and watercolor add personality to photos and videos, new labels and shapes let users add captions and titles to highlight parts of an image, and stickers can be placed using iMessage sticker packs.
Group FaceTime
FaceTime changed the way we communicate and share important moments, and now with Group FaceTime, it’s easy to chat with multiple people at the same time. Participants can be added at any time, join later if the conversation is still active and choose to join using video or audio from an iPhone, iPad or Mac — or even participate using FaceTime audio from Apple Watch.
Siri Shortcuts
Siri Shortcuts deliver a new, much faster way to get things done with the ability for any app to work with Siri. Siri intelligence can suggest an action at just the right time — whether it’s to order a coffee in the morning or start an afternoon workout. Users can customize Shortcuts by creating a simple voice command to kick off the task or download the new Shortcuts app to create a series of actions from different apps that can be carried out with a simple tap or customized voice command. It’s easy for developers to take advantage of this new capability using Shortcut APIs.
Photos
An all-new For You tab surfaces favorite moments in one place, combining Memories and iCloud Shared Albums. A new sharing suggestions feature makes it easier to share photos with friends, and friends who receive photos are prompted to share back any photos and videos they have from the same trip or event. Search suggestions surface the most relevant Events, People, Places, Groups, Categories and recent searches, and new search functionality lets users combine multiple search terms to find just the right photos.
Do Not Disturb, Notifications and Screen Time
New tools built into iOS 12 help customers understand and take control of the time they spend interacting with their iOS devices. New modes in Do Not Disturb automatically end based on a specified time, location or action, and Do Not Disturb during Bedtime helps people get a better night’s sleep by dimming the display and hiding all notifications on the lock screen until prompted in the morning.
To help reduce interruptions, iOS 12 gives users more options for controlling how notifications are delivered. They can instantly manage notifications to be delivered quietly or turned off completely. Grouped notifications make it easier to view and manage multiple notifications at once.
Screen Time provides users with detailed information and tools to help them better understand and control the time they spend with apps and websites. Daily and weekly Activity Reports show the total time spent in individual apps, usage across categories of apps, how many notifications are received and how often iPhone or iPad are picked up. Screen Time also gives parents access to their child’s Activity Report right from their own iOS devices using Family Sharing in iCloud, and allows them to schedule times to limit when a child’s iOS device can be used, such as during bedtime.
Privacy and Security
As with all Apple software updates, enhanced privacy and security remain a top priority in iOS 12. In Safari, enhanced Intelligent Tracking Prevention helps block social media “Like” or “Share” buttons and comment widgets from tracking users without permission. Safari now also presents simplified system information when users browse the web, preventing them from being tracked based on their system configuration. Safari now also automatically creates, autofills and stores strong passwords when users create new online accounts and flags reused passwords so users can change them.
Additional App Features
Apple Books is redesigned to make it easier to discover and enjoy books and audiobooks, and the Book Store tab makes it easy to explore new titles and browse the top charts, curated collections and special offers.
Apple News is redesigned to make it easier to discover new channels and topics or jump straight to favorites, and on iPad, a new sidebar makes navigation even simpler.
Stocks comes to iPad and illustrates how the market is moving with easy-to-understand quotes and high-quality news.
CarPlay adds support for third-party navigation apps displayed right on the car’s dash — joining music, messaging, calling and automaker apps.
Voice Memos is now available on iPad and adds iCloud support to sync recordings and edits across devices. A new design makes it easier to capture, share and edit recordings.
Siri translation expands to more than 40 language pairs and brings more knowledge of sports, celebrities, food and nutrition. Siri can also surface favorite photos by person, place, event, time and topic.
Wallet on iPhone and Apple Watch adds support for student ID cards, making it more convenient to access everything on campus.
Availability
The developer preview of iOS 12 is available to Apple Developer Program members at developer.apple.com starting today, and a public beta program will be available to iOS users later this month at beta.apple.com. iOS 12 will be available this fall as a free software update for iPhone 5s and later, all iPad Air and iPad Pro models, iPad 5th generation, iPad 6th generation, iPad mini 2 and later and iPod touch 6th generation. For more information, visit apple.com/ios/ios-12-preview. Features are subject to change. Some features may not be available in all regions or all languages.
Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV. Apple’s four software platforms — iOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay and iCloud. Apple’s more than 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.
1 Testing conducted by Apple in May 2018 using iPhone 6 Plus supporting normal peak performance with prerelease iOS 11.4 and prerelease iOS 12. Camera launch tested by swiping from the Lock screen; App launch tested by launching from the Home screen; keyboard tested using Safari. Performance varies based on specific configuration, content, battery health, usage and other factors.
Press Contacts
Jacqueline Roy,Apple,This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ,(408) 862-4386
Trudy Muller,Apple, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,(408) 862-7426
Apple Media Helpline,This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,(408) 974-2042

