iOS 9.3

37 'iOS 9.3' stories January 2016 - April 2016

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iOS 9 climbs to 84% adoption, Apple ramps iOS 10 testing ahead of WWDC

Benjamin Mayo Apr 21 2016 - 11:34 am PT

Although Apple usually updates its iOS adoption statistics on a fortnightly basis, the company had strangely stopped updating its iOS chart last month. As iOS 9 growth appeared to have stalled, perhaps the numbers simply didn’t change significantly in that time. However, this week Apple has updated the chart with a significant jump, now reporting iOS 9 was seen on 84% of active devices as of April 18th. With iOS 10 set to be announced in June (and internal testing gradually ramping — see below), it appears iOS 9 will end up peaking around the 90% adoption mark in line with previous versions.

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Variation on 1970 date bug can be used to remotely brick pre-iOS 9.3 devices via Wi-Fi hotspots [Updated]

Ben Lovejoy Apr 13 2016 - 5:03 am PT

Update: Sources close to Apple tell us that, contrary to the original claim, this issue – like the original one – was resolved in iOS 9.3. We also understand that Apple was able to successfully restore the test devices sent to it by the researchers.

While iOS 9.3 fixed a bug that bricked iOS devices when the date was set to January 1, 1970, security researchers have found a variation on the theme that can remotely brick devices as soon as they connect to a Wi-Fi hotspot. The exploit uses a combination of two weaknesses discovered in iOS, reports KrebsonSecurity.

The first is that iOS devices automatically reconnect to known Wi-Fi hotspots, but rely on the SSID to identity them. iPhones and iPads will auto-connect to a malicious Wi-Fi hotspot that spoofs the name of a known one.

Second, iOS devices are programmed to constantly check that their time and date settings are correct by connecting to Network Time Protocol (NTP) servers. All the researchers had to do was create their own Wi-Fi hotspot labelled ‘attwifi’ (as used by Starbucks) and their own NTP server pretending to be time.apple.com to deliver the January 1, 1970 date …

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Activity++ for iPhone and Apple Watch is an alternative dashboard for your fitness goals

Zac Hall Apr 7 2016 - 11:38 am PT

Starting with iOS 9.3, third-party app developers can tap into Apple Watch activity data like move and stand goal progress as well as exercise duration. Developer David Smith has used that new capability to create an alternative dashboard to Apple’s Activity app on iPhone and Apple Watch. The new app is called Activity++ (following Pedometer++ and Sleep++) and it’s out for iPhone and Apple Watch today. Here’s what it offers:

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Following release of iOS 9.3 & 9.3.1, Apple stops signing iOS 9.2.1

Chance Miller Apr 5 2016 - 5:32 pm PT

As it generally does following the release of a new version of iOS, Apple this evening has stopped signing iOS 9.2.1 for all devices. This change comes two weeks after Apple released iOS 9.3 to the public and less than a week after the release of iOS 9.3.1, which squashed a handful of bugs that plagued the initial version.

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Sprint users affected by LTE connectivity bug following iOS 9.3, fix coming soon [Update]

Chance Miller Mar 31 2016 - 4:16 pm PT

[Update: Sprint says the issue has been resolved as of today and apologizes for the convenience.]

While Apple has fixed a few issues relating to iOS 9.3 with a subsequent iOS 9.3.1 update, there’s still at least one bug plaguing Sprint users that appears to be out of Apple’s hands. According to a handful of Sprint users across Twitter and Reddit, they have been unable to connect to LTE data following the iOS 9.3 update and are forced to use only 3G data. Today, however, Sprint acknowledged the issue and confirmed that it is working on a fix.

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Apple releases iOS 9.3.1 for iPhone and iPad, addresses crashing bugs when tapping links

Benjamin Mayo Mar 31 2016 - 9:50 am PT

Apple has released iOS 9.3.1 for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. The bug fix update to iOS 9.3, released last week, contains a crucial improvement for iOS users: it addresses the widespread issue where apps (and sometimes the whole OS) would crash or hangs when tapping links.

We’ll update the post if we spot anything else notable, although the Release Notes do not suggest anything else has changed …

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How-To: Set up and use password-protected Notes on iOS 9.3 [Video]

Jeff Benjamin Mar 29 2016 - 6:35 am PT

Along with Night Shift mode, having the ability to password-protect notes in the default Notes app is one of the big new features in iOS 9.3. Individual notes within the Notes app can now be secured with a password, and Touch ID users can gain even faster access to password-protected notes.

