iOS

4,986 'iOS' stories August 2010 - July 2015

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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)

BBC iPlayer Radio app for iOS and Android gets offline listening at last

Cam Bunton Jul 14 2015 - 3:30 am PT

The BBC announced in a blog post this morning that mobile downloads are coming to its iPlayer Radio app just in time for the BBC Proms. For the first time – using the iPlayer Radio app – customers will be able to download radio shows (and the Proms) to listen offline and keep them for up to 30 days. To make use of this new service, all you need to do is ensure you have the latest version of the BBC iPlayer Radio smartphone or tablet app for iOS, Android or Kindle.

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Pixelmator for iPhone and iPad adds ‘Dynamic Touch’ brush strokes, better Repair Tool, more

Benjamin Mayo Jul 14 2015 - 2:07 am PT

Pixelmator for iPhone and iPad has today been updated to version 2.0.2 bringing even more features to the popular image editor for iOS and Mac. This update adds a new kind of brush stroke called Dynamic Touch, which simulates pressure sensitivity by examining the size of the finger input that touches the screen. Larger surface area produces thicker strokes on the canvas. Similarly, using just the tip of a finger results in fine lines in the app.

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As Apple Pay goes live in UK, Barclays bank announces it will support the service after all

Benjamin Mayo Jul 14 2015 - 1:05 am PT

Apple Pay has gone live in the UK today with over 250,000 officially blessed locations (although Apple Pay will work at any standard NFC terminal) and seven banks. In the runup to the launch, the main holdout has been Barclays bank who instead promoted their alternative ‘bPay’ service.

Now, though, they have changed their tune. Over Twitter, Barclays announced that it is actually ‘really excited’ about Apple Pay and will add support for the service to Barclaycard debit and credit cards in future.

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It’s official: Apple Pay goes live in the U.K. today

Chance Miller Jul 13 2015 - 4:38 pm PT

As we reported would happen, Apple Pay will be going live in the U.K. today. The service launches in the country with support from more than 250,000 stores, including Waitrose and Transport for London on its transportation networks. Currently, 8 U.K. banks support Apple Pay. Those banks are American Express, First Direct, HSBC, Nationwide, NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, Santander and Ulster Bank. Notably missing from that list is Barclays, who is said to still be in negotiations with Apple to support the platform.

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Internet’s new addressing system now mainstream, says Apple – prioritized in iOS 9 & OS X 10.11 betas

Ben Lovejoy Jul 13 2015 - 5:39 am PT

With the Internet running out of standard 32-bit IP addresses (known as IPv4), the switch to IPv6 – which offers 128-bit addresses – has been quietly underway for some time. Apple says this work has now progressed sufficiently for IPv6 to be considered mainstream, and it is prioritizing the use of the new addressing system in the public betas of both iOS 9 and OS X 10.11.

What both operating systems previously did was to try both old and new addressing systems and use whichever responded fastest. Both platforms now prefer IPv6 even if it is slightly slower, explained Apple CoreOS Networking Engineer David Schinazi in an Internet Engineering Task Force post.

If the first reply we get is A and we’re expecting a AAAA, we start a 25ms timer
– If the timer fires, we send out the v4 SYN
– If we get the AAAA during that 25ms window, we move on to address selection

In other words, IPv6 is used if it’s up to 25ms slower to respond than IPv4. Based on testing to date, says Schinazi, that means both platforms will be using IPv6 addresses around 99% of the time.

Via TNW

12.9 inch ‘iPad Pro’ reportedly set for release in mid-November

Benjamin Mayo Jul 13 2015 - 5:03 am PT

The always-doubted sometimes-accurate Digitimes is reporting that Apple will release the long-rumored iPad Pro in mid November this year. The ‘iPad Pro’ is expected to feature a large 12.9 inch screen with stereo speakers and targeted at business and education uses. Digitimes says that Apple has asked suppliers to ramp up in late September which should mean a November debut, with manufacturing by Foxconn.

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HSBC tweets UK Apple Pay launching on Tuesday as signs start appearing at retailers

Benjamin Mayo Jul 12 2015 - 2:59 pm PT

HSBC appears to have let slip the release date of Apple Pay in the UK over Twitter. In a tweet that has since been deleted, a support representative from the bank said ‘Yes! It’s due to launch this Tuesday! We are excited too’. 9to5Mac previously reported the 14th July date for the expansion of Apple Pay into the UK a couple of weeks ago.

UK retailers also seem to think that the Apple Pay launch is imminent as signs showing support for the contactless technology have started appearing across the country, as noted by 9to5Mac readers and Matt Brian on Twitter.

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Amid financial crisis, Apple offering Greek iCloud users a free month of service

Chance Miller Jul 12 2015 - 10:42 am PT

Earlier this month, Greece instituted new regulations amid the country’s financial crisis that blocked users from renewing iCloud subscriptions and buying from iTunes and the App Store. At the time, this left many users wondering what would happen to their iCloud data, seeing that they legally couldn’t pay to keep their subscription alive. Now, however, it appears that Apple is stepping up to ensure that user data remains intact during Greece’s financial crisis.

