iOS

4,936 'iOS' stories August 2010 - February 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)

iOS

Outlook for iOS gains ‘add-ins’ to bring third-party app integration to inboxes on mobile

Jordan Kahn Feb 2 2017 - 10:30 am PT

Microsoft today announced that it’s launching add-ins for Outlook on iOS, which essentially act as third-party app integrations to bring new functionality to your Outlook inbox on iPhone and iPad.

Evernote, GIPHY, Nimble, Trello and Smartsheet are just some of the initial collaborators launching functionality for Outlook users on iOS through add-ins, and Microsoft notes that it also built a few of its own with a Microsoft Translator tool and Dynamics 365 add-in available starting today.

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Nintendo

Animal Crossing may be the last Nintendo iOS game this year as company states 2-3 games/year

Ben Lovejoy Feb 1 2017 - 7:23 am PT

We learned yesterday that Nintendo’s Animal Crossing – originally expected to make it onto iOS devices in March – has been delayed until later in the year. If you were hoping for any further games from the company this year, though, you may be disappointed …

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Feature Request: iCloud Photo Library support for multiple Apple IDs

Michael Potuck Jan 31 2017 - 1:06 pm PT

Over the years Apple has made steady improvements to how our devices sync content. On the whole, it’s becoming more seamless to keep photos, videos and other content synced and organized across multiple iOS devices and Macs with software like iCloud Photo Library and iCloud Music Library.

However, one area I believe Apple could really improve the user experience is with photo and video management for multiple users. While iCloud Photo Sharing is a nice social way to share and organize photos with others, it’s not a great option to mange your photo and video collection. A feature I’d really like to see is iCloud Photo Library support for multiple Apple IDs.

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Google has open-sourced Chrome for iOS

Ben Schoon Jan 31 2017 - 11:48 am PT

Since its launch, Google’s Chromium project has been a desktop-only matter, but that changed in 2015 with the addition of the Android version. Following that, only the iOS version of the browser wasn’t open-source. However, that’s changing today as Google has announced that the code for Chrome on iOS has been moved into the Chromium open-source repository.

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iOS 10.3 beta 32-bit alert suggests Apple may drop legacy app support in iOS 11

Zac Hall Jan 31 2017 - 7:07 am PT

Apple appears to be planning to drop support for 32-bit apps in an upcoming version of iOS. The alert dialog presented when launching a 32-bit app on iOS 10.3 beta 1 now warns users that the app needs to be updated to continue working on future versions of iOS. This suggests that iOS 11 expected later this year could be the first version to only support 64-bit apps.

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iOS

Apple stops signing iOS 10.2 following release of iOS 10.2.1

Chance Miller Jan 30 2017 - 4:33 pm PT

As it generally does following new iOS releases, Apple today stopped signing iOS 10.2. The move comes following the release of iOS 10.2.1 earlier this month, which included bug fixes and security patches. Apple is also currently beta testing iOS 10.3, which will likely be released to the public sometime this Spring.

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Friday 5: GarageBand’s new update, the creator of Flappy Bird publishes a new game, and three other apps to check out this weekend [Video]

Jeff Benjamin Jan 27 2017 - 2:36 pm PT

In search of a few apps to keep you occupied this weekend? Then you’ll want to check out the latest edition of Friday 5. Inside you’ll find a major GarageBand update, a new game from the creator of Flappy Bird, an awesome iOS imaging app that’s currently on sale, and more. Watch our brief hands-on video for additional details.
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iOS
iPad

iOS 10.3 code includes hidden support for a floating one-handed keyboard for iPad users

Chance Miller Jan 24 2017 - 3:02 pm PT

As is usually the case with iOS updates, there are a few new features that Apple doesn’t activate in the user-facing version, but developers still uncover their existence. This time, developer Steven Troughton-Smith has uncovered a new one-handed floating keyboard for iPad inside iOS 10.3…

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iOS
iOS 10

Apple releases first iOS 10.3 beta with Find My AirPods support, more

Zac Hall Jan 24 2017 - 10:01 am PT

Apple has released the first iOS 10.3 beta for developer testing on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. We’ll update to the newly released iOS 10.3 beta and detail changes below:

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Apple working on enhanced Siri for iPhone 8 launch in the face of competition from Google Assistant and Alexa

Ben Lovejoy Jan 24 2017 - 6:27 am PT

Apple is working on an enhanced version of Siri in time for the launch of the iPhone 8, indicate supply-chain sources cited by Digitimes. The sources suggest that Apple will respond to increased competition in the field of intelligent assistants – in particular, Google Assistant and the expansion of Amazon’s Alexa to smartphones.

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Google Voice updated w/ redesigned web & iOS apps, promise of ‘regular’ updates

Abner Li Jan 23 2017 - 10:57 am PT

Update: The redesigned Google Voice app is now available on the App Store.

Back in 2009, Google launched an ambitious voice-forwarding service that allowed users to maintain one number across multiple devices. Today, Google Voice received its first major update in years that sees a redesigned web interface, iOS app, and the promise of continued updates.

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iOS 10

Apple releases iOS 10.2.1 for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch

Zac Hall Jan 23 2017 - 10:00 am PT

Apple has officially released iOS 10.2.1 for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. iOS 10.2.1 is likely a bug fix and performance improvement release. The initial beta was released on December 14 with a second beta issued before the holiday break. We’ll test the official version and highlight any changes discovered below.

