Apple today during the WWDC 2016 keynote at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco announced next major versions of its four main operating systems—iOS, tvOS, watchOS and macOS—that power its iOS devices, set-top boxes, watches and computers.
iOS 10, the tenth major revision of iOS, is now official, but will it work on your existing hardware? Not if you’re still on the iPhone 4s or want to run iOS 10 on the original iPad mini or iPads older than the iPad 4.
Here’s a list of every Apple device that supports iOS 10:
- iPad 4, iPad Air and iPad Air 2
- 12.9 and 9.7-inch iPad Pro
- iPad mini 2, iPad mini 3 and iPad mini 4
- iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s, iPhone SE, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus
- Sixth-generation iPod touch
The major iOS 7 overhaul was compatible with any iPhone model from the iPhone 4 onward. iOS 8 and iOS 9, however, dropped iPhone 4 support so the iPhone 4s became the new bare minimum. With that in mind, it’s not surprising that iOS 10 has dropped support for the iPhone 4s, the original iPad mini and the third-generation iPad.
A developer preview of iOS 10 is available starting today for those who are members of the Apple Developer Program. Public beta testers who are signed for the Apple Beta Software Program can download a beta of iOS 10 some time in July, said Apple.
iOS 10 releases for public consumption this fall.
iOS 10 supports any iPhone from the iPhone 5 onward, in addition to the sixth-generation iPod touch, a minimum fourth-generation iPad 4 or iPad mini 2 and later.
For more info, check out Apple’s iOS 10 Preview webpage.
It’s here! iOS 14 brings a ton of useful new features to your iPhone. We’ll show you some of our favorites and how to use them.
We’re already finding iOS 14 features we absolutely love.
Now that iOS 14 has been out for a couple weeks , you might feel confident you’ve found all of its new features. It’s entirely possible you have, but then again, there are a lot of subtle tweaks in the update that aren’t always obvious. Apple’s latest software version for iPhone contains a bevy of fresh features that will change the way you use your phone — for the better. In many ways, iOS 14 is Apple’s most involved visual face-lift in years.
From iMessage improvements and a handy Android-like app drawer to widgets for your home screen , there’s a lot you can start using right away.
If you haven’t updated yet, take some time to get your iPhone ready before you install the iOS update . Below you’ll find six of my favorite features and how to get started with them on iOS 14 .
1. Tag someone in a text conversation
Apple’s updates to its Messages app primarily focused on group iMessage conversations .
What: You can now tag someone in a conversation when you want to get their attention (useful for large groups), and directly reply to a message, creating a thread within your conversation. That should get you a timely response.
How: Tagging someone in a group convo should be as simple as typing the @ symbol followed by their name when in the chat. An in-line reply is done by long-pressing on a message and selecting Reply.
Stay up-to-date on the latest news, reviews and advice on iPhones, iPads, Macs, services and software.
2. Pin a conversation to the top of messages
What: Pinning a conversation to the top of your Messages app means you don’t have to scroll through the long list of contacts and group conversations to find your favorite contacts. This is especially useful if you have a go-to group, like a family chat or friend chat you talk in every day, or if you’re planning a longer-term event like a group watch party.
How: You can pin a contact or conversation to the top of your conversation list by swiping to the right across any thread.
Pin your favorite contacts or conversations to the top of your Messages app.
Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET
3. Apple now has its own Translate app
What: Instead of having to use Google’s Translate app on your iPhone, iOS 14 has a baked-in Translate app that will allow you to convert text and even hold conversations with someone who only speaks a different language. You can translate English, Mandarin Chinese, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Portuguese and Russian.
How: You have two options once you open the app. You can type the word or phrase you want translated, or tap on the icon of a microphone at the bottom of the screen to use voice-to-text. Once you’re done, the app will translate what you said into your language of choice. This is especially useful if you’re asking someone a quick question or want to hear the pronunciation as well.
To hold an ongoing conversation, turn the phone to landscape mode and tap on the same mic icon — you don’t have to press and hold.
Forget Google Translate, Apple now has its own app.
Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET
4. A more organized home screen with App Library
Ever wished that your iPhone had an app drawer like Android ? Well, now it does. It’s called App Library.
What: App Library is a new screen that lives just to the right of your last home screen. It automatically arranges all the apps on your phone in folders based on app category. The purpose of this feature is to make it easy for you to find all the apps installed on your iPhone. It goes hand in hand with another new home screen feature that lets you hide pages of apps that you infrequently use.
