At WWDC on June 22nd, Apple announced iOS 14, the next Apple mobile operating system. This new update, released September 16th, included a plethora of new features that will allow users to further optimize the potential of their devices.
Apple iOS 14 is compatible with all Apple devices that can operate iOS 13. Members of the Apple Beta Software Program were able to perform an early installation of iOS 14, receiving first access to all these exciting new features. See a list of the features below.
IOS 14 Features
- Compatibility with all devices able to run iOS 13
- Home screen redesign with widgets
- New App Library
- App Clips
- No full screen calls
- Privacy enhancements
- Translate app
- Cycling and EV routes
For details of these features, read on.
The biggest addition to iOS 14 is the addition of widgets – apps that update live to show you information from your home screen without opening the app. Resize, stack, and place the widgets to personalize your home screen to streamline your productivity. Apple is also finally allowing users to have a library of apps instead of requiring users to show every app on the home screen. Search through the library or look at a list of apps. No more burying unwanted apps deep in folders!
Phone calls are no longer forced into full-screen mode. Instead, a small banner will appear to indicate incoming and in-progress calls. When activated Siri will also be launched without darkening the apps in the background.
Picture-in-picture integration allows for greater multitasking ability by allowing users to watch videos or FaceTime while still having other apps open.
Keyboard dictation will run directly from the phone instead of connecting to the Internet, allowing it to be faster and to address privacy concerns of users. Offline translation will be available to provide text and voice translations. A conversation mode is added, allowing for real-time translation with automatic language detection.
Have you ever felt forced to download an app for only a single use, just to uninstall it when you are finished? App Clips are a brand-new feature that lets you access some of the functionality of an app without having to download it. App clips can be shared with App Clip codes, NFC tags, and QR codes for quick availability.
Other apps such as Weather and Health will be updated allowing for new features. Apple Maps gets upgraded with bicycle route availability and optimizing a driving route, including recharge stations for electric vehicles. Apple CarPlay gets a few notable quality-of-life upgrades including the ability to set a wallpaper in CarPlay mode and additional app compatibility. The iMessage app has been improved, including features like pinning important conversations to the top of the chat, mentions for group messages, and inline replies to messages.
Additional privacy measures have been added. Apps that don’t require an exact location will only be given the approximate location. App Store product pages will require summaries of developer privacy practices in an easy-to-read format.
And finally, for the first time, third-party email and browser apps can be set as default apps.
Author: Quinn Johnson