iOS

4,903 'iOS' stories August 2010 - May 2018

See All Stories

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 releases first iOS 11.4.1, tvOS 11.4.1, and macOS 10.13.6 public betas

Zac Hall May 31 2018 - 10:02 am PT

Apple’s software release week continues today following iOS 11.4 and iOS 11.4.1 developer beta. This time its iOS 11.4.1 public beta, a bug fix update to the earlier release. tvOS 11.4.1 and macOS 10.13.6 public betas are also available.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple releases first iOS 11.4.1 developer beta

Zac Hall May 30 2018 - 10:01 am PT

Apple has released the first iOS 11.4.1 beta to registered developers for testing on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. iOS 11.4.1 likely focuses on bug fixes to any issues created by yesterday’s iOS 11.4 release.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Fortnite upgrading game with Turbo Build, voice chat, and shopping cart vehicles

Michael Potuck May 30 2018 - 6:51 am PT

Epic Games is out today with another update for its massively popular title, Fortnite. This release brings shopping carts as a new vehicle, the ability to quickly build structures, voice chat for iOS, and more.

Expand
Expanding
Close

iOS 11.4 with AirPlay 2, Messages in iCloud, HomePod stereo now available

Zac Hall May 29 2018 - 10:00 am PT

Just days before iOS 12 is unveiled to the public, Apple is fulfilling two promises made a year ago in iOS 11. First announced earlier this morning, iOS 11.4 is now available for iPhone and iPad. The new update includes AirPlay 2, HomePod stereo pairing, Messages in iCloud, and more.

Expand
Expanding
Close

iOS 11.4 coming today, HomePod gains multiroom audio and stereo pairing with AirPlay 2

Benjamin Mayo May 29 2018 - 7:26 am PT

HomePod

Apple is today releasing iOS 11.4, which finally includes AirPlay 2. This will bring multi-room and stereo pairing to the HomePod and Apple TV, calendar personal requests to HomePod Siri, alongside many other features.

The HomePod will also be debuting in several new countries next month; HomePod launches in Canada, France, and Germany on June 18 (via Buzzfeed).

Expand
Expanding
Close

iOS 11.4 beta 6 for iPhone and iPad now available

Zac Hall May 17 2018 - 10:05 am PT

Update: Public beta now, as well!

It’s only been a few days since the last beta, and now Apple has released iOS 11.4 beta 6 for testing. iOS 11.4 includes unreleased features like AirPlay 2 and Messages on iCloud. There’s also a new wallpaper for iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. We’ll dig in to the new version and detail changes below.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Google launches its AI-driven Apple News competitor ‘Google News’ for iPhone & iPad

Chance Miller May 15 2018 - 6:03 pm PT

Last week at its annual I/O developer conference, Google unveiled its new AI-powered “Google News” application. Replacing the neglected Newsstand service from Google, and seen as a direct competitor to the Apple News app, Google News is now available on the App Store…

Expand
Expanding
Close

iOS 11.4 beta 5 for iPhone and iPad now available

Zac Hall May 14 2018 - 10:01 am PT

It’s been one week since the fourth beta, and now Apple has released iOS 11.4 beta 5 for testing. iOS 11.4 includes unreleased features like AirPlay 2 and Messages on iCloud. There’s also a new wallpaper for iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. We’ll dig in to the new version and detail changes below.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Feature Request: One new feature I’d like to see in iOS 12, macOS 10.14, watchOS 5 and tvOS 12

Benjamin Mayo May 14 2018 - 8:22 am PT

Ahead of WWDC, this is my top software wish-list, addressing the number one feature addition I’d like to see for each of Apple’s platforms; iOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS.

These are just my personal picks, choosing just one thing per OS that I think I would appreciate the most for the iOS 12, macOS 10.14, watchOS 5 and tvOS 12 cycles.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Morpholio Trace sketch CAD app lets you automatically calculate and label area size with iOS

Michael Potuck May 8 2018 - 4:00 am PT

Morpholio Trace, a popular and highly rated sketch CAD app is receiving an update today with a major new feature, Smart Fill.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Gmail for iOS now supports sending money with Google Pay & snoozing emails

Chance Miller May 7 2018 - 1:57 pm PT

Google today is rolling out a notable update to the Gmail application for iOS. The update brings support for snoozing emails, as well as sending money with Google Pay…

Expand
Expanding
Close

iOS 11.4 beta 4 for iPhone and iPad now available

Zac Hall May 7 2018 - 9:58 am PT

Less than one week after the third developer beta, Apple has released iOS 11.4 beta 4 for testing. iOS 11.4 includes unreleased features like AirPlay 2 and Messages on iCloud. There’s also a new wallpaper for iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. We’ll dig in to the new version and detail changes below.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Fortnite crosses $50M in revenue thanks to latest ‘Season Four’ update

Chance Miller May 5 2018 - 6:39 am PT

Nearly two months after its initial release, Fortnite for iOS continues to bring in jaw-dropping revenue. According to new data from Sensor Tower, Fortnite has crossed its latest milestone, hitting $50 million in revenue…

Expand
Expanding
Close

iOS

Apple stops signing iOS 11.3 following the release of iOS 11.3.1

Chance Miller May 2 2018 - 2:19 pm PT

Following the release of iOS 11.3.1 last week, Apple today has stopped signing iOS 11.3. Following the release of a new version of iOS, Apple routinely stops signing older ones to ensure the highest numbers of users are up to date.