How: Use App Library when you want to open an app that isn’t displayed on one of your home screens. To get to it, swipe from right to left to go past the final home screen. Either use the automatically organized folders to find the app icon you want, or use the search bar at the top of the screen to find the app by name if you’re not sure where it’s located. Alternatively, at the top of the App Library screen you’ll find two folders: Suggestions and Recently Added. Both will automatically update and adjust which apps are in either folder based on how often you use an app and what you’ve recently installed.
Apple’s App Library is similar to an app drawer, but with folders.
5. Widgets have a new look and a new home
You no longer have to be envious of your Android-using friends — the iPhone can now have widgets on the home screen. That’s right.
What: Instead of Widgets being limited to the Today View that lives off to the left side of your home screen, you can now add widgets directly to your display, with multiple sizes as an option. There’s even a Smart Stack widget that will show you information from multiple apps when it thinks you need it. For example, it can show you the weather widget followed by your calendar widget when you wake up in the morning.
How: You can view your widgets in Today View the way you always have, off to the left side of your main home screen, or you can drag and drop a widget from the Today View to your home screen. Alternatively, when editing your app layout, you can tap on the plus sign in the top-left corner of the screen, bring up the widget gallery and see which widgets you can add to your device.
Widgets can be pinned to your home screen and resized to your liking.
Animated image by Jason Cipriani/CNET
6. Picture in Picture is a convenience tool you’ll love
The iPad ($429 at Amazon) has been able to play a video in picture-in-picture mode for a few years now, and Picture in Picture is finally coming to the iPhone .
What: Picture in Picture creates a thumbnail image of a video that continues to play even when you’re on another app or screen. It’ll appear when you want to switch gears to use a different part of the phone but you don’t want to stop the video.
How: Whenever you’re watching a video in a supported app, like Twitch, and swipe to go back to the home screen, the video will continue to play, just in a smaller window. You can drag PiP around the screen, adjust its size by pinching and zooming and even temporarily hide it off the edge of the screen. When you’re done, just tap the X to close the video. Oh, and let’s not forget — Picture in Picture also works with FaceTime video calls and these other apps . Huzzah!
You can keep a FaceTime conversation going in iOS 14 while looking at your schedule, or any other iPhone screen.
The update to your iPhone’s OS will bring major changes to FaceTime, Messages, and notifications
Apple kicked off WWDC 2021 with a keynote presentation brimming with big announcements across all of its software products. We got a peek at new features coming to Safari, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch—but the biggest announcements were for the upcoming iOS 15 for iPhone.
iOS 15 will bring major changes to Face Ti me, M essages , notifications, and more. All of these features will be available when iOS 15 launches in the fall, but you can try them out early once the iOS 15 beta is publicly available sometime next month. We’ll let you know when beta signups are live; for now, here are the 10 coolest iOS 15 features Apple announced today.
FaceTime is the new Zoom
FaceTime is the new Zoom
FaceT ime on iOS 15 will get several new features that Apple hopes will make video calls “feel more lifelike,” which seems to be Apple’s way of saying it’s turning FaceT ime into a competitor for Zoom or Google Meet. Here’s a quick list of what FaceT ime can do on iOS 15:
- Spatial audio: The audio from other people on FaceT ime calls will sound like it’s coming from different locations in your headphones or from your device’s speakers. Apple says this will help make group conversations easier to follow.
- Mic filters: Users will be able to toggle on Voice Isolation to block out background noise on their end, or turn on Full spectrum audio if they want their mic to pick up all the audio in their surroundings.
- Grid view: Group calls will be displayed in the familiar grid format, with each participant getting their own tile. Tiles can be arranged and edited.
- Portrait mode: Enabling Portrait Mode in FaceT ime blurs your background and focuses the camera on the speaker.
- Invite others with FaceTime links: Users will be able to schedule calls ahead of time in the calendar app and share links to upcoming and on-going calls.
Story by
Rachel Kaser
Story by
Rachel Kaser
Rachel is a writer and former game critic from Central Texas. She enjoys gaming, writing mystery stories, streaming on Twitch, and horseback (show all) Rachel is a writer and former game critic from Central Texas. She enjoys gaming, writing mystery stories, streaming on Twitch, and horseback riding. Check her Twitter for curmudgeonly criticisms.
