iOS

The world’s most advanced mobile operating system

4,849 'iOS' stories August 2010 - December 2014

iOS is Apple’s mobile operating system that runs on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Historically, Apple releases a new iOS version once a year, the current version is iOS 13.

In 2007, Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone and iPhone OS. During the event, Jobs referred to the operating system as OS X because it shared a similar Unix core compared to the Mac. When Apple launched the iPhone SDK a year later, they officially changed the name to iPhone OS.

In the summer of 2008, Apple added the App Store to iPhone OS with version 2.0, and this set the stage for the “app economy” that we still enjoy to this day.

Version 3.0 was released in 2009, and it included copy/paste, MMS support, Spotlight, mobile tethering, and push notifications for 3rd party apps.

In version 4, Apple finally renamed iPhone OS to iOS (with the iPad sharing the same software). The major features were multitasking and FaceTime.

iOS 5.0 introduced Notification Center, iMessage, Siri, and iCloud.

iOS 6.0 removes Google Maps in favor of Apple Maps and added the Passbook app (now known as Wallet).

Version 7.0 brought a dramatic redesign of iOS with a new font, flatter icons, a and new Photos app. The redesign was led by Jony Ive.

Version iOS 8.0, Apple finally allowed third-party keyboards and the ability to share files from different apps.

Version 9.0 included Apple Maps, an overhauled Notes app, and multitasking for iPad.

Version 10.0 included an SDK for Siri, Maps, and iMessages.

Version 11.0 included a new iPad Dock, Customizable Control center, drag and drop on iPad, and the Files app with third-party integration.

Version 12.0 added Screen Time features for managing your time on devices, the Shortcuts app, ARKit 2.0, and Memoji.

iOS 13 added Dark Mode, swipe-style typing, a redesigned share sheet, made app downloads 50% smaller, 2x faster app launch speed, Memoji Stickers and Memoji Makeup, HomeKit-enabled routers and HomeKit Secure Video, a new “Sign in with Apple” option for logging into third-party services, all-new Apple Maps, and much more.

Compatible Devices with iOS 13

iPhone 11
iPhone 11 Pro
iPhone 11 Pro Max
iPhone XS
iPhone XS Max
iPhone XR
iPhone X
iPhone 8
iPhone 8 Plus
iPhone 7
iPhone 7 Plus
iPhone 6s
iPhone 6s Plus
iPhone SE
iPod touch (7th generation)

Panic’s Transmit App no longer allowed to ‘send’ files to other services, developers request reprieve

Seth Weintraub Dec 8 2014 - 1:16 pm PT

7 Comments

In a blog post today, Mac/iOS developer Panic explained why a recent version of its venerable Transmit FTP/File transfer app no longer uploads to iCloud, and it turns out, other services:

Transmit iOS 1.1.1 is out, fixing a few bugs in our surprisingly powerful file management app for your iPhone or iPad.

Also, at Apple’s request, we had to remove the ability to “Send” files to other services, including iCloud Drive.

In short, we’re told that while Transmit iOS can download content from iCloud Drive, we cannot upload content to iCloud Drive unless the content was created in the app itself. Apple says this use would violate 2.23 — “Apps must follow the iOS Data Storage Guidelines or they will be rejected” — but oddly that page says nothing about iCloud Drive or appropriate uses for iCloud Drive.

If the issue is just iCloud Drive, why did we remove the other destinations? We had no choice. iCloud Drive exists in this sheet.

The developers are taking their case public a few days after the app update was released in an effort to persuade Apple to change their minds in this case. Seems like a no-brainer. What say you Apple?

Apple announces iTunes Best of 2014: apps, music, movies, TV shows and books

Ben Lovejoy Dec 8 2014 - 4:27 am PT

1 Comment

Apple has announced its favorite apps, music, movies, TV shows and books of the year, with Elevate – Brain Training declared iPhone App of the Year while number puzzle game Threes! won iPhone Game of the Year.

For the iPad, ‘desktop-class’ image editor Pixelmator took the top slot, with the gorgeous Monument Valley winning best game. Both Threes! and Monument Valley previously won Apple Design Awards at WWDC back in June …
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Review: Harman Kardon Esquire Mini is the best iPhone speakerphone you can fit in your pocket

Seth Weintraub Dec 6 2014 - 1:11 pm PT

2 Comments

not me

I reviewed two portable Bluetooth speakerphone options earlier this year: The Philips WeCall ($145) vs. Logitech P710e ($125) . Both are square and have internal batteries and make conference calling easy. But for their ~$150 price tag, I wondered if you could get more portability and style without sacrificing sound quality.

