iOS

4,936 'iOS' stories August 2010 - January 2015

The world’s most advanced mobile operating system

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)

Apple shutting down legacy TestFlight next month following iTunes Connect integration

Zac Hall Jan 26 2015 - 8:53 am PT

19 Comments

Apple today began informing legacy TestFlight users that the services on TestFlightApp.com will no longer be available after February 26th, 2015. Apple bought the popular software testing distribution service through its acquisition of Burstly almost a year ago, and announced plans at WWDC 2014 to roll out its own version of the service in the future. Since then, Apple has integrated TestFlight beta testing for app developers with iTunes Connect.
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Apple hires Burberry’s VP of Digital Retail initiatives ahead of Watch launch

Mark Gurman Jan 23 2015 - 7:58 am PT

5 Comments

Apple has made yet another key hire from the fashion industry: Chester Chipperfield, the Vice President of Digital and Interactive Design at Burberry. Chipperfield was “responsible for User Experience and Digital Design for all channels” and was “highly involved in digital retail initiatives” at Burberry, according to his LinkedIn profile. He confirmed the move to Apple on his profile as well as on Twitter…

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Apple targets for Apple Watch battery life revealed, A5-caliber CPU inside

Mark Gurman Jan 22 2015 - 11:40 am PT

109 Comments

Although Apple has said that the Apple Watch will need to be charged nightly, the company has not disclosed any details on how long the wearable’s battery will last. For the first time, people with knowledge of the Apple Watch’s development have provided us with the specific performance targets Apple wants to achieve for the Apple Watch battery, but the actual numbers may fall short of those targets.

According to our sources, Apple opted to use a relatively powerful processor and high-quality screen for the Apple Watch, both of which contribute to significant power drain. Running a stripped-down version of iOS codenamed SkiHill, the Apple S1 chip inside the Apple Watch is surprisingly close in performance to the version of Apple’s A5 processor found inside the current-generation iPod touch, while the Retina-class color display is capable of updating at a fluid 60 frames per second.

Apple initially wanted the Apple Watch battery to provide roughly one full day of usage, mixing a comparatively small amount of active use with a larger amount of passive use. As of 2014, Apple wanted the Watch to provide roughly 2.5 to 4 hours of active application use versus 19 hours of combined active/passive use, 3 days of pure standby time, or 4 days if left in a sleeping mode. Sources, however, say that Apple will only likely achieve approximately 2-3 days in either the standby or low-power modes…

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Apple details HomeKit compatibility with competing home automation platforms, rules out rival Wi-Fi gear

Jordan Kahn Jan 22 2015 - 10:09 am PT

20 Comments

Apple will allow its upcoming Siri-controlled HomeKit platform to work with certain existing, non-HomeKit home automation products, including ones using competing protocols such as ZigBee or Z-Wave, but there are many limitations. According to sources briefed on the new specs, the latest Made for iPhone (MFi) licensing program specifications detail the types of home automation products other than HomeKit that Apple will permit to interact with its platform.

During the 2014 WWDC, Apple briefly mentioned the possibility of connecting rival home automation products to HomeKit using a hardware “bridge,” but only in recent weeks has clarified the types of accessories that will and will not be allowed.
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Twitter adds new ‘while you were away’ recaps to iOS app

Chance Miller Jan 21 2015 - 3:26 pm PT

0 Comments

Twitter this evening has announced in a blog post that it is rolling out a new “While you were away” recap feature to its mobile apps. Starting today on iOS and “soon” on Twitter.com and Android, a “While you were away” banner will appear in your feed, showing you the top tweets that you missed since you last opened the app. The company initially announced plans for a feature like this in November.

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Apple grabs 33% smartphone marketshare in South Korea, a historic record for foreign manufacturers in Samsung’s home turf

Benjamin Mayo Jan 21 2015 - 1:12 am PT

12 Comments

Apple’s marketshare in South Korea has skyrocketed in the last quarter, driven by strong demand for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, according to data by Counterpoint. Apple increased its share of sales from 15% to 33%, more than doubling its market power in one quarter.

Historically, Samsung has dominated South Korea, largely due to geographic advantages, but Apple’s gains now threaten the #1 spot. Apple is the first foreign smartphone company ever to surpass 20% marketshare in the region, taking the number 2 spot. Samsung’s marketshare fell from 60% in November to 46% and (now third-place) South Korean LG Electronics fell to 14%.