Welcome to TNW Basics, a collection of tips, guides, and advice on how to easily get the most out of your gadgets, apps, and other stuff.
Apple released iOS 14, the latest overhaul to tis operating system, last month. It comes chockful of new features that can completely change the way you use your iPhone. Here’s our guide on some of the new stuff you’ll find, and how to best use it.
Making room
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Let’s get started with how you an install the new software on your phone. As I’m sure you’ve come to expect from an update, you’re going to need to clear some space on your phone. Luckily, Apple‘s settings has made it fairly easy to get rid of some extraneous stuff in a hurry. For example, if you’re not particularly attached to your old messages, you can delete them and free up some space. Clearing room is important not just because of the update, but because you might be inspired to install more apps once you’ve made the switch. Read more about how to clear space on your phone here.
Default apps
One of the biggest changes to iOS — one of its concessions to modernity, dare I say — is the ability to select new default apps. It’s not universal, of course: there’s still no setting Google Maps as your preferred mapping app at the time of this writing. However, you can set default browser and mail apps, which is two more default apps you couldn’t change before ioS 14.
This is especially helpful if you rely on things like Google products to get your work done. Two of the apps that can be used as defaults are Chrome and Gmail, and you can set either or both as your defaults. Mail also offers a suite of other options, including Hey and Outlook. You can read about how to set your default browser in iOS here, and your default mail app here.
Widgets and app layout
One of the most interesting new updates in iOS 14, at least visually, is the addition of widgets. While widgets have been in iOS for a while, they’ve been confined to a specific page, and the regular app pages were the same old rigidly segmented tiles they’d always been. However, with iOS 14, you can now add widgets of different sizes to your pages of apps, meaning you’ll have dynamic information on your screen as opposed to just notification bubbles and the same old app tiles. You can even have custom “stacks” of widgets that let you switch through information in a big tile. If you choose to use them, widgets can give you radically different app screens than you’re used to. Read all about widgets and how to use them here.
iOS 14 widget redesign
But it’s not just widgets that help you change the way your phone looks and how you display your information. Did you ever have that one folder of apps that you wanted to keep but didn’t really want littering up your phone screen? If so, then I have good news for you: you can now “hide” apps, either by putting individual apps in your App Library, a new catch-all app page you can find by flicking to the far right of your pages. This means the app will still be on your phone, but you won’t have to see its tile. In fact, you can hide whole pages of apps if you have a bunch you rarely use and don’t wish to look at anymore. Read how to do that here.
The new Messages
There are a few new features in Messages, as well, which make it more of a competitor with the likes of WhatsApp or Messenger. For example, you can pin certain conversations to the top of the Message app so they won’t get buried in any other message chains you might be a part of. You can also mention people in texts, which will notify them that you’ve done so, which is especially useful for group chats where you want to address someone directly. You can also reply to messages in separate sub-thread messages, giving you more options over text. Read all about these features and how to use them here.
Privacy
Apple’s also introduced new privacy settings that allow to have more precise control over what details you share — location, tracking data, photo access, etc. They may sound complicated at first, but don’t be intimidated. They’re intended to let you easily stop certain apps from being able to access certain data.
For example, there might be dozens of apps in your phone that have been granted access to your photo library over the years. That doesn’t necessarily mean you want them all to still have access to that information. Or you may not want to share your exact location with every app, every time. So you have the option to tell each app to track you more generally, so they don’t always have a bead on you. Read more about the privacy settings here.
And that’s it! Those are the basics to get you started on your new iOS 14 phone. Good luck!
- In this article…
- 1. Android 10 Features Dark mode gesture navigation support for foldable phones and more
- 2. When will your phone get Android 10?
- 3. Android 10 The biggest things to look forward to
Android 10 Features: Dark mode, gesture navigation support for foldable phones and more
The launch of Android Q Android 10 is has arrived with Google’s own Pixel-branded smartphones now receiving the update.
In this guide, we’ll take a look at some of the biggest new Android 10 features, like gesture navigation, Dark Mode, and a number of privacy and security updates, and − where appropriate − details on how to use them.
When will your phone get Android 10?
We’ve complied an extensive guide to the key Android phone models and when each phone will get Android 10.
The first, of course Google’s own Pixel series, where it’s available for all models. Huawei phones get it the week commencing 8th September. No news yet on Samsung but we’ll update as we find out.