Securing notes in iOS 9.3 is a simple exercise on the surface, but it’s not always entirely straightforward. Have a look at our full video walkthrough and tutorial for all of the details.
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Apple re-releases iOS 9.3 for older iPhones and iPads affected by Activation Lock issue

Benjamin Mayo Mar 28 2016 - 9:58 am PT

Apple has released an updated build of iOS 9.3 for users affected by an activation bug, first reported last week. Although the version number is still 9.3, the update features a new build number, 13E5237, to signify the change. The issue prevented some iPhone and iPad owners from successfully completing the upgrade steps for iOS 9.3 if they could not recall their Apple ID info immediately, to pass Activation Lock.

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How-To: Set up and use Night Shift mode on iPhone and iPad [Video]

Jeff Benjamin Mar 23 2016 - 6:03 am PT

iOS 9.3’s headlining new feature is called Night Shift mode. By adjusting the color temperature of your iPhone or iPad’s display, Night Shift mode makes using your iOS device at night and in dark settings easier on your eyes.

Research has shown that by reducing the blue light emitted from a backlit display, it can become easier to fall asleep at night. Apple was very careful in its wording during yesterday’s iPhone SE event, letting us know that not everyone would enjoy similar results. That said, I’ve personally had good experience with like-minded utilities. In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to get started with Night Shift on iOS 9.3.
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Night Shift automatic Sunrise/Sunset schedule missing in iOS 9.3? Here’s the fix

Benjamin Mayo Mar 22 2016 - 3:19 am PT

With the release of iOS 9.3 yesterday, Apple included a major new feature that may help you sleep better at night: Night Shift. Night Shift works by changing the color temperature of your screen gradually as the day changes. In Control Center, you can toggle this feature on and off manually. In Settings, you can setup iOS 9.3’s Night Shift so that it automatically shifts the blue light of your iPhone or iPad screen with a schedule. The schedule options are either preset times set by the user or an automatic schedule based on sunrise and sunset.

However, after updating to iOS 9.3, some users have complained that the automatic Sunrise/Sunset option is not available for their devices. It turns out this is not a bug, or limited to certain countries as people suggest. In fact there is a simple fix …

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Watch the product announcements from the iPhone SE event in under 10 minutes

Jeff Benjamin Mar 21 2016 - 6:49 pm PT

We’ve put together a supercut of the iPhone SE event that features all of the major product information discussed in under 10 minutes. If you’re pressed for time, but still want to tune in and see the event’s announcements, you can now do so in a mere 9 minutes and 22 seconds.
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Apple releases iOS 9.3 for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch featuring Night Shift, Touch ID Notes and more — here are all the new features

Benjamin Mayo Mar 21 2016 - 11:54 am PT

Following a lengthy beta period, Apple has now released iOS 9.3 for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. iOS 9.3 is a significant feature update for Apple’s mobile operating system, with brand new additions like Night Shift, Touch ID Notes and more. iOS 9.3 runs on every iOS 9-capable device, including the brand new iPhone SE. The update appears to weigh in at a hefty 1.7 gigabytes.

See our full walkthrough of all the new iOS 9.3 features after the break …

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How-To: Safely backup and update iOS on your iPhone, iPad, & iPod touch

Sarah Guarino Mar 20 2016 - 9:00 am PT

With Apple’s Special Event being live tomorrow, and with iOS 9.3 most likely being released shortly after, it’s worth taking a look at how you should prepare your device for the feature-packed update. Before installing the update, it is recommended that you have a backup of your data. This tutorial is going to walk you through backing up your iOS device and how to perform a software update when available.

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Apple’s March 21st ‘Let us loop you in’ event is official: 4-inch iPhone SE + 9.7-inch iPad Pro & much more expected

Zac Hall Mar 10 2016 - 9:00 am PT

Apple has officially announced its upcoming spring event (via @tim) scheduled for March 21st in Cupertino at Apple’s 1 Infinite Loop campus at 10 am PT/1 pm ET. The company is expected to introduce the 4-inch iPhone SE, 9.7-inch iPad Pro, new Apple Watch bands, software updates, and more. As for what’s in store for this event, this is what’s rumored and what we expect to see:

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Apple releases iOS 9.3 beta 6 with Night Shift, Touch ID Notes, Verizon Wi-Fi Calling, more

Zac Hall Mar 7 2016 - 9:50 am PT

Apple has released sixth iOS 9.3 pre-release beta for developers and public beta testers to use ahead of its release. The software update is expected to be released later this month. Features include a new Night Shift mode which changes the color temperature of displays, Touch ID- and password-protected items in the Notes app, new CarPlay features, expanded 3D Touch options, and much more.

