It's been a busy week for Apple. After two beta updates in one week, iOS 11.2 was released to the public around 1:30 a.m. PT on Saturday, Dec. 2. Usually, Apple releases updates around 10 a.m. PT, but this one was rushed in the wake of a huge time/date bug that was causing some iPhones to crash on Dec. 2 once 12:15 a.m. local time hit. But bug fixes aren't the only thing in this new iOS version.
In a classic case of one step forward, two steps back, Apple has eliminated the ability to use multiple iCloud accounts for FaceTime and Messages in iOS 11, meaning the primary Apple ID on the account is the only one allowed. As inconvenient as this omission is, there's still a way to use alternate iCloud accounts on your iPhone with a little hackery.
Using the Mail app to log in and sync to email services such as Gmail and Outlook is incredibly easy to accomplish on the iPhone thanks to the intuitive nature of its operating system. This is still evident with iOS 11, and though the process differs slightly from its predecessors, it can still be accomplished with relative ease.
Apple promised at WWDC to release the iOS 11 public beta by the end of June, and they've just followed through on their promise.
One of the most exciting features in iOS 11 was the fully revamped Control Center, which improved the overall interface visually, made it one page only, and finally made it possible to customize what controls actually appear within it. Customizable controls was previously only available to jailbreakers, but now it's available to anyone running iOS 11 or iOS 12.
Apple gave us the ability to invert colors on the screen a very long time ago. Then they gave us grayscale mode in iOS 8, Night Shift in iOS 9, and the red screen filter in iOS 10. While the long-awaited "Dark Mode" finally appeared in iOS 13, iOS 11 and iOS 12 both have a decent placeholder for it you can use on your iPhone.
Emoji, emojis, smilies, or smileys—whatever you want to call them, those little yellow icons have firmly implanted themselves in the human lexicon. However, just like with localized languages and dialects, emoji can be very different from one another depending on the device or operating system you're using.
If you've just ditched your Android phone for a new iPhone, you're in luck, because Apple has a way to make your transition as simple as possible with their Move to iOS app for Android. To help make things even easier on you, we've outlined the process of using Move to iOS to transfer images, messages, contacts, mail accounts, calendars, and more over to your iPad or iPhone running iOS 10.
With iOS 5 coming out, the folks behind RedSnOw were able to jailbreak the operating system so that you can install Cydia on it. This walkthrough / tutorial will show you how to jailbreak your iOS 5 iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch.
Apple released iOS 13.5 for iPhone on Wednesday, May 20. The update came just two days after the company seeded beta testers iOS 13.5's GM (golden master), the build everyone would get if all went well. While only available to beta testers, the GM is the same software as iOS 13.5's stable release.
Apple released the fourth developer beta for iOS 13.5 today, Wednesday, May 6. This update comes one week after the release of iOS 13.5 dev beta 3, which introduced Apple and Google's joint COVID-19 exposure notification API to iOS for the first time. Apple updated that settings page to now include an "Exposure Logging" setting instead.
We spent four beta updates with iOS 13.3. In that time, we saw fun new features like Communications Limits in Screen Time, an off switch for Memoji stickers in the Emoji keyboard, and new mouse options, among other things. Once Apple made 13.3 available to the public, it was only a matter of time before it began beta testing new software. That software is iOS 13.3.1, and that testing starts today.
Apple's upcoming update for iOS 13 adds a host of fun new features, piggy-backing on the changes both iOS 13.1 and iOS 13 brought to the table. When you update, expect new emojis, Deep Fusion on 2019 iPhone cameras, among so much else. Want in on the action? Apple just released the fourth public beta for iOS 13.2 today, Wednesday, Oct. 23.
Message effects in iMessage lets you add a touch of flair to otherwise bland communications. With the feature, you can complement a birthday wish with a stream of balloons, send a congratulatory text along with a shower of confetti, or make the chat bubble slam itself in the thread. If you're on the receiving end, however, they may be distracting and even jarring.
Public software testers can now run the fourth iOS 12.1.3 beta. Apple seeded this update to testers on Thursday, Jan. 10. Just like with beta 3, public beta 4 includes two resolved issues — a VoiceOver fix for ECG and Irregular Heart Rate notifications, as well as audio improvements for iPad Pros.
Apple released iOS 12.1.3 beta 4 to software developers on Thursday, Jan. 10, just three days after beta 3 came out. Public beta testers also received the update. In general, iOS 12.1.3 fixes a VoiceOver issue with ECG and Irregular Heart Rate notifications, as well as a fix in audio quality on the latest iPad Pro models.
In a surprise twist, Apple released iOS 12 public beta 8 to software testers on Thursday, Aug. 23, right alongside iOS 12 dev beta 10. The release comes as a bit of a shock, as the company released iOS 12 public beta 7 just three days earlier. The official build of iOS 12 now feels closer every day.
Apple's next big developer event happened on June 4, and it was the first glimpse of iOS 12 that anyone's seen. While there were lots of rumored features to be unveiled at WWDC 2018, Apple concentrated mostly on squashing bugs and making iOS work as seamless as it did years ago. Still, we had hoped that Apple would have added these features in iOS 12, but only a few made the cut.
One downside to iOS 11's awesome built-in QR code scanner in the Camera app is its only been live for a short while. In its short life, there has already been a security vulnerability discovered that was an issue for at least the last 4.5 months, but Apple has finally patched this weakness with its iOS 11.3.1 update.