Android 10: The biggest things to look forward to
There’s some nice stuff inbound – take a look at our list below:
Happy ?, happy ❤️. On #AndroidQ when you turn on Battery Saver, Dark Theme turns on too so you can go further on a charge.
1. Dark Theme
The highly anticipated and always popular Dark Theme will not only be more pleasant to watch your screen at night, but should also help you save battery if you own a phone with an OLED display.
- To activate Dark Theme on a Pixel phone, simply swipe down from the top of your display and tap Battery Saver.
- On other phones, it will be accessible under Settings > Display > Dark Theme.
You can find out more about Dark Theme here.
2. Gesture navigation
Arguably the biggest change coming with Android 10 is the introduction of an entirely gesture-based navigation system. One of the key reasons for this is Google wanting apps to fill the entire screen. Here’s how to use it.
- To head to the home screen, swipe up from the bottom of the display.
- To switch between apps, swipe up from the bottom, hold, then release.
- To go back, swipe inwards across your display from either the left or right edge. In apps such as Gmail where swiping from the side already performs an action, you may have to swipe twice.
It’s quite a fiddly system, and may take some getting used to. You can find out more about the functionality here, here and here.
Fortunately, you don’t have to use the new gesture navigation system.
You can switch back to the three-button navigation system of old if you want to, or opt for the two-button hybrid interface that was introduced in Android Pie. Just go to Settings > System > Gestures > System Navigation to choose the right option for you.
Time for a time out? With Focus Mode, you can get things done distraction free by selecting the apps you want to stay active and pausing everything else you don’t. #io19
3. Focus Mode
Focus Mode is like a more flexible version of Do Not Disturb. It lets you choose a list of apps that you want to temporarily silence, allowing you to do whatever you need to get done without getting distracted.
When Focus Mode goes live, you’ll be able to access it in the Quick Settings menu and inside the Digital Wellbeing app, where it will be listed in the ‘Ways to Disconnect’ section.
4. New location tools
Android 10 will make it much easier to place limits on your location data. When an app requests access to your location, a dialogue will appear giving you three options:
- Allow all the time
- Allow when using the app
- Deny
“An app asking for a user’s location for food delivery makes sense and the user may want to grant it the ability to do that. But since the app may not need location outside of when it’s currently in use, the user may not want to grant that access. Android Q now offers this greater level of control,” Google has explained.
5. New privacy tools
The Android 10 beta also includes security tools that limit apps’ access to device IMEI, serial number, and other identifying information. It will also give you a little more protection when using Wi-Fi networks by randomising your device’s MAC (media access control) address.
Google adds that there are “new restrictions on launching activities from the background without user interaction”, and that apps “now need FINE location permission to do wireless scans Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, telephony, and camera metadata”.
You can read about some of these new security features in more depth here.
#Android is powering the world’s first foldable smartphones. Because of our openness, you can choose the ? that’s right for you.
6. A better UX for foldables
Android 10 will bring enhanced support for folding phones, with Google saying that the operating system and apps will be able to support different folding patterns, new screen ratios, multiple windows and multiple screens.
App Continuity will also ensure that apps will recognise when you’ve switched between form factors (aka, from folded to unfolded modes and vice versa) and immediately transition accordingly.
On the developer side of things, Google has created a foldables emulator, which should make it easier for app makers to scale their content for the next-generation smartphone form factor. You can find out more about it here.
7. Live Caption
As its name suggests, Live Caption is a feature that cleverly brings up subtitles for whatever content you happen to be playing on your phone, in real time − even if that content is something you casually recorded for a laugh. making content far more accessible to all people.
“As soon as speech is detected, captions will appear,” Google says, adding that it works with videos, podcasts, and audio messages, and “without any audio or captions leaving your phone”.
What’s more, Live Caption will work even if you’ve put your device in Airplane Mode, or if you don’t have internet access.
The new release isn’t a major redesign or a complete overhaul – everything has just got slightly better, and slightly more useful
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iOS 10 has just hits phones worldwide. It’s a complete renovation for your phone – and one that’s free for everyone.
But if you’re all up to date and want to take the best of iOS 10 for a spin, here are all the new features you should try out.
The evolution of the iPhone
1 /11 The evolution of the iPhone
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iPhone 5C
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iPhone 6 and 6 Plus
The evolution of the iPhone
iPhone 6s and 6s Plus
1) New lock screen
This might be the first thing you notice, and it’s probably the most significant change to your daily routine. The old slide-to-unlock lock screen is gone; in its place is one you press the home button to unlock.
