iOS 9: 10 Tips And Tricks
Apple packed a lot of changes into iOS 9, now available for iPhone and iPad. Here's your guide to navigating the new system.
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Apple has finally released iOS 9, and it looks like iPhone, iPad and iPod users will be on a downloading spree as the new mobile OS undergoes its anticipated widespread adoption.
The appeal of iOS 9 is in its many minor updates. While the system doesn't pack any groundbreaking new features, it's a welcome refresh for Apple's mobile product line. The company went with a more efficient approach and built iOS 9 to take up 1.5 GB, a major slim-down from the bulkier, 4 GB iOS 8.
[If you missed it, here's a look at Apple's fall lineup, including new iPhones and iPads.]
In a new move for Cupertino, a beta version of iOS 9 was released ahead of its full launch. Preview builds were largely limited to registered developers and contained a few interesting features, such as WiFi Assist and WiFi Calling.
Beta testers also had the chance to try new features including updated wallpaper designs and refreshed iterations of the Calendar app, CarPlay, Music, Siri and Keyboard.
Some of the upgrades and additions to iOS 9 are more obvious than others. The addition of public transit instructions to Maps is a major plus, as is the option to switch devices to Low Power Mode.
However, Apple really dug into the details with this system, and some new capabilities might fly under your radar. Here, we round up our favorite features, large and small, in iOS 9.
Have you downloaded the iOS update? Do you already have any favorite features or pain points with the system? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments sectino below. We'd like to hear from you.
Much to the joy of city dwellers, Apple Maps will now include directions for navigating public transit systems. We already have this in Google Maps. However, Apple has further simplified directions by telling you how to access specific trains and buses. At launch, the transit feature will only accommodates 10 major cities: New York City; Baltimore; Philadelphia; San Francisco; Washington, DC; Chicago; Mexico City; Toronto; Berlin; and London.
If you're sending an image via Apple's Mail app, you now have the option to draw on it. After adding your photo(s), press and hold on an image to prompt a "Markup" option. This will let you draw on the image, add text, or magnify specific features. It's especially handy if you need to sign a virtual document. With Markup, you can scribble an e-signature and add it to your photo. The tool also gives you the option to save multiple signatures.
If you own an iPhone, you have probably panicked as a result of unexpectedly low battery and forgotten charger. iOS 9 aims to eliminate such situations with Low Power Mode, which can be enabled to prolong battery life. It's also available for the iPad, but undoubtedly will come in handy more often for iPhone users.
Low Power Mode turns off or reduces energy-draining capabilities such as mail grab, automatic downloads, background app refresh, and certain visual effects. For a long day sans iPhone charger, you can enable this feature by going to Settings > Battery. Alternatively, you can access Low Power Mode through the notification that pops up when your charge hits 20% and 10%.
Tip: the Battery setting also lets you see which apps are draining your charge, and how much power each is using.
One of the most necessary changes in iOS 9 is also its most subtle. Really, Apple should have done this from the first iPhone, but better late than never.
A new mixed-case keyboard switches between capital and lower-case letters when you tap the shift key. We no longer have to remember whether the gray or white shift key means we're typing in all caps. It's a delayed but thrilling moment for iPhone users everywhere.
iOS 9 is more proactive and will offer different suggestions based on how you use your device and the content within it. For example, when you get in your car to drive home, it may show a map of your route and estimated arrival time. If a calendar event contains a specific location, the system can let you know the best time to leave based on traffic.
A smarter Siri also learns your behavior to offer suggestions. Swipe left on the home screen to see a list of people you contact often, local shops and restaurants, or apps that change based on time of day.
When you're trying to adjust a specific setting, it can be a pain to navigate the seemingly endless options in the iPhone. iOS 9 makes it easier to find and adjust controls with a new search feature built into Settings. Now, you can type the setting term you're looking for and quickly find it.
The Notes app is good for much more than jotting down text. An upgraded version also lets you capture photos or videos within the app, scribble or sketch with your fingertip, and write bulleted lists. Drawing tools include a "ruler" for forming straight lines and multiple options for writing implements, including a highlighter.
When you first change your passcode in iOS 9, you will be required to upgrade your key from four digits to six. Until you access this setting, your four-digit code will remain the same.
Those two extra digits add a protective layer of cybersecurity, as reported in a blog post from IBM. With a four-digit passcode, there are 10,000 possible different combinations of numbers to crack. A six-digit passcode increases this to 1 million combinations. Do yourself a favor and take this simple extra step to boost your device security.
Safari for iOS 9 gives you more options for viewing and saving web pages. You can share pages as PDF files for storage in iBooks, search for key terms within the content, save links to Notes, and view the desktop version of any website.
While most features in iOS 9 benefit iPhone and iPad users, Apple included a few nifty capabilities specific to tablets.
One of these, Split View, helps with multitasking by letting you work in two apps side-by-side on the same screen. Another feature, Slide Over, lets you run one app in one-third of the screen for quick access and use.
Another handy capability, Picture in Picture, only works on more recent iPads. If you have one of those, you can use iOS 9 to watch videos or chat on FaceTime while performing other tasks. This would let you browse the Web or write an email while viewing a video clip or chatting with a friend. The video window is shrunk down and tucked into a corner of the screen so the rest of your screen is free to use.
While most features in iOS 9 benefit iPhone and iPad users, Apple included a few nifty capabilities specific to tablets.
One of these, Split View, helps with multitasking by letting you work in two apps side-by-side on the same screen. Another feature, Slide Over, lets you run one app in one-third of the screen for quick access and use.
Another handy capability, Picture in Picture, only works on more recent iPads. If you have one of those, you can use iOS 9 to watch videos or chat on FaceTime while performing other tasks. This would let you browse the Web or write an email while viewing a video clip or chatting with a friend. The video window is shrunk down and tucked into a corner of the screen so the rest of your screen is free to use.
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