Did you want an iPhone X, but opted for the iPhone 8 instead? Or, maybe you aren't ready to upgrade from your 7, 6S, 5S, or what-have-you. Did you know iOS 11.1 lets you experience what it would be like if you had upgraded to the iPhone X? Well, in a way.
It's hard to believe iOS 11 was announced three months ago. In that time, we have downloaded multiple betas, experienced the Golden Master, and seen the new software in action on the iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus. After all this waiting, however, the official release of iOS 11 and all its awesome new features, is finally here. Well, almost.
Apple gave the Messages app a massive makeover with iOS 10, with a slew of options that made iMessages on the iPhone a lot more fun. While not quite as comprehensive, iOS 11 builds upon that success and makes the app more user-friendly and all-inclusive.
Google just pushed out an update to Chrome for iOS, with the main change being a new feature called "Read Later". Read Later is a nifty little feature that allows you to download and save web pages that you can read even if you're offline. Being a subway rider in NYC, I know very well how annoying the lack of an internet connection can be when traveling, which makes this feature all the more handy.
Apple released Portrait mode for the iPhone 7 Plus in the iOS 10.1 update, which creates a simulated bokeh effect that blurs out the background and makes the subject pop out in the scene. It's still technically a beta feature since Apple does have some kinks to iron out, but it's ready to use as is.
A month after its initial release to developers, iOS 9's Public Preview build is now available to everyone. If you signed up right from the start, you should receive an email or push notification letting you know of its availability. If you didn't, make sure to sign up for the Apple Beta Software Program.
If you're anything like me, you'd like the ability to fully exit your iPhone apps to help free up memory, improve battery life, stop background processes, and fix unresponsive apps. The thing is, you can, with the help of the app switcher. Force-closing apps also helps keep your app switch clean and organized.
Apple released the first public beta for iOS 13.5.5 on Monday, June 1. The update comes just hours after Apple seeded developers their first 13.5.5 beta, as well as the public release of iOS 13.5.1, which introduced a patch for the Unc0ver jailbreak exploit. It was a big day for iOS software.
Apple just released the first developer beta for iOS 13.4.5 on Tuesday, March 31. The update follows the previous week's stable release of iOS 13.4.
Apple released the fifth public beta for iOS 13.4 on March 10. The update comes three hours after the release of developer beta 5, and exactly one week after iOS 13.4 public beta 4.
The latest official update for iPhone, iOS 13.2, introduced 22 new features and changes to the iOS 13 era, building off the improvements brought by iOS 13.1 and iOS 13 proper before it. It's time to take our first peek into what's next for iPhone and iOS, as Apple releases iOS 13.3 developer beta 1 today, Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Google's strategy for updating its apps with dark mode options is apparently "one at a time" and "as slow as possible." Even after the company added a dark theme to many of its apps for Android and iOS, such as Calendar, Chrome, Keep, and Photos, Gmail seemed to remain "light" for the longest time. However, the app now supports dark mode on both mobile OSs. Here's how to enable it.
With each year that we anxiously await Apple's next big version of iOS, there comes the sad reality that the eldest iPhones will not continue to receive support. That's not the case with iOS 12, however, as the software is compatible with all iPhones currently running iOS 11, going back as far as the iPhone 5S.
In the new iOS 11, Apple lets you hide purchased apps from the App Store no matter if you have "Family Sharing" turned on or not, which is an interesting change from iOS 10. It's a fairly easy task to hide an app from your list of purchases, but unhiding it is anything but easy.
Whenever you would use "Portrait Mode" in iOS 10 on your iPhone 7 Plus, the camera would save both a regular and depth effect version. If you were low on space, you could always opt to save the depth effect version only, but this setting is now gone in iOS 11. While at first it seems like only the depth effect version is saved now, the normal version is still there, whether you like it or not — it's just hiding.
If you're not a fan of your iPhone's ability to adjust screen brightness by itself, you've probably turned off auto-brightness on multiple occasions in the past. All you would do is go to your "Display & Brightness" settings and toggle it off, but that's no longer the case in iOS 11 and iOS 12 — whether you have an iPhone X, XS, XS Max, XR or any older supported iPhone.
When you're taking a video in the Camera app on your iPhone, there's a little white shutter button in the corner that lets you take a still image while you're filming. Apple brought that same concept over to the FaceTime app in iOS 11, iOS 12, and higher, so you can take Live Photos of your friends during video chats.
While you may not notice them at first, iOS 11 included some pretty significant improvements to the Photos app on your iPhone. These upgrades will help you make your Live Photos livelier, surprise you with photos you totally forgot about, keep your photos and videos organized, and more.
Apple introduced iMessage effects in iOS 10, which offer creative ways to send messages to other iPhone users. These effects can either be applied to the screen, like seeing an explosion of confetti falling down the display, or to the message bubble itself. iOS 11 brings two new screen effects to iMessage, named "Echo" and "Spotlight," and they look like they'll be a fun addition to the current lineup.
Apple's iOS might be user-friendly, but it's a bit restrictive when it comes to personalization, so you can really only change the look of the home screen by either jailbreaking or exploiting glitches. While there isn't a jailbreak for the current version of iOS, there is a glitch which helps a little bit.
Apple has removed support for older 32-bit applications in the new iOS 11, which was to be expected after the 10.3 update added the ability to detect apps that are still running 32-bit processes on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch. Apple even excluded restore images for 32-bit devices such as the iPhone 5 and iPad (4th gen) in the iOS 10.3.2 beta 1 update for developers, so this shouldn't be a surprise.