You can try that out in practice just by locking your phone and waking it up. All you really need to know is that you press the home button to do everything, but if you’d like to find out more you can read our full write-up.
2) Huge changes to Messages
You can try these out straight away, though not all of them will work with people who haven’t yet upgraded to iOS 10 themselves.
The first things to have a go with are Apple’s own improvements to the app. You can find those by clicking the little arrow that’s appeared next to the field where you write messages – which will bring up options for sending drawings, heartbeats or pictures.
But by far the biggest change is the introduction of apps to Messages. You get on that by clicking the little icon that looks like the App Store – in there, you’ll find a host of different apps including ones for finding gifs and others for sending people money.
3) Useful notifications
Notifications have got much more rich (and also much bigger). Now, when they pop up on your lock screen you can hard or long press to interact with them, and if apps are properly made for iOS 10 then you’ll even be able to see a mini version of them as you do.
The best app to try this out with at the moment is the Messages app, when someone sends you a text. But integration should be coming to most apps soon, when you’ll get a proper chance to try them all out.
4) Useful 3D Touch
And that same theme runs into the home screen, when you’re on it. If you hard press on an app icon with 3D Touch, you’ll get a mini version of it that you can interact with.
That means that you can see who you’ve got emails from, for instance, or click to on Music to start some of your recently played albums.
Each of those things can be added as a widget to the lock screen, making them even quicker to view.
5) Apple Maps redesign
Apple’s controversial but hugely improved mapping has received perhaps the biggest renovation in iOS 10. The design is very different, and as are the features that are included.
It now gives you the opportunity to have your routes change as you move along, and to zoom in and out while you’r eon your journey. And it’ll let you schedule stop-offs, finding coffee or petrol while you’re on your journey.
But the biggest change is just how you find where you’re going. Using the search bar at the bottom will bring up a range of suggestions – including things pulled out of your mail and other apps, which the phone thinks that you’re likely to be heading to.
6) Apple Music redesign
When Apple Music came out last year, it was interesting and exciting but also a little confusing. Thankfully that’s been scrapped this year – and in its place comes a far easier to use design.
Gone are the different confusing sections like “New” and “Connect”, with their features being folded into other parts of the app. In its place is an app that is like the rest of iOS 10 – slightly less packed with information, but with that information far more organised.
7) Deleting apps
There’s never been a finally more heartfelt and true than this one: You can finally delete the stock apps that you don’t use from your home screen.
So, for example, you can get rid of the Stocks app that you never use to check how the markets are doing; you can get rid of the Tips app that you never use to see how to use your phone.
It’s done as you’d expect to delete it. Just tap and hold on the relevant app and click the cross in the corner.
Some of the apps aren’t actually deleted, but all of them can be recovered through the App Store all the same. Just search for the app that you want to get back and it’ll look like you’re downloading it, but actually it’ll just appear back on your phone.
8) Changes to Photos
Photos has become far more clever, using artificial intelligence to search out the things you want to find. So now, for example, you can search for Tree and see all the trees you’ve photographed; you can tell it who people are and have it find pictures of them; and it’ll arrange special automatic memories of nice days out you’ve had.
You can try all those by heading into the Photos app. Initially it might be less full than you’d expect, because the calculations have to be done on your phone; they’ll be done overnight on the first day you plug it in.
9) Cleverer Siri
Apple is finally letting other apps have Siri talk to them, and them talk back. So you can ask for a ride to somewhere, for instance, and Siri will be able to ask Uber for a car; or you can ask to send someone money and it’ll sort that out for you.
Apps are just being updated to make this work correctly, but you should be able to try it out in apps like Uber from the beginning.
10) Better keyboard
This might not be the kind of thing that you’d want to try out straight away. But it’s the sort of thing that will gradually improve your life, quietly and slowly – which is actually a great representative for how iOS 10 feels.
The new keyboard can read your messages, so that it knows what people are asking. And it can then raid information to give up what people are asking for, quickly.
So, for instance, if someone asks for your email, it’ll just pop up in the suggestions box. No typing for you – you’ll be able to send it straight away.