The answer to those questions is the Harman Kardon Esquire line of portable speakerphones. Below, I take a look at the Esquire Mini which retails for $149.99 and can be found as low as $145 at Amazon or $135 at World Wide Stereo.
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Chance’s holiday gift guide: the products I use everyday

Chance Miller Dec 5 2014 - 10:30 am PT

7 Comments

I’ve already broken down the best gifts for students this holiday season, but now it’s time to talk about the best gifts for all the Apple lovers in your life. These are most of the products that I use on a daily basis. Whether I use them on-the-go, while working, or pretty much 24/7, these are some of the best products that have earned a coveted spot in my daily routine.

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Apple Maps to expand community crowdsourcing features, Siri + Passbook integration

Jordan Kahn Dec 4 2014 - 12:45 pm PT

7 Comments

Apple is looking to expand its efforts in crowdsourcing data to improve its Maps app for iOS and OS X, according to hints in a new job listing on the company’s site.
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Spotify offers three months of Premium for just $0.99 – but you probably won’t qualify

Ben Lovejoy Dec 4 2014 - 6:09 am PT

19 Comments

Spotify Premium gives you no ads, offline listening, on-demand listening even on mobile and better sound quality, and normally costs $9.99. So to get three months for just $0.99 sounds like a deal that’s too good to be true.

Unfortunately, it pretty much is. While the deal is there for new users, anyone who has ever subscribed to Premium or Unlimited isn’t eligible, and nor is anyone who has ever taken a one-month free trial of Premium. So, er, just about anyone who likes Spotify, then.

Still, if you do have friends who’ve never taken up the trial, this would be the perfect time for them to try it out. They will have to provide card details and remember to cancel before the three months is up, otherwise they will start paying the usual $9.99 a month.

Spotify also recently announced a family deal of $4.99 a month for each additional Premium user. Spotify Music for iPhone and iPad is a free download from the App Store.

Via 9to5Toys

iPhone 6 Plus captured 41% of all US phablet sales; iPhone 6 best-selling iOS device – Kantar data

Ben Lovejoy Dec 4 2014 - 4:30 am PT

24 Comments

Kantar data shows that the iPhone 6 Plus managed to take a 41% share of all US phablet sales for the August to October quarter, despite only being on sale for a little over one of those months and significant supply constraints.

Unsurprisingly, the smaller iPhone 6 also outsold the iPhone 5s in the same period, taking 33% of all iOS device sales against 26% for the 5s, 18% for the 5c and 10% for the 6 Plus. This is line with multiple sources suggesting a 3-to-1 ratio of iPhone 6 vs 6 Plus sales …
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iTunes Connect shutting down for holidays between December 22-29

9to5 Staff Dec 3 2014 - 8:23 pm PT

0 Comments

Apple has sent an email to registered developers on Wednesday to inform them that iTunes Connect will be shutting down for the holidays from December 22 to December 29. During this time, developers will be unable to submit new apps, app updates or in-app purchases to appear on the App Store. Access to iTunes Connect, Application Loader, iTunes Connect for iOS and making changes to TestFlight Beta Testing will also be unavailable as a whole.
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More banks add Apple Pay support: L&N Federal Credit Union, UW Credit Union, more

Jordan Kahn Dec 3 2014 - 1:15 pm PT

13 Comments

After adding support for several new banks last month, Apple today updated its list of supported banks and card types with the addition of L&N Federal Credit Union, UW Credit Union, and new card types for others.
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Apple is working on VR gaming & user interfaces for future products, Oculus and Leap experts wanted

Jordan Kahn Dec 3 2014 - 10:52 am PT

5 Comments

Update: Apple removed the job listings, but we have screenshots below.

Following our discovery that Apple was looking to hire app engineers to build virtual reality experiences, new job listings give us more insight into its interest in building VR gaming experiences and “cinematic user interfaces” for future Apple products.

