Apple took the stage at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference keynote and officially announced the next major update to iOS: iOS 10. This was quickly followed by the first developer beta that was released soon after the keynote ended.
This release for Apple’s mobile operating system, which will work on the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch lineup, brings a whole host of new additions, from changes to the lock screen, to major tweaks to the way 3D Touch works, and even more sweeping changes to Messages.
Apple has seeded the fourth developer beta, which will be one of many before the public launch later this year. The fourth developer beta is available either through Apple’s dedicated site for developers, right here, or as an over-the-air (OTA) update on iOS devices that are running the previous beta.
Since the first beta arrived, it’s been discovered that there’s a Dark Mode embedded in the software, but its not as far-reaching as some might like. Here are a few other new additions to iOS 10 that have been discovered since the first beta was seeded.
Here’s a rundown of the new features Apple officially announced at WWDC:
Redesigned Lock Screen and Control Center
The redesigned Lock Screen features rich notifications, which will allow for more information to be presented to the user, while also giving them more abilities to interact with that content. Specifically, 3D Touch will work to show email content, reply to messages, and even let users clear all notifications.
Control Center has also been improved, adding a dedicated panel for music that shows full album artwork, plus playback controls. Users can simply swipe to the right to access the camera as well from the lock screen, while swiping to the left will bring up widgets.
Siri
Siri has been improved in a big way as well, getting much smarter and gaining access to third-party applications with a brand new SDK for developers. Using Siri, users can now send messages through third-party messaging apps, like WeChat, summon an Uber, send money to friends, start/end a VoIP call, and more.
QuickType Keyboard
The QuickType Keyboard is the stock board for iOS users, and it has seen a laundry list of improvements and tweaks in iOS 10. That includes Siri integration, which will provide relevant information depending on the conversation you are having, including offering up the ability to provide a location, and more. The QuickType keyboard is also gaining bilingual support, which will show suggestions from multiple languages at once.
Photos
The new Photos app has seen a big upgrade, getting smarter with better recognition for not only faces, but also places, scenes, and objects. The new Photos app for iOS 10 will also link images based on location, or people in the pictures based on a date, plus much more. The new app will also create movies, threading video and still images together, along with background music and typography, to create quick video shorts showcasing an event or experience.
Apple Maps
The stock Maps app is getting better with a dynamic view, which will zoom in when you’re nearing turns and zoom out when you’re on a long straightaway. There’s an easier user interface as well, and an ability to search along a route, see updated traffic in real-time, and get alternate routes when a path is slow or blocked. Apple Maps is also getting Extensions for third-party apps, which will let users set up dinner dates, book a hotel or car, and much more.
Apple Music
Apple Music also saw an improvement, with an easier method of multitasking while browsing and listening to content, a major refresh to the user interface, and integrated song lyrics for those who want to know exactly what’s being said in a song.
Apple News
Apple News now offers subscriptions for content, and there are push notifications for breaking stories. The user interface has been updated as well, and News will recommend sources based on your reading habits.
Home
The new Home app will bring together all of your HomeKit-enabled smart home accessories, from the garage door, the front door, thermostats, lights, and more, and simply make it easier to control all of them. With “Scenes,” users will be able to tell Siri good morning to have their blinds open and lights turn on, or choose good night to get the opposite effect.
Phone
The Phone app is also updated within iOS 10, featuring integration with third-party VoIP apps, voicemail transcription, and more.
iMessage
One of the biggest new additions for iOS 10 is a plethora of changes and updates to iMessage, making it a much more worthwhile experience with bigger emoji, the ability to swap out words for their emoji counterparts, and even full-screen animations that brighten up a conversation. There’s an Invisible Ink feature that lets users swipe their finger over a picture or words that have been hazed out, letting the content be an actual secret. There are animations for pictures and text that can be smaller or bigger, the ability to reply in a handwritten message, Digital Touch for drawing on images, stickers, animated stickers, and much more.
You can download and install the iOS 10 developer beta from right here.
The iOS 10 Essentials:
Check out our iOS 10 coverage below:
- Top 44 iOS 10 Features for iPhone
- Top 10 iOS 10 Features for iPad
- Top 25 Hidden iOS 10 Features
- iOS 10 Hand-on: What’s New in Messages
- iOS 10 Hands-on: What’s New in Home Screen and Notification Center
- iOS 10 Hands-on: What’s New In The Lock Screen
- iOS 10 Hands-on: What’s New in the Redesigned Control Center
- iOS 10 Hands-on: All The New Ways To 3D Touch
- iOS 10 Hands-on: What’s New in Photos
- iOS 10: How Siri Integration With Apps Will Work