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Chrome for iOS gets Material redesign, OS X Handoff support, iOS 8/iPhone 6 optimizations

Jordan Kahn Jan 20 2015 - 10:02 am PT

36 Comments

Google is today rolling out Chrome 40 for iOS and with it introducing a redesigned UI, OS X Handoff support, and optimizations for iOS 8 and the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.
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Apple reminds developers once again of upcoming 64-bit requirement for iOS apps

Mike Beasley Jan 19 2015 - 5:58 pm PT

8 Comments

Apple has issued what will likely be the final reminder for developers building iOS software about the upcoming changes to requirements for new app submissions. Starting on February 1st, all new apps submitted to the App Store must include 64-bit support and be built using the iOS 8 SDK.

Existing apps already in the store won’t be removed if they don’t meet the standard, but starting in June, any further updates submitted for those apps will need to comply.

Screenshots show Google’s upcoming Calendar iPhone app w/ Gmail, Photos, & Maps integration

9to5 Staff Jan 19 2015 - 9:18 am PT

21 Comments

It appears that Google could soon release its promised redesigned Calendar app for iPhone after first making the announcement and releasing the app for Android last November. The Next Web this morning shared a handful of leaked screenshots that provide a first look at Google Calendar for iOS, including info cards that indicate Gmail, Photos and Maps integration will be key features of the app.
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Sid Meier’s Starships, a new interstellar strategy game, heads to Mac & iPad early this year

Jordan Kahn Jan 19 2015 - 6:57 am PT

0 Comments

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgCt3zWkxCg]

2K and developer Firaxis today announced Sid Meier’s Starships, a new interstellar strategy game arriving early this year on Mac, iPad and PC. The game extends the sci-fi universe introduced last year in Civilization: Beyond Earth, the latest title in Sid Meier’s Civilization series.

The Starships press release describes gameplay as taking “the role of a fleet commander after the age of the Seeding, and tasking them to lead their starships across the universe to defend planets against various enemies, grow their empire, and usher in a new age of peace in the galaxy.” That includes turn-based combat with customizable starships and dynamically generated missions.

Not only will Starships borrow from the universe of Civilization: Beyond Earth, but players with both games will also find integration between the two that 2K says “will enhance and expand the depth of both game experiences.”

“When designing Starships, I was intrigued by the idea of exploring the next chapter in the story of Civilization: Beyond Earth. What happens after we colonize our new home and eventually build starships to take to the stars? What has become of our long-lost brothers and sisters from the planet Earth?” said Sid Meier, director of creative development at Firaxis Games. “My goal was to create an experience that focuses on starship design and combat within a universe filled with interstellar adventure, diplomacy, and exploration.”

2K says the game will arrive sometime in early 2015 for Mac, PC and iPad. Screenshots are below:

iOS developers share their earnings, and the lessons they’ve learned along the way

Ben Lovejoy Jan 19 2015 - 5:44 am PT

15 Comments

If you write iOS apps and wonder how your earnings compare against those of other developers – or you have an idea for an app, and are wondering whether it’s worth pursuing – it can be tough to find any hard information. We hear occasional stories about hugely successful apps like Flappy Bird making hundreds of thousands of dollars per day, and we know there are some apps with literally zero downloads to their name, but what about the middle ground?

Jared Sinclair, developer of the RSS reader Unread, decided last year to share both his earnings from the app, and the lessons he’d learned along the way. It’s taken six months, but several other developers started the new year by following his example, with numbers and lessons shared for podcast player Overcast, graphical game Monument Valley and developer aid Dash …
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Apple commemorates Martin Luther King on its homepage, encouraging employees to volunteer through gift matching

Benjamin Mayo Jan 19 2015 - 3:27 am PT

4 Comments

Apple has updated its homepage today in commemoration of Martin Luther King, which Apple CEO Tim Cook has often noted as an inspiration for his work. Cook says he has pictures of Martin Luther King on his desk. However, this is the first time Apple has recognised Martin Luther King day (which happens on the third Monday of every January) so openly on its website.
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KGI: Apple likely to sell stylus accessory alongside 12-inch ‘iPad Pro’

Benjamin Mayo Jan 18 2015 - 7:04 am PT

57 Comments

According to a new report by KGI, Apple will soon introduce a stylus accessory for its iPad products, targeted at the expected (but still officially unconfirmed) larger-screened ~12 inch iPad Pro. Both products are quoted for release sometime this year, with KGI most recently quoting a Q2 launch window. The stylus would apparently charge using a Lightning cable.