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Apple Stores now sell these iPhone app-enabled Christmas lights in time for the holidays

Jordan Kahn Dec 3 2014 - 9:09 am PT

8 Comments

Over the last week or two Apple Stores started stocking these new app-enabled Christmas lights from Lumenplay both online and in retail stores. Similar to other app-controlled lighting systems, Lumenplay comes as string lights perfect for Christmas trees or outdoor decorations as we move into the holiday season, opposed to the traditional lightbulbs from Philips and others.
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Mozilla confirms Firefox for iOS to be released in the future

9to5 Staff Dec 2 2014 - 4:02 pm PT

15 Comments

For over four years, Mozilla has expressed that it has no interest in porting its Firefox web browser to the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Under the leadership of new chief executive Chris Beard, however, that mindset appears to have changed, as TechCrunch reports that Mozilla has recognized a need to release Firefox for iOS in the future.
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Drafts iOS widget to be removed as Apple decides Notification Center buttons apparently now off limits

Mike Beasley Dec 2 2014 - 3:12 pm PT

27 Comments

It seems Apple has ordered yet another developer to make changes to his app’s Notification Center widget even after it was approved for sale and adopted by countless users. Previously the company’s indecisiveness on the purpose of widgets led to an app called Launcher being pulled from sale, and a similar fate was almost met by the popular pCalc widget until Apple changed its mind (again).

The widget in question today was created by developer Greg Pierce and is part of the popular note-taking app Drafts. The app allowed users to create new entries in the app by pressing a button in the widget, which then opened the app’s composer (in the app, of course).

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Amex Mobile iPhone app adds easy account login w/ Touch ID fingerprint sensor

Jordan Kahn Dec 2 2014 - 9:11 am PT

3 Comments

American Express updated its Amex Mobile app today with one notable new feature: the ability to login into your account using Touch ID.

Log-in securely with the same user ID and Password you use on americanexpress.com. And now, enjoy quicker access with Touch ID, available for supported devices with iOS 8.

The new features utilizes Apple’s Touch ID finger print sensor, which in iOS 8 was opened to third-party apps for logins after previously being reserved for unlocking the device itself and authenticating App Store and iTunes purchases. For that reason the new feature is only supported on devices with TouchID running iOS 8. Devices with Touch ID include iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPad Air 2 Plus, and iPad mini 3.

The updated Amex Mobile app, version 4.6.4, is available on the App Store now and also includes other “bug fixes and enhancements.”

What’s New in Version 4.6.4

•Enjoy quicker access to your account with Touch ID, available for supported devices with iOS 8
•Bug fixes and enhancements

Apple closes iOS 8.1 signing window, eliminating chance to downgrade

9to5 Staff Dec 1 2014 - 7:05 pm PT

9 Comments

Apple has closed the signing window for iOS 8.1 on compatible iPhone, iPad and iPod touch models, thereby eliminating the ability for users to downgrade to the software version. iOS 8.1.1, seeded as an over-the-air update a few weeks ago, is now the earliest software version that devices can be restored to.
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Holiday gift guide: Making music with your iPhone, iPad, and Mac

Jordan Kahn Dec 1 2014 - 10:51 am PT

2 Comments

It doesn’t take much to get up and running recording music on your Mac, iPad, or even your iPhone. With a few pieces of additional hardware and the right software, it’s easier than ever to have a home recording setup that, thanks to iOS and some great third-party apps, is as simple and as intuitive to use as iOS itself.

Head below for our latest guide to the essentials for making music with your iPad, iPhone, and Mac, many of which are currently discounted for Cyber Monday:
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Updated Dropbox iOS app gives you quick accesss to renaming files and folders, more

Jordan Kahn Dec 1 2014 - 10:51 am PT

0 Comments

Dropbox announced today that an incoming update hitting the App Store today will offer the ability to rename fils and folders and more.

Today’s update to the iOS app includes a new “more actions button” that will let users rename files, folders and access other functions: We’ve added an easy-access more actions button next to the sharing icon in the upper right-hand corner that leads to a set of file options so you can quickly do things like rename or move a file…To rename files straight from the Dropbox, simply choose Rename from the more actions button as you’re previewing. Rename folders by swiping to the right from the file list view and tapping the rename icon.

Dropbox also points out that the latest apps have a new disappearing toolbar that provides more screen real estate when viewing files and folders in addition to a few other new features. Our new toolbar disappears (and reappears) as you need it, leaving valuable screen space for a full view into your photos or important files. Simply tap once anywhere within your photo or file to toggle between the toolbar and full screen.

That new disappearing toolbar (which was present in the last version of the app as well) includes an edit button for Microsoft Office files as part of the company’s recent integration with the Office mobile apps.