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Reuters: FTC investigating Apple App Store subscription rules in light of Apple Music

Benjamin Mayo Jul 11 2015 - 3:17 am PT

Freedom?

The US antitrust regulators are reportedly looking into Apple’s subscription service rules for the App Store are anticompetitive and illegal under US law, according to Reuters. The main issue of contention is that the standard streaming music price of $9.99 per month is not attainable for Apple Music competitors as App Store rules enforce a 30% cut of all revenues made from within apps.

This means that streaming companies either have to take on significant profit cuts to stay at the $9.99 mark or charge more in the App Store to account for the 30% margin. The argument is that consumers will not want to pay $12.99 (approximately $9.99 with a 30% increase) per month for a streaming music service when they can readily buy Apple Music for $9.99.

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Google releases ‘Ivy’ app for iOS, an experimental big number calculator

Jordan Kahn Jul 10 2015 - 12:09 pm PT

Google has quietly launched a new iOS app today called Ivy that it describes as an experimental big number calculator.
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iOS 9 public beta to be released today via Apple’s Beta Program (U: Available)

Chance Miller Jul 9 2015 - 10:06 am PT

Update: The public beta is now available via Apple’s Beta Program site. Instructions on how to go about installing can be found here.

Alongside the public beta of OS X 10.11 El Capitan, Apple today has announced that it will release the public beta of iOS 9 later today. The public beta will allow users to test the new features of iOS 9 before Apple launches in a stable build of the operating system this fall. Users can sign up to be a Beta Program member on Apple’s Beta Program site.

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YoVivo is a new iPhone app that stores your photos from various cloud services in a central library

Chance Miller Jul 9 2015 - 9:00 am PT

YoVivo is a new iOS app that allows users to easily manage their photos stored across different cloud services. For instance, you can access pictures stored on Instagram, then download them and upload them directly to Dropbox, all via one app. The app also supports the ability to create slideshows using your images from a variety of online sources, set it to music, and share it with everyone.

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Facebook finally letting you control your newsfeed, coming first to iOS app today

Ben Lovejoy Jul 9 2015 - 6:19 am PT

One of the things we all love to hate about Facebook is the way that it thinks it knows better than we do which posts we want to see. Facebook uses unspecified algorithms to assign rankings to posts, boosting the visibility of those it thinks we want to see, and demoting those it thinks will interest us less.

A new iOS Facebook app rolling out later today will for the first time allow us to choose for ourselves whose posts get bumped to the top of our feeds. Three additional features also allow us to control what we do and don’t see further down those feeds …
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New App Store price tiers let developers set very low prices for apps in emerging markets

Benjamin Mayo Jul 9 2015 - 6:18 am PT

Apple alerted developers to some App Store price adjustments earlier in the week and the alternative price tier details have now been posted. Apple has added other alternative price tiers in the past, but what’s interesting with these changes in particular is is that they are specifically targeted at offering really low price options for apps in a select few countries.

The new tiers enable developers to set prices for their apps way below the usual $0.99 price floor in India, Russia, Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa and Turkey. (Special pricing for China has existed for some time.)

For example, using the ‘Alternative Price Tier A’ means that apps are priced at 10 Indian Rupees. This is equivalent to about 16 cents in USD. Before the addition, the lowest price developers could charge in India was 60 rupees, which is about 96 cents.

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Here’s everything new in the latest iOS 9, El Capitan, and watchOS betas

Chance Miller Jul 8 2015 - 1:34 pm PT

Apple earlier today began rolling out the third betas of iOS 9, watchOS 2, and OS X 10.11 El Capitan and we’ve been digging into each of them, trying to figure out what is new, changed, and improved. Most of the changes come on the iOS 9 and watchOS 2 side of things, with the new OS X 10.11 beta focusing mainly on under-the-hood changes. Read on for all of the changes…

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iOS 9 lets you store 105 more apps per folder on the iPad

Chance Miller Jul 8 2015 - 1:01 pm PT

In addition to adding the new News app, iOS 9 beta 3 also made a much-needed enhancement to the folder functionality on the iPad. In prior versions of iOS, users were restricted to a 3×3 layout of apps on the iPad, meaning that there were 3 rows of 3 apps on the device, for a total of 9 apps per page. With iOS 9 beta 3, however, users can now have a 4×4 setup of apps in folders on the iPad.

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Disney unveils the first official Star Wars iOS app w/ lightsaber training, themed selfies, more

Justin Kahn Jul 8 2015 - 11:47 am PT

From 9to5Toys.com:

As we ramp up for Star Wars: The Force Awakens to hit theaters in December, we are getting Storm Trooper Bluetooth speakers, a new mobile RPG and a SW themed playset for the upcoming Disney 3.0. But it looks like it won’t stop there as Disney has just launched an official new mobile app. Simply named “Star Wars”, this is not a game, but rather a new hub app for “breaking news, rich media, social updates, special events, interactive features” and more:

On top of a basic newsfeed that draws content from all the official Star Wars channels and some typical countdown timers to big releases, there are also some interactive elements to the app as well. There are soundboard and GIF features that provide official clips from the films that users can share on message apps and even a SW themed weather function that compares current temperatures with well-known locations from the Star Wars mythos.