Although KGI reports tend to be based off of supply-chain sources, which have proven very reliable in the past, Ming-Chi Kuo does not allude to any such indicators for the stylus prediction report. Instead, he highlights a number of patent filings in recent years by Apple on tablet styli and a need to differentiate the upcoming more premium iPad aside from screen size.

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Amazon renames Cloud Drive Photos app, adds iPhone 6/6+ support, full-res downloads, more

Jordan Kahn Jan 15 2015 - 2:58 pm PT

0 Comments

Amazon has released an update to its Cloud Drive Photos app introducing a new name alongside iPhone 6/6 Plus support and new features. The updated, now called “Amazon Photo,” also includes support for full resolution photo downloads, iPad landscape support, and more.

Full resolution photo downloads – You can now download your photos to your device in full resolution so you no longer have to worry about losing details when you print your downloaded photos or display them on a larger screen… Improved iPad Landscape support – Navigate through the app without ever needing to switch back to Portrait mode.

In addition, version 3.3.0 of the app includes duplicate photo detection that will detect matches and avoid uploading duplicates, and a new “report problems” feature directly through the app.

The updated Amazon Photo app is available on the App Store now.

Touching the dial: How iTunes Radio could be tuned for a better user experience

Michael Steeber Jan 15 2015 - 8:35 am PT

10 Comments

iTunes Radio, Apple’s first real foray into streaming music, made its public debut back in June 2013, where it was announced alongside iOS 7. Over a year since its release, the service hasn’t exactly taken over the world, quite literally. It’s still only available in the United States and Australia. If you compared iTunes Radio today with iTunes Radio as it existed the day it was first available to use, you’ll notice that not much has really changed.

Of course, just last May, Apple announced its acquisition of Beats Electronics, which brought along with it Beats Music, a robust and almost entirely different approach to streaming music. While Apple may seek to integrate Beats Music more tightly with iTunes in the future, at this time it hasn’t.

So in the meantime, what could Apple do to make iTunes Radio more appealing to customers? Some might say the music selection is limited, or that streaming doesn’t always work correctly. However, focusing on the service strictly from a feature standpoint, there are many small changes and additions Apple could implement that would have a huge impact on the usefulness and utility of iTunes Radio. Let’s take a look.

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Mockup Apple Watch apps and compare screen sizes with these official bezel templates

Benjamin Mayo Jan 14 2015 - 10:43 am PT

17 Comments

As an update to its Apple Watch Design resources, the company has now provided official bezel mock-ups of the 38 mm and 42 mm watches. Although the files are meant for developers, readers interested in Apple Watch can also use the images to compare the overall physical size of the two sizes.

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Google releases Classroom mobile app for iPhone and iPad

Jordan Kahn Jan 14 2015 - 9:31 am PT

1 Comment

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2fC7yrj984]

Google announced today that it’s releasing mobile apps for its Google Classroom service for both Android and iOS devices. The company officially launched Classroom to its Apps for Education customers in the US during the summer offering them a web-based platform for planning lessons, handing out assignments, and working alongside students. Teachers and students will now be able to access those features from mobile devices through the new apps and Google is also adding a could of new features to the platform.

In addition to a new teacher assignments page and archiving functions for Classroom, Google notes that the mobile apps will let users snap a photo to share or attach to assignments, share content from other apps, and access content cached for offline viewing.

Snap a photo: Right from the assignment page in the mobile app, students can snap a photo and attach it to their assignment — whether it’s the experiment they just did for a science class, or a drawing they made of their family tree. And if they’ve forgotten their homework, they can ask someone at home to snap a photo, text it and then turn it in with the app. Of course, if the dog has actually eaten it, Classroom can’t help you.

The new Google Classroom apps are available on Google Play and the App Store now as well as on the Google Play for Education store.

