On Wednesday, September 12th, Apple made the exciting announcement that the new iOS 12 update will be readily available on Monday, the 17th.
You’re probably wondering what new features and improvements are being made. Well, let’s take a glance at what we can expect from the newest version of iOS:
Work it Harder, Make it Better.
I’m probably not the only one who has been stuck waiting for an app to load or a web browser to open. We, as a society, have grown impatient and need our technology to be instantaneous. Apple knows this and in response has doubled down on performance, focusing on internal improvements for the iOS. The result? Faster and more responsive devices.
Improvements have not just been made on new devices, but older devices will also run quicker and more smoothly. iOS 12 is designed to run on all devices that are able to run on iOS 11.
Memoji
Do you ever feel left out when trying to choose an emoji that fits your appearance? Well, those days are long gone with Memoji!
With the introduction of the iPhone X, Apple added a fun feature to the Message app called Animoji. This feature allows users to use the phone’s True Depth camera system to map emoji characters to their face so that they appear to mimic your facial expressions in a real-time recording.
Since users had a blast with Animoji, Apple decided to expand the feature, and users are going to have endless fun with it! With Memoji, you can create an avatar that looks just like you and traces your facial movements. The feature has added more choices of hair style, hair color, facial features, accessories, and more! Doesn’t this sounds way more fun than having a standard poop emoji mirror you?
Group FaceTime
Remember the days when you and a group of friends or family could login to Oovoo and host group video chats? Those were some fun times, and many users have spoken out and asked Apple to add a Group FaceTime option to their devices. Apple heard them loud and clear and plans to do just that.
Though it is not readily available, Apple plans to add a group FaceTime feature in a future update. The update is said to support up to 32 people.
Forget Google Maps!
If you’re like me, you’ve deleted Apple’s Maps app and made the move to Google Maps or Waze. The latter two (2) were always way more reliable, but now, that’s all changed. Apple has completely revamped the Maps app and it will soon be available, nationally, in late 2018 and early 2019.
The new and improved version of Maps will be slightly more aesthetically pleasing, with more detailed ground cover, pathways, and more! Most importantly, the app will be more reliable and responsive by updating more frequently. Users will now be able to access current roadway conditions more quickly, so they can try and avoid heavy traffic and construction.
Monitor Your Time, Limit Distractions
For those of you who need better time management or are unsure of just how much time you spend a day browsing Twitter, Instagram, or any application for that matter, iOS has built-in a new feature the gives you an idea of how your spending your time.
Screen Time, located within your iPhone or iPad’s Settings will collect data and monitor your usage in order to better help you focus and limit distractions. By offering a weekly report, the app will provide users with deep insight and details on their app usage, which can later help them make necessary time management decisions.
I don’t know about you, but I’m scared to see just how much time I spend on my phone. Maybe it will give us a wake up call or a reality check as to what we prioritize.
Do Not Disturb
Have you ever knowingly left on Do Not Disturb, and consequently missed an important phone call or text message? With the new and enhanced Do Not Disturb feature, you don’t have to remember to turn it off.
Located in your device’s control center, are several new toggles that allow you to select options that include: Do Not Disturb for one hour, until tomorrow morning, or until you leave a specific location.
Convenient right? Well, there is also a Do Not Disturb feature called Bedtime Mode. Apple knows that it can be annoying having to glance at your phone, in the middle of the night, and having a list of notifications appear on your screen. Bedtime mode allows users to hide all incoming notifications at night. With this new control toggled on, users can glance at their phone, during late hours, and will only see the date and time. This feature can also easily be turned off so that all muted notifications can appear.
Clean up Your Notifications
It can be overwhelmingly frustrating when you have fifty (50) notifications, all individually listed, on your iPhone’s screen. You have to scroll through all of them and see what’s top priority and what isn’t.
Apple’s iOS 12 now includes a notification grouping feature which will clean up a user’s lock screen by consolidating all incoming notifications by app, topic, and more. There is also an option which allows you to tap on a specific notification group to see individual notifications.
Along with cleaning up and organizing the lock screen, this new feature allows you to clear notifications by group. This option is way more convenient and useful when it comes to managing a long list of notifications.
Parental Controls Just Got Better.
With new features such as Screen Time, App Limits, Downtime, and Content and Privacy restrictions, parents are now able to better monitor what their children are doing on their devices.
Limits and Downtime allow parents to restrict app access based on their understanding of how much time their child is spending on an iPhone or iPad. And as you previously read, the Screen Time feature provides users with insight on how time is being used on a particular device. If it’s noted that a child is spending too much time on a gaming app, you can use the features to restrict their access completely or schedule a time during which you want your child to stop playing on their device. Of course, these features can also be used to help keep your time in check as well, but it is especially helpful in monitoring your child’s usage.
In addition to the new apps, the improvements made on Apple’s Parental Control are more full-bodied and provide parents with even more information and control over iPhone and iPad usage.
This was just a brief overview and glance as to what you can expect after downloading iOS 12; there are a ton more features and enhancements that you will discover after updating.
I know you die-hard Apple fans are probably excited, but don’t be so excited that you forget to backup your devices! Should anything go wrong when updating to iOS 12, it’s a good idea to use iCloud or iTunes to backup your device.