iOS 12 introduces new features to reduce interruptions and manage Screen Time
San Jose, California — Apple today announced new tools built into iOS 12 to help customers understand and take control of the time they spend interacting with their iOS devices. These new features, available later this month as part of the iOS 12 public beta, include Activity Reports, App Limits and new Do Not Disturb and Notifications controls designed to help customers reduce interruptions and manage screen time for themselves and their families.
“In iOS 12, we’re offering our users detailed information and tools to help them better understand and control the time they spend with apps and websites, how often they pick up their iPhone or iPad during the day and how they receive notifications,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “We first introduced parental controls for iPhone in 2008, and our team has worked thoughtfully over the years to add features to help parents manage their children’s content. With Screen Time, these new tools are empowering users who want help managing their device time, and balancing the many things that are important to them.”
Do Not Disturb
iOS 12 brings enhancements to Do Not Disturb, making this powerful time management tool even better by helping people stay in the moment during times like studying as well as during a class, meeting or dinner. There is also a new Do Not Disturb during Bedtime mode to help people get a better night’s sleep by dimming the display and hiding all notifications on the lock screen until prompted in the morning. Do Not Disturb has new options from Control Center where it can be set to automatically end based on a specified time or location.
Notifications
To help reduce interruptions, iOS 12 gives customers more options for controlling how notifications are delivered. Instantly manage notifications to be turned off completely or delivered directly to Notification Center. Siri can also intelligently make suggestions for notifications settings, such as to quietly deliver or turn alerts off, based on which alerts are acted upon. iOS 12 also introduces Grouped Notifications, making it easier to view and manage multiple notifications at once.
Screen Time
Empowering customers with insight into how they are spending time with apps and websites, Screen Time creates detailed daily and weekly Activity Reports that show the total time a person spends in each app they use, their usage across categories of apps, how many notifications they receive and how often they pick up their iPhone or iPad.
By understanding how they’re interacting with their iOS devices, people can take control of how much time they spend in a particular app, website or category of apps. The App Limits feature allows people to set a specific amount of time to be in an app, and a notification will display when a time limit is about to expire.
Screen Time is great for everyone to better understand and manage their device usage, but can be especially helpful for kids and families. Parents can access their child’s Activity Report right from their own iOS devices to understand where their child spends their time and can manage and set App Limits for them.
Screen Time also gives parents the ability to schedule a block of time to limit when their child’s iOS device can’t be used, such as at bedtime. During Downtime, notifications from apps won’t be displayed, and a badge will appear on apps to indicate they are not allowed to be used. Parents can choose specific apps like Phone or Books that will always be available, even during downtime or after a limit is spent.
Screen Time is account-based and works across all of a child’s iOS devices, so settings, reports and allowances are based on their total usage. Screen Time works with Family Sharing and is quick and easy to set up. Parents can configure Screen Time settings remotely for their child within the same Family Sharing group or locally on a child’s device.
Availability
Screen Time and the new Notifications and Do Not Disturb features will be available with iOS 12 this fall. The developer preview of iOS 12 is available to Apple Developer Program members at developer.apple.com starting today, and a public beta program will be available to iOS users later this month at beta.apple.com. iOS 12 will be available this fall as a free software update for iPhone 5s and later, all iPad Air and iPad Pro models, iPad 6th generation, iPad 5th generation, iPad mini 2 and later and iPod touch 6th generation. For more information, visit apple.com/ios/ios-12-preview.
Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV. Apple’s four software platforms — iOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay and iCloud. Apple’s more than 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.
Press Contacts
Michele Wyman,Apple,This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,(669) 276-1208
Andrew Kelly,Apple,This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,(669) 283-1423
Apple Media Helpline,This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,(408) 974-2042

watchOS 5 adds powerful activity and communications features to Apple Watch
San Jose, California — Apple today previewed watchOS 5, a significant update to the world’s most popular watch, helping users stay healthy and connected. Apple Watch becomes an even stronger companion for fitness, communication and quick access to information with a host of new features including Activity Sharing competitions, auto-workout detection, advanced running features, Walkie-Talkie, Apple Podcasts and third-party apps on the Siri watch face.
“We’re thrilled with the positive impact Apple Watch is having on people’s lives,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer. “Apple Watch is helping our customers stay connected, enhance their fitness and, in many cases, detect life-threatening conditions. With the launch of watchOS 5, we’re excited to introduce new activity and communications features that will take the Watch to a whole new level.”
Activity Competitions
Building on the excitement around Activity Sharing, watchOS 5 now enables users to invite another Apple Watch wearer to compete in a seven-day Activity competition, earning points for closing Activity Rings, while receiving coaching notifications to help stay engaged and win the week.
Auto-Workout Detection
For the most popular workouts on Apple Watch, auto-workout detection provides an alert to start the correct workout and gives retroactive credit. This feature also offers a reminder to end workout sessions after a period of inactivity if the user forgets.
New Workouts
Yoga and Hiking join 12 other dedicated workout types, accurately tracking active calories burned and exercise minutes earned.
New Running Features

