At today’s WWDC keynote, Apple gave us a first look at iOS 13 and all the new features coming to your iPhone. The most practical improvements deal with the features and apps you use every day. For example, iOS 13 promises to make unlocking your phone with Face ID 30-percent faster and all apps will launch twice as fast. iOS 13 also promises to save space. Downloads and updates will be 50-percent 60-percent smaller, respectively. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Below we highlight the coolest features and apps that we’re most excited about.
Reminder: the iOS 13 update won’t roll out until this fall.
Dark Mode
Last year, Apple brought Dark mode to the Mac with macOS Mojave. This year it’s doing the same thing for your iPhone. Dark mode on iOS 13 will support your default home screen as well as Apple’s own apps, like Messages, Photos, Mail, Calendar and Apple Music. It’s a look that many people like, but it also helps save the battery life on your iPhone if your handset has an OLED screen, as well as protect your eyes for harsh light that could keep you awake.
Apple’s Keyboard Is Now Swipeable
Apple’s default keyboard, which you use every time you type a message or email, will now support swiping so. Third-party keyboards have supported swiping for some time, like Gboard, but now Apple is giving users more reasons to stick with the default. This updated default keyboard is named QuickPath.
Apple Maps Gets a Well-Needed Upgrade
Google Maps continues to be many iPhone user’s default maps app of choice, but the new Apple Maps has been updated with some pretty impressive features that aims to win those people back. The updated Apple Maps will have a sophisticated street view, called “Lookaround,” with a new interface that allows you to easily scroll up and down a street, or rotate completely around, without the street view skipping a beat.
You Can Now Edit Videos on Your Phone
The Photos app is getting a bunch of new editing tools, so you’ll be even more capable of touching up things like contrast, saturation and highlights. For the first time ever, however, these same editing tools will be able to used on your videos. You’ll be able to touch up the videos you just shot, right from the Photos app.
More Ways to Use Your AirPods
iOS 13 will bring about some key feature upgrades for your AirPods. Announce Messages is a new feature that lets your Siri (voice) read out your Messages on your AirPods as they come in; this way you won’t have to take out your phone to know what a text said. This will work with both Messages and other third-party apps.
Handoff to HomePod
If you own a HomePod and you’re an Apple Music subscriber (and you probably are if you own a HomePod), iOS 13 is adding a music handoff feature. Essentially, if you’re commuting home and listening to music on your iPhone, you’ll be able to seamlessly switch to playing that music on your HomePod when you get home.
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