The next big update for iOS is coming with iOS 13 for the iPhone and iPod touch, and there are a ton of goodies to be found in it. Some of the major ones are Dark Mode, QuickPath Typing, revamped Photos and editing tools, and more. But there are also a lot of smaller features and quality of life improvements that are coming as well. Here's what you may have missed!
Apple occasionally offers updates to iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, and macOS as closed developer previews or public betas. While the betas contain new features, they also contain pre-release bugs that can prevent the normal use of your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, or Mac, and are not intended for everyday use on a primary device. That's why we strongly recommend staying away from developer previews unless you need them for software development, and using the public betas with caution. If you depend on your devices, wait for the final release.
The revamped Volume HUD
Gone is the much-loathed volume HUD. You know, the one that pops up in the middle of your screen, blocking out everything in the center for a few seconds until it goes away on its own? Yes, it's finally gone!
Now the Volume HUD will show up like one of the sliders in Control Center, but off to the side (you can drag it to where you prefer it), and after a second or two, it slims down to the size of a scrollbar in Safari. It's much less obtrusive and more streamlined.
Low data mode
The new Low Data Mode will make apps reduce their network data usage on your device. This is great if you have a limited data plan and need to conserve as much as possible.
Portrait Lighting improvements
Changes to Portrait Lighting allow you to adjust the position and intensity of the studio lighting effects. So you can move it closer for smoother skin, sharper eyes, and brighter facial features. Or move it farther away for subtle, refined looks.
There's also the new High-Key Mono effect, which is a monochromatic subject on a white background.
Non-destructive video editing
iOS 13 allows you full video editing on your device, and you can use any of the photo editing tools that are normally at your disposal. This opens up a lot of possibilities to perfecting your videos right on your device, and the best part is that all of the edits are non-destructive. This means you can always remove an effect, such as a filter, or undo a trim to return to the original video.
ETA Sharing in Maps
The new Apple Maps will now show you an ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival), so you can quickly share it with friends, family, and coworkers. The ETA automatically updates if there's even a slight delay, so it's always up-to-date.
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth selection in Control Center
If you long-press on the Wi-Fi or Bluetooth icons in Control Center, you will get a pop-up list of Wi-Fi networks or Bluetooth devices, respectively. This makes changing networks or turning devices on and off a breeze. No more having to go into Settings!
Removes size limits on cellular downloads
Previously, iOS only allowed you to download apps on cellular as long as they were below 150MB. They recently upped that limit to 200MB in the latest iOS 12 release, but with iOS 13, there will no longer be any limits. You'll get a prompt that tells you you're trying to download something that is over 200MB, but you can confirm if you want to download it later on Wi-Fi, or just go ahead and download it over your cellular network.
PlayStation 4 and Xbox One S controller support
When it was revealed that tvOS was getting support for PlayStation 4's DualShock 4 and Xbox One S controllers, many of us thought it would just be tvOS getting this support. Nope! iOS 13 will also bring support for the popular console controllers, so you can game away on your iPhone and iPad, as well as Apple TV 4K.
Block sender in Mail
Tired of getting emails from a specific person that you don't like getting emails from? Just block them, and all email from that sender will get blocked and moved directly to the trash. This feature works across all of your Apple devices.
Oral Health
Good oral hygiene is a necessary part of our lives. With iOS 13, there is a new "Toothbrushing" data type that helps you keep track of your toothbrushing time. You can either input data manually, or use a smart Bluetooth toothbrush that supports Health.
What are you looking forward to?
There are a lot of cool new features coming in iOS 13, and these are just a few of the nicer improvements and additions that weren't covered much in the WWDC 2019 keynote.
What are you looking forward to the most in iOS 13? Let us know in the comments!