The updated Dropbox app for iOS, version 3.6, will be arriving on the App Store today.

What’s New in Version 3.6

• You can now rename your files and folders!
• Swipe right on a folder to see more actions, including rename.
• We’ve moved a few things around – there’s a new more actions button (⋯) when viewing files
• On iPhones, the more actions button (⋯) also includes the full file na

T-Mobile cuts iPhone pricing for Cyber Monday, 64GB iPhone 6 $100 off, 5s & 5c discounts

Jordan Kahn Nov 30 2014 - 8:54 pm PT

5 Comments

T-Mobile just announced a few special iPhone deals available for Cyber Monday. For tomorrow only, the carrier is offering discounts on the iPhone 6, iPhone 5S, and iPhone 5c, allowing users to upgrade to a higher capacity model at no additional cost.
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FingerKey app lets you unlock your Mac using iPhone’s TouchID fingerprint sensor

Jordan Kahn Nov 28 2014 - 2:57 pm PT

28 Comments

A new app called FingerKey allows Mac users to unlock their computer using Apple’s Touch ID fingerprint sensor on the iPhone 5s, 6, or 6 Plus.

That means you’ll be able to login to your Mac using your iPhone’s fingerprint sensor rather than typing in a password each time. The app takes advantage of Apple opening up the Touch ID sensor to third-party apps for logins after previously being reserved for unlocking the device itself and authenticating App Store and iTunes purchases.

The FingerKey app includes the ability to unlock multiple computers from a distance, 256-bit AES encryption, and a Notification Center Today widget for quick access.

The developer says that support for logging into Windows and Linux computers is coming soon as is a Pattern Unlock feature for logging in via touchscreen gestures.

We recently wrote about a similar app, which also used a Bluetooth connection, that allowed users to unlock their Mac using by knocking on their iPhone’s screen.

FingerKey is available on the App Store for $1.99 and the developer shared the video below of the app in action:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVS1f9iYqHs]

Report: Schematics of 12.2-inch ‘iPad Air Plus’ rumored for April-June launch, iPad Mini 4 upgrade details

Jordan Kahn Nov 28 2014 - 11:35 am PT

26 Comments

Japanese magazine Mac Fan has published what it claims are drawings for the much rumored upcoming 12-inch iPad (via Macotakara).

The report in Mac Fan, which refers to the 12-inch iPad as the iPad Air Plus, claims that the new iPad will include a 12.2-inch display, new A9 processor, four speakers to offer stereo sound in any orientation, and arrive sometime between April and June of next year.
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Apple CarPlay vs Google Android Auto — full comparison (Video)

Dom Esposito Nov 28 2014 - 9:56 am PT

47 Comments

Apple and Google are back at it again and attempting to bring a safe and friendly mobile experience to your car. Android Auto and CarPlay are the two company’s re-imagining of mobile user interfaces for the car and both are gearing up for a major rollout over the next year.

Each system is designed to work with its respective native mobile platform, but there are differences between the two that may appeal to different people. Today we’re comparing Apple’s CarPlay to Google’s Android Auto using the 2015 Hyundai Sonata. This car comes packed with both systems, so you won’t have to compromise either way, but there are some important differences between the two…

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Nintendo patent hints at official Game Boy emulator for mobile phones

Jordan Kahn Nov 28 2014 - 9:04 am PT

7 Comments

TechCrunch points to a newly published patent filed by Nintendo that shows the company is interested in bringing Game Boy titles to mobile devices through emulation technology. Many emulators exist online to mimic old consoles and allow gamers to play back catalogs of games converted to ROM files on Macs and PCs, and Nintendo could possibly do the same to officially bring titles to mobile devices without much heavy lifting in terms of rewriting the games:
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IBM analytics show that iOS dominates online purchasing in both transactions and average sale values

Ben Lovejoy Nov 28 2014 - 6:20 am PT

5 Comments

Android might have the sheer weight of numbers, but when it comes to ecommerce, it’s iPhone and iPad owners retailers want to attract. Online shopping data compiled from Thanksgiving shopping yesterday showed that despite iOS devices in the US being outnumbered almost two-to-one by Android, it’s iOS devices that dominate online purchasing.

iOS accounted for a quarter of online purchases, compared to less than 7% for Android devices. Average order value was also higher, at $118.57 compared to Android’s $95.25 …
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