Apple tends to announce the next version of its iOS mobile operating system every year at the World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC), which this year begins in June. Here’s a few juicy details of what we might see.
After a year of under-the-hood tinkering with iOS 12, early rumours seem to suggest iOS 13 will bring a bumper load of new features to the range of iPhones and iPads.
9to5Mac has the scoop here and the update that instantly stands out is the long-awaited introduction of a system-wide dark mode in iOS 13. This will allow you, through an option in Settings, to switch the stark-white look of the iPhone’s menus and apps to a much darker colour.
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Dark modes are seeing an increase in popularity recently with the likes of Twitter and Facebook adding the option into their apps.
The same report also suggests the iPad is in for a big year with improved multitasking in the form of multi-window apps. It seems you’ll be able to minimise apps into smaller cards and then drag them freely about the iPad’s large canvas. Like dark mode, this is a feature we’ve been hoping would come to iOS for a long time.
Other changes the report suggests might be coming in iOS 13 include an updated volume HUD that’ll replace the current one that’s always getting in the way, a redesigned Reminders app and a system-wide undo gesture.
Updates to the fairly poor Mail app seem on the horizon too, with categories like ‘Travel’ and ‘Purchases’ included to make it easier to manage your messages. This is something common in third-party apps and Gmail. The Mail app has felt hamstrung for a while now so it’s good to see Apple looking to improve it.
If these features are to be included in iOS 13 then expect to see the first glimpse of the new software shown during Apple’s WWDC keynote on June 3. Usual practice is for Apple to release a beta version of the software first, followed by a public beta and then, during September, the full release.
The full iOS 13 release will likely come around the same time as the iPhone 11 (or whatever Apple’s next flagship might be called).
What the iOS 13 feature you’d most like to see? Tweet us @trustedreviews
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
