iOS

4,854 'iOS' stories August 2010 - November 2017

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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)

iPhone X jailbreak demoed on iOS 11.1.1, but release uncertain [Video]

Noah Stahl Nov 10 2017 - 1:47 pm PT

For many people, using the stock iPhone with regular old iOS 11 is like living in a cage. For those who prefer the iOS platform, but despise the restrictions placed on you, there is a new hope. Our first demo of a jailbreak on a current iOS build has revealed itself.

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How to make a custom ringtone for your iPhone, with GarageBand on iOS

Benjamin Mayo Nov 10 2017 - 5:19 am PT

With the latest version of iTunes, Apple buried the interface for making ringtones on the Mac. It’s still possible but a lot more cumbersome to manage.

A little-known secret is that you can actually make custom alert ringtones for iOS on your iPhone itself, using GarageBand. Here’s how.

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Apple releases iOS 11.1.1 for iPhone and iPad with ‘i’ autocorrect fix

Zac Hall Nov 9 2017 - 9:58 am PT

Apple has released iOS 11.1.1 for all iPhone and iPad customers. The latest software update includes bug fixes and improvements including a fix for the notorious ‘i’ autocorrect bug that resulted in an A and [?] character appearing.

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iOS

You can now view detailed App Store and iTunes purchase history on iOS

Chance Miller Nov 8 2017 - 1:33 pm PT

Apple today is making it easier for users to view purchase history directly from their iOS devices. The company revealed in an updated support document today that you can now view your App Store and iTunes purchase history in the Settings app on iOS…

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iOS
Animoji

Developer creates standalone Animoji app with private APIs, doubles the recording time

Greg Barbosa Nov 6 2017 - 3:23 pm PT

SBSAnimoji

Developer Simon B. Støvring has seemingly broken Apple’s new Animoji out of its Messages jail cell and into a whole new world. By tapping into private APIs, Støvring has created a standalone iOS app allowing users to record up to 20-second long Animoji videos.

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Want to order a burrito as fast as your iPhone X? Now you can

Noah Stahl Nov 6 2017 - 1:41 pm PT

As more apps update for the display shape and size of the iPhone X, we’ll continue to see neat uses of the space. Chipotle has done just that with its latest update. Actually it’s not even an update; it’s a complete overhaul.

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iOS

Apple to release software update to solve iPhone issue when typing the letter ‘i’, here’s a workaround fix

Benjamin Mayo Nov 6 2017 - 1:51 am PT

Update: Apple has now released iOS 11.1.1. If you were affected by the symbols autocorrect glitch when typing the letter A, update to iOS 11.1.1 and your problem will be resolved.

Some iPhone and iPad users are facing a weird bug after updating to iOS 11.1. When trying to type the lowercase letter ‘i’, autocorrect replaces the word with the letter ‘A’ and a question mark symbol.

Apple has documented steps for a workaround fix until a real bug-fix software update is released …

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iOS camera permissions allow rogue apps to surreptitiously photograph & video users [Video]

Ben Lovejoy Oct 26 2017 - 4:00 am PT

One of the privacy features of iOS is that apps are required to ask permission if they want to access things like your photos, camera and location. But a Google engineer has created a demo app to show how a rogue app could abuse permissions to surreptitiously photograph you as you use the app – or even livestream video from your front or rear cameras.

The issue, says Felix Krause, is that users are asked to grant blanket permission. There may be a legitimate-seeming reason for an app to request access to your camera, to take a photo within the app, but it is then able to shoot photos and video anytime it is in the foreground without alerting you in any way …

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iOS
Reddit

Former Apple employee launches beautiful iOS focused Reddit client

Michael Potuck Oct 23 2017 - 10:49 am PT

A new Reddit client has launched today for iPhone and iPad that has been built specifically with iOS in mind. Apollo is a full featured Reddit client with 3D Touch support, customizable gestures, a fast Jump Bar, and much more.

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iOS
iOS 11

Apple releases iOS 11.1 beta 5 to developers

Chance Miller Oct 23 2017 - 10:11 am PT

Update 2: Apple has released the fifth public beta of iOS 11.1.

Update: Apple has also released the fourth beta of tvOS 11.1 to developers, as well as macOS High Sierra 10.13.1

Apple today has released iOS 11.1 beta 5 to developers. The update comes just a few days after Apple released beta 4. iOS 11.1 includes changes such as hundreds of new emoji, the return of the 3D multitasking gesture, and more.

iOS 11.1 beta is available via the Settings app.

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iOS
Nintendo

Nintendo teases Animal Crossing for iOS with announcement set for this week

Michael Potuck Oct 23 2017 - 9:21 am PT

Nintendo today has shared it will reveal details this week about its release for the mobile version of its popular title, Animal Crossing. First expected back in March of this year, Animal Crossing will be the second Nintendo title to come to iOS this year.

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iOS
watchOS

Apple releases fourth iOS 11.1 and watchOS 4.1 betas

Zac Hall Oct 20 2017 - 10:08 am PT

Four days after releasing the third beta version, Apple has released the fourth iOS 11.1 beta for iPhone and iPad. iOS 11.1 beta includes the return of 3D Touch gestures for multitasking as well as hundreds of new emoji characters including “Woman with Headscarf, Bearded Person, Breastfeeding, Zombie” and plenty more. Apple has also released the fourth beta version of watchOS 4.1 beta with Apple Music and Radio streaming.

