Apple is hosting its annual Worldwide Developer Conference this week and, as expected, kicked off the conference by unveiling iOS 13, the next version of its mobile operating system, during the show’s opening keynote. Apple showed off a LOT of stuff, including key improvements to overall privacy, overhauled apps, and sweeping software changes for iPads. Here’s a rundown of the changes you’ll notice, and what they mean for your iPhone.
Everything will be faster
According to Apple, iOS 13 will improve performance in a few key ways. Apps should launch twice as fast. “Smaller apps” should download in half the time, and update 60 percent more quickly. Face ID should take 30 percent less time to unlock. It’s hard to say whether you’ll notice the difference — especially with downloads, since their speed depends on your connection as well — but it sounds like a nice improvement.
Also, this wasn’t mentioned in the keynote, but Apple said you will now be able to download larger apps—over 150MB—using cellular data, instead of waiting for wifi. It’s a small improvement, and one that people with large or unlimited data plans will care about, but it’s always nice to have the option.
Sign in with iPhone
In the security department, Apple wants to give iOS users a more secure alternative to convenient social sign-in buttons, like sign in with Facebook, which links external accounts to the social network giving it more data. The Sign In with Apple button works like any other social button, but prompts you to authenticate yourself using Face ID or Touch ID instead syncing to an authenticated social media account.
Better yet, when you use the button in conjunction with a service that requires an email address, iOS 13 gives you the ability to use any of your stored email addresses, or give a randomly generated “dummy” iCloud address, which forwards messages to your account. You can then delete said account (or, presumably, stop forwarding messages to your real email) whenever you want.
Location, location, location...data
Given all the concerns with mobile apps storing and using location data lately, it’s nice to see that iOS users will be getting more options to control when and how location data is used this year. Instead of simply choosing what apps can and can’t check your location, you can now choose to simply let an app read your location data one time, forcing it to re-authenticate every time it wants to track you. You can also tell iOS to send you a notification each time an app asks for your location data, so you can see if any of your apps are acting fishy.
Apple also said it will prevent apps from acquiring your location data using Bluetooth or wi-fi, making its location data controls more effective.
Everybody gets a contact image in Messages
In Messages, users will now see a contact photo next to each person’s name, giving it a more social feel. When you message a person who may not have you saved in their phone, you can choose to send a custom name and image, introducing yourself and making people less likely to treat you like a bot. This seems especially helpful since iOS 13 also adds a feature that automatically sends all unrecognized calls to voicemail.
Memoji get a glow up and stickers
When do set that contact photo, Apple would prefer you use a picture of your Memoji. In case you forgot about them, Apple introduced Memoji, customizable emoji avatars made using the iPhone X’s front-facing camera, in iOS 12 last year. In iOS 13, they are getting a bunch of improvements, including the ability to add piercings and makeup, change bodily features like teeth, and add hats.
Once you’ve customized it, you have the option to generate a sticker pack of your Memoji (or a generic Animoji) making different expressions, which you can send using the stickers feature on the iOS keyboard.
Going dark
As expected, Apple announced that iOS 13 will introduce a Dark Mode for iOS and Apple’s apps. Now you can minimize the amount output by your phone in menu and apps by turning everything black or dark grey. Switching to dark mode will also switch your wallpaper, and iOS 13 will come with a set of Dark Mode-optimized ones to maximize the effect.
Dark Mode will be easy to toggle on and off at will—there will be a Control Center button—or you can set it to turn on automatically at specific times. Third-party developers will have access to Dark Mode through Apple’s API, so developers can (and hopefully will) add it to their apps, though there’s no guarantee when/if developers will do so.
Type without lifting a finger
At long last, iPhones will now have access to a swipe-style typing in all apps, where you drag your finger from key to key, rather than tapping. From the limited demo during the keynote, Apple’s QuickPath typing didn’t have any immediately obvious distinguishing features, but given that this is feature fans have been using for years on Android or using third-party keyboard software, it’s just nice to have parity.
Find My iPhone…even when it’s off
The “Find my Friends” and “Find my iPhone” apps will be combined into a single app in iOS13, simply called “Find My.” The new app will add a couple key new features to the service, both of which enhance Find My’s primary function, helping you when your phone is missing or stolen.
First, Find My can now track synced devices when they are asleep or in offline mode using an encrypted Bluetooth location signal. According to Apple, that signal piggybacks on other Bluetooth signals, making it harder to trace. Apple also said also it will not impact your devices’ battery life.