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Apple’s next iPhone update has some brilliant new bits – here’s what we’ve loved so far in the beta
By Carrie Marshall Last updated 2021-07-10T07:50:00Z
Apple will release iOS 15 later this year – most likely in parallel with the iPhone 13 – but you can actually try it today if you’ve got a spare device you can install the public beta on.
We wouldn’t recommend installing the iOS 15 beta on the iPhone you use day in and day out: it’s pre-release software, so bugs and crashes aren’t so much expected as obligatory. Betas have been known to cause major problems in the past, and you’re usually not supported for much technical support if they go wrong.
We have been taking a look at iOS 15 safely, though, so you don’t have to. Having put it through its paces, there are lots of new things to excite and delight. These are our favourites so far.
Focus mode and scheduled notifications
We really, really, really like this feature. In previous iOS versions, Notifications are an all-or-nothing thing, but with iOS 15 you can create a much more flexible system. You can do that in two ways: by setting up different focus modes, which are different kinds of Do Not Disturbs that limit notifications to particular people and apps; and by setting up Scheduled Summaries, which group non-urgent notifications together and give them to you at a time you specify.
This is great for everyone, but it’s particularly great for those of us who use our devices for work as well as leisure: it means takeaways and shops can’t ping us while we’re working, and Slack stays silent when we’re not at work.
Live text recognition
Live text recognition has been around for years in various formats, but it still feels magical, and iOS 15’s implantation of it is very good. When your iPhone recognises text it puts a little icon on the screen that you can use to select, copy, look up, translate or share it – so for example you can paste from a business card into your Contacts app, or a block of text into Notes.
It also turns certain kinds of text into live links, so if it recognises something as a phone number, you can tap to call it – if it sees it’s a website address, you can go straight there.
A very different Safari
Safari’s new interface has been very divisive, especially on iPad: things that used to take one tap are now harder to do, and the interface’s colour switching can be jarring. But there’s lots to like here, particularly on iPhone: the customisable start page is useful, and Shared With You grabs content sent to you via Messages and puts it in front of you in Safari.
There’s still room for improvement – the tab bar at the bottom of the screen on iPhone is weird, and by ‘weird’ we mean ‘awful’ – but Apple is receiving very vocal feedback from beta testers right now so we expect the interface to evolve before iOS 15 is finalised.
Mightier Maps
This one really depends on where you live: new Maps features are rolled out in key US cities first and make their way to the rest of us later, so not everyone will be able to enjoy the new AR mode for directions just yet, where you hold up the camera and it recognises the skyline, and points where to go live on the camera view.
However, the refreshed interface is clearer and easier to read for anyone, with excellent use of colour, and so far it seems to be much more detailed in its street-level knowledge too. The little cartoony style is also just completely adorable, while actually being incredibly practical, because it’s easy to understand.
More fun with FaceTime
FaceTime was feeling a bit dated, but not any more. You can now chat via the web with Android and Windows users, you can schedule calls, and the new Portrait feature blurs the background so nobody can see that your room is full of pants. If that sounds like ZoomGoogleMeetTeams and all the other video meeting apps, that’s because it is very like them – but that’s no bad thing.
And Apple has made big changes to FaceTime’s audio, with Spatial Audio cleverly making the sound appear to come from the on-screen position of the person speaking, and adds some good background noise reduction. You can also set up shared viewing sessions with a new feature called SharePlay, so you all watch the same movie (synced up) while on a FaceTime call.
iOS 15 is still very much a work in progress and it has some obvious flaws, such as the weirdness of the new Safari. But it’s also a significant upgrade that’s going to be pretty special on your existing iPad or iPhone.
Even though iOS 14 hasn’t officially been released yet, most of us already downloaded the beta version to play around with it and to learn about everything Apple has to offer in the iPhone’s next big update.
There were many changes and improvements made in iOS 14 that most of us were waiting for, including the highly-anticipated inclusion of widgets on the iPhone’s Home screen. But, in addition to widgets, there are other great features that are coming to the iPhone in the near future.
If you’re already rocking iOS 14, or you’re thinking about installing the beta version, continue reading to browse useful features you need to learn right now.
Widgets
Let’s face it, the main reason you’re testing iOS 14 right now is because of the widgets. It’s a useful feature many iPhone users have asked for, for as long as they’ve been on Android. Sure, you can argue that the iPhone already had widgets on the Today View, but they didn’t work the same way.
Still, as the saying goes, better late than never. And now that it’s finally here, you can customize your Home screen to show you what you want when you want it. Here’s how to enable widgets on iOS 14.
