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iOS

4,916 'iOS' stories August 2010 - July 2018
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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)

How to change background color in Pages

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Jun 29 2018 - 7:19 am PT
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Pages recently added the ability to set page backgrounds, so you can give your document a blue or pink base color without messing around with full-page objects that just get in the way.

To use this feature, you’ll need to make sure to update to the latest versions of the Pages app for Mac and Pages for iOS, rolled out earlier in June. With the update installed, it’s time to find the page layout settings to change the background. Unfortunately, the feature is a little buried — and there’s an important gotcha to look out for …


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Security researcher shows how to brute force iPhone passcodes [Video]

Avatar for Chance Miller Jun 23 2018 - 5:40 am PT
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Update: In a statement, Apple has refuted this vulnerability and said it was not tested correctly by the security researcher:

https://twitter.com/reneritchie/status/1010680602708848641

According to a new report from ZDNet, security researcher Matthew Hickey has discovered a new way to bypass the passcode lock on any iOS device. Hickey claims that his brute force tactic works at least until iOS 11.3…


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iOS 12 will include a new life-saving feature for iPhone customers in the US

Avatar for Zac Hall Jun 18 2018 - 3:30 am PT
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Apple is announcing a new life-saving feature in iOS 12 that hasn’t been publicly disclosed before today. Starting this fall when iOS 12 is released, first responders will be able to access location data “securely and automatically” when iPhone customers call 911.

The move is intended to dramatically improve emergency service response time, and Apple says the feature is implemented with privacy in mind:


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Marzipan in Mojave: Porting developer iOS apps to macOS

Avatar for Guilherme Rambo Jun 13 2018 - 7:20 am PT
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With macOS Mojave, Apple introduced four apps that were previously only available on iOS: Stocks, News, Home and Voice Memos. During the presentation, speculation began on how these could be the iOS apps themselves, ported to the Mac with the rumored Marzipan project. At the end of the Keynote, Craig Federighi presented a sneak peek at a multi-phase project they’ve been working on. Without giving it any name, Craig explained that this project allows iOS apps to be ported to the Mac with minimal effort,that Apple used this for their News, Stocks and Voice Memos apps and that it would become available to third-party developers next year. I decided to explore this project and see just how minimal an effort it would be to port an existing, real-world iOS app to the Mac.


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Craig Federighi elaborates on bringing iOS apps to Mac, says ’some aspects of app porting will be automated’

Avatar for Michael Potuck Jun 5 2018 - 8:56 am PT
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Apple’s VP of software engineering, Craig Federighi, answered the question of whether the company was working on merging iOS and macOS with a huge “No.” on stage at WWDC yesterday. However, he went on to explain that Apple is in the middle of a multi-year project to bring UIKit iOS apps to its desktop platform.

Now, Wired was able to get some more clarity from Federighi on how Apple will make this happen, including some details on what developers can expect.


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Apple gives a sneak peek at multi-year project to bring UIKit iOS apps to the Mac

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Jun 4 2018 - 12:09 pm PT
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Apple today announced its plan to bring UIKit to the Mac. This is a multi-year project. Apple is testing the new cross-platform frameworks with its own stock apps in macOS Mojave. It will be available to third-party developers in 2019.

Apple is extending the iOS interface frameworks to work well on the Mac windowing system. It specifically said that it will not be merging iOS and macOS.


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iOS 11.4 coming today, HomePod gains multiroom audio and stereo pairing with AirPlay 2

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo May 29 2018 - 7:26 am PT
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HomePod

Apple is today releasing iOS 11.4, which finally includes AirPlay 2. This will bring multi-room and stereo pairing to the HomePod and Apple TV, calendar personal requests to HomePod Siri, alongside many other features.

The HomePod will also be debuting in several new countries next month; HomePod launches in Canada, France, and Germany on June 18 (via Buzzfeed).

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Feature Request: One new feature I’d like to see in iOS 12, macOS 10.14, watchOS 5 and tvOS 12

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo May 14 2018 - 8:22 am PT
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Ahead of WWDC, this is my top software wish-list, addressing the number one feature addition I’d like to see for each of Apple’s platforms; iOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS.

These are just my personal picks, choosing just one thing per OS that I think I would appreciate the most for the iOS 12, macOS 10.14, watchOS 5 and tvOS 12 cycles.


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