Apple Watch iPhone ‘Companion’ app revealed w/ new Watch features, monograms

Mark Gurman Jan 13 2015 - 12:44 pm PT

55 Comments

Yesterday, we reported that the latest iOS 8.2 beta reveals that an Apple Watch application for the iPhone is in the works. Now, we have some more details. Within Apple, the application is currently called the Apple Watch “Companion” app for iPhone. This application manages settings for Apple Watch applications, as well as settings for iPhone/Watch interactivity. The Companion app’s settings reveal some novel new functions that are coming to the Apple Watch. Below, we highlight some of the most interesting new features and settings.

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Bluetooth SIG Board appoints new officers including Apple’s Joakim Linde

Jordan Kahn Jan 13 2015 - 9:40 am PT

2 Comments

The Bluetooth SIG Board of Directors today announced the appointment of new officers including current board member Joakim Linde, a Sr. Wireless Architect at Apple, appointed as Secretary of the board. Linde joins other new officers appointed today including Toby Nixon of Microsoft as Chairman and Magnus Olsson of Ericsson AB as Vice-chairman.

Linde takes over Toby Nixon’s role as secretary as Nixon becomes Chairman of the board, while the previous Vice Chairman, James Rutledge of Lenovo, is no longer listed as a board member. The previous Chairman, Svein-Egil Nielsen of Nordic Semiconductor, is still listed as a board member following the new appointments.

“The Bluetooth SIG encourages its members to work together for the betterment of Bluetooth® wireless technology—a wireless solution uniquely poised to serve as the backbone of the Internet of Things (IoT),” said Mark Powell, executive director of the Bluetooth SIG. “Our Board of Directors and Associate members are volunteers who dedicate their time, thought leadership, and expertise to ensure Bluetooth remains the benchmark standard for wireless technology. We appreciate their guidance and look forward to working with Toby, Magnus, and Joakim in their new roles.”

While Linde has long been a member of the Bluetooth SIG board of directors, the new role gives Apple a higher strategic position among the team tasked with “guiding and promoting the Bluetooth wireless standard.” Linde has been a Senior Wireless Architect at Apple since 2010 and before that was the Director of Software at Nvidia.

Apple defends against EU 14-day refund abuse with App Store alert for customers with excessive refunds on file

Benjamin Mayo Jan 13 2015 - 2:27 am PT

32 Comments

Last week, we reported on a flaw with the EU’s new no-questions-asked 14-day refund policy that meant customers could effectively get paid apps for free, as refunding the app does not delete it from customers’ devices.

In response, Apple has adjusted its App Store purchases slightly for customers who have an excessive number of refunds on file. This means people with a track record of refunding purchase effectively lose the right to refund their purchase.

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12 inch MacBook Air production reportedly ramping for Q1 debut, will replace current 11 inch Air

Benjamin Mayo Jan 13 2015 - 2:02 am PT

4 Comments

Digitimes, which has a mixed track record when it comes to Apple products, is claiming that the 12 inch Air will debut in the first quarter of 2015, as production ramps at manufacturer Quanta. 9to5Mac posted an exclusive report about this device last week, pictured in the mockup above. The device is expected to be razor-thin with just one USB Type C port doubling as both power and connectivity.

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Text strings hint at Siri gaining support for Polish, Czech, and Slovak languages soon

9to5 Staff Jan 12 2015 - 4:34 pm PT

18 Comments

A series of text strings discovered within iOS 8.1.2, and included on software versions dating back to at least iOS 8.1, suggest that Siri could soon receive expanded language support on iPhone and iPad. The localized strings provide translated references to how Siri would display things like settings toggles, restaurants and reservations, and sports information in Czech, Slovak, and Polish.
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Google releases Chrome Remote Desktop for iOS to access your computer from your iPhone/iPad

Jordan Kahn Jan 12 2015 - 1:27 pm PT

17 Comments

Google today released its Chrome Remote Desktop app for iOS after a release on Android devices last year.

The app, available for both iPhone and iPad, allows users to remotely access their computer via the Chrome Remote Desktop app available in the Chrome Web Store.
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Details on Apple’s upcoming Lightning port specs for third-party accessories

Jordan Kahn Jan 12 2015 - 12:55 pm PT

15 Comments

We previously told you that Apple will be licensing its female Lightning port to third-party accessories, following an announcement to Made for iPhone licensees late last year. Since then, the company has released specs for the Lightning port that details exactly what Apple hopes to achieve by opening it up to third-parties, including how it could improve accessories.
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