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Ulysses and Chrome updated with Drag and Drop, other iOS 11 enhancements

Chance Miller Oct 19 2017 - 12:06 pm PT

A month after the public release of iOS 11, apps continue to be updated with support for the new features in Apple’s latest operating system. Today, popular writing app Ulysses and Google Chrome were both updated with support for new iOS 11 functionality…

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Facebook officially rolling out new ‘Explore Feed’ to all mobile & desktop users

Chance Miller Oct 18 2017 - 6:48 pm PT

Facebook today has officially started rolling out a new “Explore Feed” on mobile and desktop. While the company had originally tested the water with a small number of mobile users, it confirmed to TechCrunch that today marks the beginning of an official rollout.

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iOS

Apple and GE announce partnership to make ‘industrial’ apps for iPhone and iPad

Benjamin Mayo Oct 18 2017 - 5:48 am PT

Apple and GE (General Electric) today announced a new partnership to build enterprise ‘industrial’ apps for the iOS platform. This includes a new development SDK focused on the Internet of Things.

Tim Cook said GE is an “ideal partner with a rich history of innovation”. GE will make apps for itself and its business clients, and deploy iPhones and iPad as standard across the organization.

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Apple releases third iOS 11.1, watchOS 4.1, and tvOS 11.1 betas [U]

Zac Hall Oct 16 2017 - 10:11 am PT

Update: Public betas for iOS and tvOS also now available.

Apple has released the third iOS 11.1 beta for iPhone and iPad. iOS 11.1 beta includes the return of 3D Touch gestures for multitasking as well as hundreds of new emoji characters including “Woman with Headscarf, Bearded Person, Breastfeeding, Zombie” and plenty more. Apple has also released the third beta versions of watchOS 4.1 beta with Apple Music and Radio streaming as well as tvOS 11.1 beta.

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iOS gains market share in U.S. and elsewhere, falls in UK due to Samsung promotions

Ben Lovejoy Oct 13 2017 - 6:48 am PT

The latest Kantar data shows that iOS saw year-on-year market share growth during August in seven of the nine major markets monitored by the firm, but saw a two-point fall in the UK thanks to aggressive promotions by Samsung.

U.S. market share climbed 3.7 points, from 31.3% in August 2016 to an even 35% in the same month this year. Android dropped 2.9 points in the same period …

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New data says games are the most popular use of ARKit so far, but they’re just the beginning

Chance Miller Oct 12 2017 - 5:00 pm PT

It’s no secret that Apple and Tim Cook think ARKit has a huge future ahead, with Cook touting that it’s a central idea that’s as important as the smartphone itself. The augmented reality platform has been available to the public for almost a month now, and new data from analytics firm Sensor Tower offers an interesting look at early trends (via TechCrunch)…

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Apple releases iOS 11.0.3 for iPhone and iPad with audio and haptic feedback fixes, more

Zac Hall Oct 11 2017 - 10:07 am PT

Apple has released iOS 11.0.3 for iPhone and iPad. The latest software update includes bug fixes for iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and iPhone 6s.

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iOS

PSA: A new phishing attack could trick you into giving away your Apple ID password

Chance Miller Oct 10 2017 - 5:12 pm PT

If you’ve used an iOS device at all, you’ve almost certainly been presented with the above popup asking you to enter your Apple ID password. It often appears within the App Store and iTunes Store, but it also has a tendency to randomly popup from time to time due to something running in the background.

A new blog post from developer Felix Krause, however, explains how that popup could be used to easily trick someone into handing over their Apple ID and password…

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Apple stops signing iOS 10.3.3 and iOS 11, making downgrades to pre-iOS 11 firmware impossible

Chance Miller Oct 4 2017 - 4:37 pm PT

Apple, as it usually does following the release of new versions of iOS, has stopped signing iOS 10.3.3 and iOS 11. The company originally released iOS 11 last month and has since pushed two iterative bug fix updates to users.

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Apple removes Dice Games, Educational Games, and Catalogs categories from App Store

Benjamin Mayo Oct 4 2017 - 10:13 am PT

Apple has today announced that it is removing the Catalogs category, as well as the Educational and Dice subcategory (under Games) from the App Store.

Apple has sent out emails to developers who are affected by this change, those that have apps currently listed under the Catalogs category or Dice subcategory.

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iPad

Tips and Tricks: Ten Safari long-press shortcuts for iPhone and iPad

Benjamin Mayo Oct 4 2017 - 7:53 am PT

Safari for iPhone and iPad is an incredibly capable mobile web browser despite its simple, straightforward user interface. It is the browser of choice on iOS — in large part because it is the one pre-installed — but very few people know everything you can do with Safari.

Much of Safari’s advanced functionality is hidden behind ‘secret’ long-press gestures that you can’t really know about unless you try randomly … or someone tells you. We’ve rounded up all the Safari long press tips and tricks below, so you can take advantage of all the different shortcuts and features it offers.

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iPad

Stranger Things launches free iPhone and iPad game ahead of Season 2 TV premiere

Benjamin Mayo Oct 4 2017 - 3:44 am PT

Netflix original hit ‘Stranger Things’ will premier its second season later this month, on October 27. To build up hype, Netflix has released a free RPG-style Stranger Things game on iPhone and iPad that actually looks pretty fun to play.

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