- Go into Jiggle Mode, that is, press and hold on any free space on your Home screen.
- Tap on the Plus icon on the top-left corner of your screen. This will show a list of every widget you can add to your Home screen.
If you want to keep your widgets on the Today View, you can also add them there. Plus, if you want to move your widgets from the Today view to the Home screen, you just need to select and hold a specific widget and move it to the Home screen.
Smart Stack
Having too many widgets could clutter your Home screen and even affect your battery in the long run. Fortunately, Apple created Smart Stack, a clever way to have multiple widgets in the same place.
Smart Stacks adds several apps into one widget. That way, you can swipe up or down to see the information you’re looking for.
To start using Smart Stacks, you need to do the following:
- Go into Jiggle Mode.
- Tap the Plus icon on the top-left corner of your screen.
- Select Smart Stacks.
- Tap the Smart Stacks widget to select the options you want to see on it.
There’s also a Smart Rotate feature at the bottom of the list. What this does is move your widgets around based on what your iPhone thinks you might want to see at the moment. However, if you don’t want this feature, you can disable it on the Smart Stacks widget.
App Library
Let’s face it, there are many apps on our iPhones that we haven’t opened since we downloaded them. They’re just taking up space in case we might need them someday.
I know I’m like that, and if you are too, you might want to start using the App Library.
This is a new iOS 14 feature that rearranges all the apps you have into folders so you know where everything is located. Every folder has its own name based on the group of apps, and you should see your most recently used apps and recently downloaded at the top.
What’s great about the App Library is that you can now hide most of your app pages and just leave your favorite apps on the first page, without having to worry about organizing or deleting them.
Here’s how you can hide your app pages:
- Go into Jiggle Mode.
- Tap the dots at the bottom of your screen.
- You should see all of your app pages, each with a little checkmark below them.
- Tap on the checkmarks to hide the pages you’re not going to use.
Another cool option is that the apps you download can go straight to the App Library or to the Home screen if you want. Here’s how you can change this:
- Go to the Settings app.
- Select the Home Screen option.
- You should see the option to download new apps to your Home screen or directly to the App Library.
Pinned Contacts
Now there’s a new, easy way to pin your favorite conversations and contacts on the Messages app.
Pinning your contacts is as easy as you would expect from Apple. All you need to do is select the conversation you want to pin, swipe it all the way to the right. You should see a yellow pin next to your contact.
Every time you go into the Messages app you’ll first see the picture of your pinned contacts at the top, followed by every other conversation.
App Clips
App Clips are a new way to use apps without actually downloading them. These are light versions of apps that you can launch from the web, with a QR code or even if a contact shares it with you.
While not everyone is using App Clips right now, they will come extremely handy in the future. You can use App Clips to do things like pay with Apple Pay or even order some food without getting the full app. And if you want to use the App Clip again, you can find it on your Recently Added folder on the App Library.
There will also be App Clip Codes, that you can scan to discover a new App Clip. This Codes will be created by Apple, and you’ll be able to scan them with your camera or an NFC tag that you can tap on.
Wind Down
Apple wants you to control your sleep with iOS 14 and watchOS 7. There’s a new Sleep app coming to the Apple Watch that will track things like your sleep and your heartbeat.
And whether you’re planning to use the Sleep app or not, Apple also added a new iPhone feature called Wind Down.
Wind Down is a great way to improve your sleep schedule by creating a bedtime routine that you can follow with your iPhone. The best part is, you don’t need an Apple Watch to use it.
When you set Wind Down, your iPhone will go into Do Not Disturb, and you can create different Shortcuts to fall asleep faster.
A night routine is just as important as a morning routine, and if you struggle to fall asleep, Wind Down is a great tool to help you change that. Here’s how you can start using Wind Down:
- Go to the Health App.
- Select Sleep.
- Set up your sleep schedule.
- Customize your Wind Down routine.
Back Tap Feature
By far, one of the coolest features coming to iOS 14 is the Back Tap option. When enabled, you can tap once or twice on the back of your iPhone to start a pre-selected task.
For instance, if you want to start Siri or mute your iPhone, you could just tap once or twice on the back, and your iPhone will do it. That way, the back of the iPhone now works as two different buttons located in an accessible place for everyone.
To enable the Back Tap feature, you need to do this:
- Go to the Settings App.
- Go to Accessibility.