watchOS 5 delivers high-performance features for running enthusiasts, including a new cadence (steps per minute) metric for indoor and outdoor runs and walks, as well as a new pace alarm for outdoor runs that alerts users when they are behind or ahead of their designated target pace. A brand new metric — rolling mile pace — is introduced as an additional option for runners to see their pace for the immediately preceding mile in addition to their average pace or current pace.
Walkie-Talkie
watchOS 5 introduces Walkie-Talkie, an entirely new way to communicate with voice and just a tap of the wrist. A fun and easy way to quickly get in touch with friends and family, this new watch-to-watch connection is fast, personal and can be activated between any compatible Apple Watch users around the world over Wi-Fi or cellular.1
Apple Podcasts
Users can now listen to their favorite podcasts on the go with Apple Podcasts on Apple Watch and stream any podcast in the catalog by using Siri. Episodes will automatically sync to Apple Watch, and as they’re listened to on other devices, the app will automatically refresh with the latest episode. A new feature for developers allows music, audiobooks and meditation sessions from apps such as Pandora, Audible and 10% Happier to be synced to Apple Watch for playback offline without the user’s iPhone nearby.
Siri Updates
Using machine learning, the updated Siri watch face on Apple Watch is an even better personal assistant. It now offers more predictive and proactive shortcuts throughout the day based on routines, locations and information such as heart rate after a workout, commute time with Maps at the appropriate time of day or sports scores for a favorite team. The Siri watch face will also show actionable content from favorite third-party apps such as Nike+ Run Club, Glow Baby and Mobike.
Enhanced Notifications
Notifications from third-party apps can now have interactive controls and be used without needing to open the app; for example, a Yelp reservation notification will have the option to modify the time or change the number of guests right from the notification.
Student ID Cards
With watchOS 5, Apple Watch replaces Student ID cards. With a raise of the wrist, students can gain access to places including the library, dorms and events, and pay for snacks, laundry and dinners around campus simply by adding their ID cards to Wallet on Apple Watch. The program launches with Duke, the University of Alabama and the University of Oklahoma this fall. Johns Hopkins University, Santa Clara University and Temple University will bring the capability by the end of the year.
Pride and Summer Bands
Apple also today released a new watch face to celebrate Pride, which Apple Watch users can download from the Face Gallery in the Apple Watch app. The Pride Edition Woven Nylon band is updated with a new rainbow stripe with a donation being made to the following LGBTQ advocacy organizations: Gender Spectrum, GLSEN, ILGA, PFLAG, The National Center for Transgender Equality and The Trevor Project. Apple also introduced new summer band colors in Marine Green, Peach and Sky Blue.
Pricing and Availability 
watchOS 5 will be available this fall as a free update for Apple Watch Series 1 and later and requires iPhone 5s or later on iOS 12. watchOS 5 will not be available on the original Apple Watch. Features are subject to change. Some features may not be available in all regions.
WatchKit for watchOS 5 is available to Apple Developer Program members at developer.apple.com starting today. For more information, visit apple.com/watchos-preview.
The Pride watch face is available to add to the watch from the Face Gallery in the Apple Watch app on iPhone and requires iOS 11.4 and watchOS 4.3.1.
The new Pride Edition Woven Nylon band is available today on apple.com and will be available later this week at Apple Stores in the US and over 35 countries and regions, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UAE and the UK. The Pride Edition Woven Nylon band is $49 (US).
New colors of the Apple Watch Sport Band will be available to order on apple.com starting today in the US, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, UAE and the UK. The Sport Band is $49 (US).
Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV. Apple’s four software platforms — iOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay and iCloud. Apple’s more than 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.
1 Walkie-Talkie is not available in China, UAE and Pakistan.
Press Contacts
Lance Lin,Apple,This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,(408) 974-5036
Nikki Rothberg,Apple,This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,(408) 974-4427
Apple Media Helpline,This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,(408) 974-2042