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IBM launches Watson Health Cloud for ResearchKit, Apple Watch-based sleep tracker ‘SleepHealth’ as first app

Jordan Kahn Mar 2 2016 - 7:03 am PT

IBM today announced that it’s launching the first app that will run on its new Watson Health Cloud for ResearchKit — SleepHealth — as it also makes that platform available to researchers building their own apps that work with Apple’s ResearchKit.

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Apple releases iOS 9.3 beta 5 for developers + public beta testers w/ restored Apple Pencil features, tweaked Night Shift mode toggle

Zac Hall Mar 1 2016 - 10:17 am PT

Just nine days after the last developer beta, Apple has released iOS 9.3 beta 5 to registered developers and public beta users for testing. This beta version is expected to restore full Apple Pencil support for scrolling and navigation on iPad Pros after earlier betas removed that function. We’ll check out the latest release and update below with changes.

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Got a company-issued iPhone? You may find homescreen apps locked into place …

Ben Lovejoy Mar 1 2016 - 6:43 am PT

If you have an iPhone issued by your employer, you might find both your dock and homescreen being populated by the apps your organization wants to make front and center. Developer Steve Stroughton-Smith noticed that iOS 9.3 gives organizations greater control over the way apps are presented on the iPhones they control.

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This week’s top stories: Apple’s March 21st iPhone SE/iPad Pro event, Apple vs FBI, iOS 9.3 beta 4, Siri for Mac, & more

Jordan Kahn Feb 28 2016 - 9:22 am PT

While the Apple vs FBI controversy was the top Apple story from last week, the case takes back seat this week to news surrounding Apple’s upcoming March 21st iPhone and iPad event. But Apple and the FBI stories still come in right behind in this week’s top stories, followed by news of Apple’s latest iOS 9.3 beta release, plans for Siri on the Mac this fall, and the more on the upgraded camera system rumored for iPhone 7.

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iOS 9.3 beta 4 fixes devices affected by 1970 bug, prevents issue from occurring in the future

Chance Miller Feb 24 2016 - 4:04 pm PT

Earlier this month an odd issue was discovered that could potentially brick any iOS device. Essentially, if you used the Settings app to change the date of your device to January 1st, 1970 and rebooted it, any 64-bit iPhone or iPad would be basically bricked. A handful of fixes floated around, but the general consensus was that visiting an Apple Store and getting your device replaced was the best way to solve the problem. Now, as spotted by MacRumors, Apple appears to have fixed the issue with the latest iOS 9.3 beta.

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Apple restoring full Pencil functionality on iPad Pro in next iOS 9.3 version

Chance Miller Feb 23 2016 - 1:42 pm PT

When Apple released the first beta of iOS 9.3, iPad Pro users quickly discovered that the update essentially crippled the Apple Pencil’s functionality with the device. Since its release, the Apple Pencil had been able to be used to navigate throughout iOS, in addition to the oft-touted drawing capabilities. The 9.3 betas, however, removed the accessory’s ability to be used to navigate iOS. Apple has confirmed to The Verge, though, that the capability will return in the next beta.

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Apple releases iOS 9.3 public beta 4 with Night Shift, Touch ID Notes, & Verizon Wi-Fi Calling

Zac Hall Feb 23 2016 - 10:01 am PT

Apple has released the fourth iOS 9.3 public beta to non-developer testers today. iOS 9.3 public beta 4 follows this week’s fourth developer iOS 9.3 beta release as well. The latest beta cleans up issues introduced in the last version while adding some new features as well.

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Apple releases iOS 9.3 beta 4 with Night Shift, Touch ID Notes, & Verizon Wi-Fi Calling

Zac Hall Feb 22 2016 - 9:51 am PT

Apple has released the fourth iOS 9.3 beta for developers to test on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. The first iOS 9.3 beta appeared in early January. Apple is expected to release the iOS 9.3 software update to all users around next month’s iPhone 5se/iPad Air 3 event. We’ll check out the latest beta version of the upcoming release and highlight any changes below.

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iOS 9.3 allows apps to add content from Apple Music directly to your library

Greg Barbosa Feb 22 2016 - 8:57 am PT

In his security and privacy post regarding iOS’s current music library, Ben Dodson adds a small addendum explaining that with iOS 9.3 apps can now add music that currently exists in the Apple Music catalog directly to a user’s music library. While a small and under-discussed feature, it opens up further possibilities for many different kinds of apps and application developers.

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