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What’s next for iOS? We break down rumored Siri updates, Dark/Theatre Modes, AR features & much more

Chance Miller Jan 20 2017 - 9:19 am PT

With every year comes a new version of iOS and this year will likely be no different. In 2017, we should expect iOS 11 to be previewed over the summer with subsequent developer and public betas and a release to the public in the fall. It’s also likely that we’ll see a less significant iOS release during the spring with iOS 10.3.

Keep reading for some ideas as to what Apple might have up its sleeve for iOS 10.3 and iOS 11…

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Apple shares new iOS 10 Design Resources available in Sketch and Photoshop templates

Greg Barbosa Jan 19 2017 - 12:10 pm PT

Following the update to their Apple News Format Design Tutorial, Apple has just published an update to their iOS Human Interface Guidelines with new iOS 10 design resources. The resources include templates and UI materials to help designers quickly design iOS applications.

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iOS

Sending this text will crash almost any iPhone, but don’t expect it to become a major problem

Chance Miller Jan 17 2017 - 5:01 pm PT

Lately more than ever we’ve been seeing weird bugs pop up that can cause iOS devices to crash. These oddities include things such as text strings, date changes, and bizarre links. The latest one, shown by YouTuber EverythingApplePro, is a three character strand of text and emoji, but the process is somewhat convoluted…

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iOS
iOS 10

Apple releases iOS 10.2.1 beta 4 for developers

Zac Hall Jan 12 2017 - 1:11 pm PT

Apple has released the fourth iOS 10.2.1 beta for developer testing on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. iOS 10.2.1 is likely a bug fix and performance improvement release. The initial beta was released on December 14 with a second beta issued before the holiday break. A third beta version was released at the start of this week. We’ll update to the latest version and highlight any changes discovered below.

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Apple’s Single Sign-on feature for iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV adds new TV provider

Zac Hall Jan 12 2017 - 7:31 am PT

Apple has added an additional TV provider to its list of partners supporting its Single Sign-on feature for iOS 10 and tvOS 10. Cable ONE joins ten other providers that let customers authenticate once through the Settings app to access content in paid video apps.

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iOS

Apple on track to hit $1 trillion in total revenue from iOS by the middle of this year

Chance Miller Jan 11 2017 - 5:16 pm PT

Last year, some analysts made the unlikely claim that Alphabet or Amazon might beat Apple to be the first trillion-dollar company. Asymco’s Horace Dediu, however, is out today with a new report predicting that Apple will cross the $1 trillion mark this year in terms of revenue generated by iOS, pushing it closer to a $1 trillion market cap.

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iOS
iOS 10

Apple releases iOS 10.2.1 beta 3, watchOS 3.1.3 beta 2, and tvOS 10.1.1 beta 2 for developers

Zac Hall Jan 9 2017 - 9:56 am PT

Apple has released the third iOS 10.2.1 beta for developer testing on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. iOS 10.2.1 is likely a bug fix and performance improvement release. The initial beta was released on December 14 with a second beta issued before the holiday break.

watchOS 3.1.3 beta 2 and tvOS 10.1.1 are also out for testing. We’ll update to the latest version and highlight any changes discovered below.

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How to screen share with iOS and macOS to help friends and family with new devices

Michael Potuck Dec 26 2016 - 10:54 am PT

Over that last month your friends and family have probably purchased or been gifted a range of new devices, and odds may be good that you’re the go-to for tech support. Sometimes it works to problem solve by voice or text message when you aren’t with the user in need, but it’s often better to see what they’re seeing and also have some remote control access. Keep reading after the break for three ways to remotely help others more efficiently.

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iOS
Games

PSA: The original RollerCoaster Tycoon is now available for iOS

Stephen Hall Dec 22 2016 - 10:54 am PT

If you have nostalgia for RollerCoaster Tycoon, today might just be your day. Atari, the publisher of RollerCoaster Tycoon games since the release of RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 for PC, has today released the original RollerCoaster Tycoon for both iOS and Android…

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iOS

Apple stops signing iOS 10.1 and 10.1.1 following release of iOS 10.2

Chance Miller Dec 20 2016 - 2:30 pm PT

Following the release of iOS 10.2 last week, Apple this evening has stopped signing iOS 10.1 and iOS 10.1.1 for all devices. This means that users are now longer able to downgrade to the operating system if they are having some sort of issue with the latest iOS 10.2 release.

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iOS

Apple releases iOS 10.2.1 beta 2 for developers

Zac Hall Dec 20 2016 - 10:05 am PT

Apple has released iOS 10.2.1 beta 2 for developers. The update follows the public release of iOS 10.2 last week and the first iOS 10.2.1 beta as well. iOS 10.2 included new redesigned emojis, the TV app for US users, a couple of new screen effects in Messages, amongst other enhancements.

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Deliveries package tracking app gains iOS 10 rich notifications & sticker pack, watchOS 3 and macOS Sierra support

Greg Barbosa Dec 15 2016 - 8:39 am PT

Just in time for holiday package tracking, Junecloud has released version the 8.0 of their packaging delivery tracking app Deliveries for iOS, alongside version 3.0 for macOS. Today’s update brings more support for iOS 10 and watchOS 3, with detailed notifications thanks to iOS 10’s 3D Touch features, and much more. On the Mac we gain Sierra support, and some new Touch Bar functionality.

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