What’s New in iOS 13

Apple introduced the newest version of its iOS operating system, iOS 13, on June 3 at the keynote event of the 2019 Worldwide Developers Conference. iOS 13 is a huge overhaul to iOS, with a long list of new features. First up, Apple continued on with its optimization trend introduced in iOS 12, making iOS 13 faster and more efficient than ever. App update times have improved app launch times are two times faster, app download sizes have been reduced by up to 50 percent, and Face ID is 30 percent faster. There’s a new systemwide Dark Mode option, which changes the entire look of the operating system from light to dark. You can choose either option, or have Dark Mode come on at sunset or on a custom schedule.

iOS 13

Apple overhauled the Photos app, introducing a new feature that curates your entire Photos library and shows you a selection of highlights from your life by day, month, or year. Photos and videos are intelligently organized, making it easier to browse and relive your favorite memories. Photo editing tools in the Photos app have been revamped to make it easier than ever to edit your images. Your editing tools are now at the bottom of the Photos app, and there are handy slider wheels available right at your fingertips when you tap the “Edit” button. iOS 13 makes most of your photo editing tools available for video editing, letting you rotate, crop, and apply filters to videos. In the Camera app, you can make Portrait Lighting adjustments, moving the light closer or further away depending on the look you’re going for. There’s also a new High-Key Mono lighting effect for creating monochromatic looks. iOS 13 introduces a streamlined, less obtrusive volume HUD for the first time, and there’s a now an option to download apps of any size over an LTE connection, untethering you from WiFi. In iOS, macOS, and iPadOS, there’s a new “Find My” app that combines Find My iPhone and Find My Friends. It has a nifty feature that lets you track your devices even when they’re offline by leveraging Bluetooth and other nearby iOS devices. Apple is adding a new Sign in with Apple privacy feature that gives you a convenient and data safe way to sign into apps and websites. Your Apple ID is able to authenticate your account via Touch ID or Face ID, and developers see a unique random ID rather than your real info. Apple can even generate single-use randomized email addresses, so you never have to give your real email address away to an app again. There are new controls for limiting the location data shared with apps so you can better protect your privacy. You can allow apps to access your location one time only, and Apple provides more notice when apps are using your location in the background. The Maps app got updated again, and the new Maps app features broader road coverage, better pedestrian data, more precise addresses, and more detailed landcover. The updated app is available in some cities and states now and is rolling out to the entire US later in 2019. It will come to more countries in 2020.

New in iOS 13

A new Look Around feature in Maps is Apple’s version of Google Street View, letting you see street-level imagery of a city. A new Collections feature in Maps lets you share your favorite restaurants and places with friends, and a Favorites option lets you save directions to frequent destinations like work or home.

Multiple other apps also got new features in iOS 13. Reminders has been overhauled with an updated look and new intelligent features that make the app more useful than ever. It’s easier to keep track of reminders, and there’s a new toolbar for adding times, dates, locations, flags, and more. Deep integration with Messages lets you tag someone in a reminder so that it surfaces when you message that person. There’s a Profile feature in Messages that lets you share your name and photo with people, and Apple has added a ton of new Memoji options along with three new Animoji: the octopus, cow, and mouse. Memoji stickers, another new feature, turn your Memoji into sticker packs built into the iOS keyboard so you can use them in Messages, Mail, and more.

Siri has an all new voice that sounds much more natural, and in Siri Shortcuts you’ll find a new Suggested Automations feature that suggests personalized shortcuts you might want to create. Siri now supports Live Radio, and the personal assistant can access stations from iHeartRadio, radio.com, and TuneIn. CarPlay in iOS 13 has been overhauled with a new Dashboard view for music, maps, and more, a new Calendar app, and Siri support for third-party navigation and audio apps.