You’ll also find Augmented Reality experiences, a lightsaber trainer that makes use of your device’s motion sensor, and the ability to take as many Star Wars selfies as your heart desires. Much like the Show Your Disney Side app, you can choose from a number of popular costumes from the films, settings and the ability to drop other characters in the background.

The new Star Wars app is available to download for free starting right now on iOS. Head over to our daily game/app roundups for all the best discounts and freebies across every platform.

How-To: Add 9to5Mac and our sister sites to Apple’s News app in iOS 9

Jeremy Horwitz Jul 8 2015 - 11:44 am PT

The third beta release of iOS 9 is the first to include News, the new Apple-developed news aggregating application debuted at WWDC. We’ve already posted a Hands-On Guide to News — and we’re in there! — so here’s a quick guide to adding 9to5Mac and our sister sites to the News app…

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Hands-on with Apple’s News app in iOS 9 [Gallery]

Chance Miller Jul 8 2015 - 11:22 am PT

Apple earlier today pushed iOS 9 beta 3 to developers, and this build includes the company’s new News app. The app was unveiled back at WWDC last month, but was not included in the first two beta builds of iOS 9. News is designed with a Flipboard-like magazine interface with large images and minimalistic appearance.

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Apple releases iOS 9 beta 3 with Apple Music to developers for iPhone, iPad & iPod touch

Chance Miller Jul 8 2015 - 10:04 am PT

Two weeks after the release of the second beta of iOS 9 and a week after the launch day of Apple Music, Apple has released iOS 9 beta 3 to developers. The update is available to iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch users via Apple’s developer portal on the web and via an OTA rollout. The beta carries the build number 13A4293g.

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Pinterest announces IFTTT & Polyvore apps as first developer platform integrations

Jordan Kahn Jul 8 2015 - 9:34 am PT

After introducing a new developers platform and SDK in May, Pinterest is today announcing a couple of the first integrations developers have come up with starting with popular automation platform IFTTT and community based shopping/fashion site Polyvore.

For IFTTT, the service that lets users automate common web and app-based tasks based on a set of rules known as “recipes”, users will now be able to link products and devices on Pinterest to their automated workflows. The company shared some examples: automatically save Pins to a board from simple actions in other apps such as liking a photo on Instagram, upvoting a post on Reddit or favoriting an item on Etsy. There are more than 20 Recipes to choose from starting today. The Pinterest integration for IFTTT is available through desktop and the service’s mobile apps.

For Polyvore, users can login to the site using their Pinterest account to quickly and easily get access to pinning items from the fashion community/shopping site to Pinterest boards via the company’s iOS app.

In addition, Pinterest noted that new SDKs and documentation for developers are available to all through the company’s new developers site. The new SDKs give devs access to the Pin It button and JS and OAuth support.

Apple reportedly set to produce record 90 million ‘iPhone 6S’ this year with Force Touch and new color option

Benjamin Mayo Jul 8 2015 - 8:19 am PT

Following reports that said Apple had begun manufacturing the next-generation iPhone in late June, a new report by the Wall Street Journal is oloorroborating the story. It says that Apple is asking suppliers to produce a record number of ‘iPhone 6S’ units for the upcoming fall launch, topping 90 million units by the end of the year. Apple sold 74.5 million iPhones in the equivalent quarter in 2014, spurred by the success of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

The report also matches previous rumors that the new iPhone will feature Force Touch, which 9to5Mac extensively covered back in May. The iPhone 6S is expected to look almost identical to the iPhone 6 with improvements focusing on the camera, new pressure sensitivity screens and internal component improvements.

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Apple updates iOS Pages, Numbers & Keynote apps to resolve accessibility bugs

Ben Lovejoy Jul 8 2015 - 3:57 am PT

Apple has updated all three iWork iOS apps to resolve bugs that prevented Accessibility features working properly. Apple says that Pages, Numbers and Keynote all had “an issue that prevented proper navigation and editing with VoiceOver,” while Pages also blurred text when turning on Speak Screen on some iOS devices. The updates are to version 2.5.4.

Updates are of course free for existing users, each app costing $9.99 to purchase. Pages, Numbers and Keynote can all be downloaded from iTunes.

Apple places a great deal of emphasis on making its devices usable by as many people as possible, recently highlighting accessibility apps for Global Accessibility Awareness Day – and CEO Tim Cook famously telling investors to “get out of this stock” if they weren’t willing to see money invested in things like accessibility and environmental initiatives.

iOS 8.4 reportedly accounts for 40% of all iOS usage just one week after release

Benjamin Mayo Jul 8 2015 - 2:14 am PT

Using data by Mixpanel, Apple Music seems to be quickly driving adoption of Apple’s latest iteration of its operating system, iOS 8.4. The chart shows that, in just one week, iOS 8.4 usage now makes up more than 40% of all iOS device usage. This is a rather staggering rate of uptake for a point-release. Clearly, the interest and advertisement around Apple Music is having an effect on update rates. Obviously, this only tracks OS adoption and says nothing about how well Apple Music itself is being received.

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