Expand
Expanding
Close

iOS 11.4 beta 3 for iPhone and iPad now available (public beta too)

Zac Hall May 1 2018 - 10:02 am PT

Update: Public beta now available too.

Two weeks after the second developer beta, Apple has released iOS 11.4 beta 3 for testing. iOS 11.4 includes unreleased features like AirPlay 2 and Messages on iCloud. There’s also a new wallpaper for iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. We’ll dig in to the new version and detail changes below.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Get the new 9to5Mac app for iPhone and iPad with push notifications for breaking news alerts and more

Benjamin Mayo Apr 30 2018 - 8:08 am PT

We’ve just launched a big update to our iPhone and iPad app; download it for free from the App Store. The app offers an alternative mobile experience to reading all our hands-on content, reviews, and 24 hours news coverage … with a streamlined timeline, dark mode, and much more.

The latest update adds realtime push notifications for posts, so you can stay up-to-date with the latest headlines in Apple and technology right from the lock-screen. To remove ads and unlock some additional premium features, upgrade to our premium subscription for just $1.99 per month — try for free for 7 days.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Startup offering $3 million to anyone who can hand over zero-day exploits for iOS or macOS

Peter Cao Apr 25 2018 - 11:56 am PT

Crowdfense, a startup company based out of the United Arab Emirates is offering up to $3 million for anyone who can offer a zero-day exploit on macOS, iOS, Android or Windows.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Feature Request: A gesture to undo accidentally tapping the top of the screen on an iOS device

Ben Lovejoy Apr 25 2018 - 7:22 am PT

Some of our Feature Requests require more argument and explanation than others. We might have ideas on an ideal approach, and alternative approaches that could be taken. We might describe our core ask, then add some nice-to-have options.

But this Feature Request couldn’t be simpler …

Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple releases iOS 11.3.1 with third-party display repair fix, macOS 10.13.4 security update

Zac Hall Apr 24 2018 - 10:07 am PT

Apple has released a new software update for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. iOS 11.3.1 is likely a bug fix update to the iOS 11.3 software update released last month. Apple has also released a security update to the recent macOS 10.13.4 update to macOS High Sierra.

Expand
Expanding
Close

iOS
iOS 12

WebKit testing logs reference iOS 12 running on an iPhone 5s simulator

Benjamin Mayo Apr 20 2018 - 2:12 am PT

MacGeneration has spotted discussions in the open source WebKit mailing list that include references to iOS 12. Specifically, a contributor included testing logs of a WebKit nightly build running on an iPhone 5s simulator.

This is strong evidence that the iPhone 5s will receive iOS 12, which is a year of updates more than what the iPhone 5 got (iOS 11 is not available for iPhone 5). It’s also just fun to see iOS 12 popping up in places already …

Expand
Expanding
Close

iOS
iOS 12

Apple ramps up iOS 12 and macOS 10.14 testing as we get closer to WWDC unveiling

Benjamin Mayo Apr 19 2018 - 5:29 am PT

Whilst there may not be as many new features this year in the flagship Apple operating systems as some years past, there is no mistaking that iOS 12 and macOS 10.14 are very much under active development and distribution amongst internal Apple employees is growing.

Our website analytics have recorded a noticeable uptick in Safari browser visits from iOS 12 and macOS 10.14 machines, particularly with bigger spikes just this week.

Expand
Expanding
Close

iOS
iPhone

iFixit speculates iOS 11.3 touchscreen issues aren’t purposeful, just software bugs

Chance Miller Apr 16 2018 - 5:26 pm PT

Last week, reports started popping up that iOS 11.3 was bricking devices that had been repaired with third-party screens. A pair of other issues have also emerged, including the new Battery Health feature not supporting aftermarket batteries and auto brightness and True Tone failing on the iPhone 8, iPhone 8, and iPhone X.

iFixit, however, speculates today that these issues are primarily software fixes, rather than deliberate efforts by Apple to sabotage third-party repairs…

Expand
Expanding
Close

iOS 11.4 beta 2 now available, includes (PRODUCT)RED wallpaper on certain iPhones [Video]

Zac Hall Apr 16 2018 - 10:00 am PT

Two weeks after the original developer beta, Apple has released iOS 11.4 beta 2 for testing. iOS 11.4 includes unreleased features like AirPlay 2 and Messages on iCloud. We’ll dig in to the new version and detail changes below.

Expand
Expanding
Close

iOS

RAW Power for iOS photo editor updated with improved file management, interface changes, more

Michael Steeber Apr 10 2018 - 6:26 am PT

Last fall, former Apple employee Nik Bhatt launched RAW Power for iOS, a mobile take on his company’s previous desktop application of the same name. Today, RAW Power for iOS has received its first major update since introduction, adding features that have been highly requested by customers.

Expand
Expanding
Close