- Tap on Touch.
- Scroll down to the bottom of the list, and select Back Tap.
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Share All sharing options for: How to use iMessage’s new features, effects, and stickers
Apple’s new iOS 10 update adds a bunch of fun new features to iMessage, including effects, apps, and stickers that you can send to your friends. Unfortunately, it’s not immediately obvious how any of this actually works. Confused how to add stickers? Want to send messages with confetti? Read on!
iMessage Apps
The biggest change in iMessage is the addition of apps, which fall into roughly two buckets. There are more traditional app integrations, like Fandango or Venmo. These allow access to app features within Messages, saving you from switching from Messages to another app. Second, there is the fun stuff, like the sticker apps.
[Important note: Messages is the name of the application on Mac and iOS. iMessage is Apple’s messaging service, accessed through the Messages app. Yes, the names are a bit confusing.]
Both types of apps live in the same part of the Messages app, which can be accessed by opening Messages and tapping the App Store icon to the left of the lower text box. This will display a series of scrolling panes, each containing the different apps you have installed. But what if you haven’t installed any iMessage apps?
How to install iMessage apps
The iMessage App Store is tucked away in the Messages app, but you can find it here.
- Hit the App Store icon next to the text box in Messages
- Tap the four-dot icon in the bottom left corner
- Hit the “+ Store” icon
Once you’ve reached the iMessage App store, you can buy and download new standalone iMessage apps and stickers, as well as manage any installed full iPhone apps that offer iMessage apps support. For example, Alto’s Adventure (the game) has a sticker pack app that can be added in this Manage tab. Since I already had Alto’s Adventure installed, the sticker pack was waiting for me when I installed iOS 10. Alternatively, both iMessage-only as well as full apps with iMessage support can be found in the regular iOS App Store, where iMessage support is specifically marked.
A lot iMessage apps are standalone and only exist in iMessage. So don’t assume everything is ready to go. You’ll want to take some time do discover what’s available in this special store. As a helpful tip, scrolling down in the iMessage app store will take you to the top free and paid apps, which is a good place to get started.
Stickers
Alright, you’ve splurged and bought some stickers (or just downloaded a few free ones) and now you want to use them. First, go back to the app selection page and swipe over to your chosen sticker app. Then you’ve got two choices. One is to simply tap the sticker, which will place it in the text composing box and allow you to send it like a picture. But the real fun happens when you use the second option: press your finger on a sticker, drag it out of the box, and place it on an earlier entry in your message history. This options allows you to annotate text, photos, or other stickers that have been sent in the past with your sticker of choice.
While each individual type of sticker lives in it’s own app — which can be irritating — Apple collects your most recent stickers, across all sticker apps, in its own Recent section of your iMessage app selection window.
Everything Else
iMessage Effects
Another new feature is the option to send messages with effects, like having the message inflate, appear in a shower of balloons, or be hidden by invisible ink. To access effects, type your message or insert a picture in the text box, then 3D Touch (or tap and hold on older models) the send button instead of just tapping it as usual. This will open the library of various effects. As a heads up to my friends and family, expect a whole lot of lasers in your texts.
Handwriting
iOS 10 also lets you send “handwritten” messages that you can draw with a finger onto your touchscreen. It’s one of the more hidden features, requiring you to turn your phone horizontal (with rotation lock off) in the iMessage app, at which point the handwriting interface will appear. For those with bad handwriting, Apple has included some premade messages for you to send.
Digital Touch
In what should be a familiar looking interface for Apple Watch users, Apple also brought it’s Digital Touch messages over to iMessage, where you can send taps, quick squiggly drawings, and hearts by tapping the heart icon next to the text box in the Messages app. The iMessage iteration takes it a step further, allowing you to import a photo to draw on in a very Snapchat-esque fashion (especially given that Digital Touch messages auto delete unless specifically kept).
Hitting the emoji button on your keyboard once you’ve typed in a bunch of text now highlights words in your message with emoji equivalents, allowing you to easily replace the words with emoji by simply tapping on them. This will save you from surfing through the emoji catalog.
Tapback
Lastly, Messages now has quick responses a la Facebook, where double tapping on a message allows you to quickly mark it with one of six icons, allowing to you heart, thumbs up, or thumbs down a message quickly.
Correction: This article originally stated that iMessage apps could only be found through the App store in the Messages app. They can also be found in the regular iOS App Store application.