Apple unveils ARKit 2
Enables Developers To Create the Most Innovative AR Apps for the World’s Largest AR Platform
Apple today introduced ARKit 2, a platform that allows developers to integrate shared experiences, persistent AR experiences tied to a specific location, object detection and image tracking to make AR apps even more dynamic. Apple is also unveiling the Measure app for iOS, which uses AR to quickly gauge the size of real-world objects, as well as a new open file format with iOS 12, usdz, which is designed to more deeply integrate AR throughout iOS and make AR objects available across the ecosystem of Apple apps.
Apple has been delivering major AR advancements to developers at a rapid pace since ARKit shipped last fall, and this is already the third major release. ARKit gives developers the tools to create AR experiences that change the way iOS users see the world in both fun and productive ways.
ARKit 2
Shared experiences with ARKit 2 make AR even more engaging on iPhone and iPad, allowing multiple users to play a game or collaborate on projects like home renovations. Developers can also add a spectator mode, giving friends and family the best views of AR gameplay from a different iOS device.
Persistent AR will also change the way consumers interact with AR apps by creating opportunities to leave virtual objects in the real world to which users can return. They can start a puzzle on a table and come back to it later in the same state or create an art project over the course of a few weeks without starting over each time.
ARKit 2 also extends support for image detection and tracking, making it possible to detect 3D objects like toys or sculptures, and adds the ability to automatically apply reflections of the real world onto AR objects. This makes the AR experience an even more realistic mix of the virtual and real world.
Measure
Measure is a new app in iOS 12, which uses AR to quickly gauge the size of real-world objects similar to a tape measure. The new app automatically provides the dimensions of objects like picture frames, posters and signs, and can also show diagonal measurements, compute area and allow users to take a photo and share it with accurate dimensions right from their iPhone or iPad.
QuickLook and usdz
iOS 12 makes it easy to experience AR nearly anywhere in iOS. In collaboration with Pixar, Apple is introducing a new open file format, usdz, which is optimized for sharing in apps like Messages, Safari, Mail, Files and News, while retaining powerful graphics and animation features. Using usdz, Quick Look for AR also allows users to place 3D objects into the real world to see how something would work in a space.
ARKit 2 and usdz are part of the developer preview of iOS 12 that is available to Apple Developer Program members starting today. ARKit 2 and usdz support will be available this fall as part of a free software update for iPhone 6s and later, all iPad Pro models, iPad 5th generation and iPad 6th generation.
Press Contacts
Stephanie Saffer,Apple, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ,(408) 974-5160
Apple Media Helpline,This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,(408) 974-2042

By Parisa Zagat, Policy Programs Manager, Facebook

Today’s stop on our Facebook Community Boost tour across America is Des Moines, Iowa, where we’ll be from June 4th to June 8th sharing tips, tricks and trainings with small businesses and the community on everything from How to Find New Customers with Facebook to Getting Creative with your Mobile Phone and Instagram.

Giving DMACC Graduates a Boost with the Facebook Digital Marketing Certificate

While Community Boost in Des Moines will last for about a week, we’d like Iowans to have access to training and resources long after the event ends. That’s why we’re happy to partner with Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) to announce a new Digital Marketing Certificate Program. DMACC joins Central New Mexico Community College to be the first two institutions of higher education in the country to offer this program, which will include courses in digital marketing and social media strategy for enrolled students.

In a survey of the Des Moines community, we learned that having these digital skills is an important part of business growth, hiring decisions and competitiveness in the job market for both job seekers and managers.

Over 9 in 10 (94%) small business managers believe creating a social media presence for a company is important to growing a business, but less than 3 in 10 (27%) believe that their skills in this area are excellent 92% of small business managers believe creating content that renders well on a mobile phone is important to growing a business, but only about 1 in 8 (13%) believe that their skills in this area are excellent 90% of small business managers believe an individual’s digital skills are an important factor when hiring, but only about half of managers (52%) prioritize where a candidate went to school

We hope that this program will offer DMACC graduates an added boost to compete for jobs in the digital economy.

Supporting the growth of Iowa businesses and the economy is important to us. We’ll be hosting Des Moines Community Boost at Franklin Jr High School – just 20 miles away from Altoona, where we broke ground on a fourth building on the 400-acre site in May 2017.

Brice Towns, Site Manager for the Altoona Data Center, will be offering keynote remarks at Community Boost kick-off at 10:00 am on Monday, June 4th. He’ll be able to share more about how we hope to continue to support the Greater Des Moines community – whether it be through construction or full-time jobs, our Community Action Grants for area nonprofits, civic programs and schools, or our trainings for small businesses and communities who hope to grow and thrive on Facebook.

Come join us and register for free or find the latest city announcements, news and program schedules at facebook.com/communityboost.