iOS 13: Features You Need To Know About

With Apple releasing iOS 13 and now iOS 13.1 to consumers around the world, we go hands-on with the new operating system to explore its new features, including Dark Mode, an all-new Find My app, a new voice for Siri, powerful new privacy tools, and much more…

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FASTER THAN EVER

Just like with iOS 12, Apple took the time to introduce some performance improvements to this year’s operating system, speeding up everyday tasks on new and older iPhones. For Face ID devices, for example, iPhones now unlock up to 30% faster than on iOS 12, and apps now launch up to twice as quickly, as Apple has managed to reduce the size of apps by up to 50% when first downloading, and up to 60% when updating thanks to under-the-hood optimizations - which are on Apple’s side, rather than on the side of developers. As apps are now smaller than ever, Apple has removed limitations on downloading apps over cellular, and you can download apps of any size over an LTE connection if you’re away from WiFi.

DARK MODE

Though iOS 13 looks virtually identical to iOS 12 at first glance, the biggest change is a system-wide Dark Mode, which now serves as an alternative to the Light Mode that’s been on iOS since its inception. Perhaps one of the most-requested iOS features of all time, iOS 13 introduces a mode that transforms the look of the entire operating system, darkening inbuilt Apple apps and even new wallpapers, which can dynamically change throughout the day like on macOS Mojave. What’s more, iOS 13 introduces a Dark Mode API, so developers will be able to make their third-party apps compatible, and websites can tap into Dark Mode strings to trigger darker CSS, too. Some of the App Store’s most-used apps, like Facebook, are yet to be transformed, though we’re expecting developers to issue updates in the coming weeks.

MAKING PRIVACY A BIG DEAL