AppleInsider Staff
The next point release of Apple's mobile operating system is shaping up to be one of the most important yet, with a slew of new features that help users sleep, keep their sensitive data under wraps, and get a better overview of their health coming in iOS 9.3.
Headlining the surprisingly hefty release is Night Shift, an oft-requested feature that automatically shifts the color temperature of an iOS device display toward the warmer end of the spectrum as night progresses. In the morning, it automatically returns to normal.
Apps that perform a similar function — such as f.lux — have long been popular on the Mac, and users have clamored for the ability to use them on iOS devices.
The built-in Notes app has also been spruced up. Users can now encrypt individual notes with Touch ID or a custom password, while the full list can be sorted alphabetically or by date created or date modified.
Apple says the News app will be faster to update, and the For You section is now smarter and adds the ability to play embedded videos directly in the feed. The Health app now displays Apple Watch activity natively and features a slightly redesigned dashboard view.
CarPlay has also received some love, with enhanced Apple Music integration — adding the New and For You sections — alongside better point of interest search. Drivers will now have access to a "Nearby" function that quickly identifies gas stations, parking, restaurants, coffee shops, and other frequently-requested points of interest with a single tap.
Apple surprisingly revealed iOS 9.3 earlier Monday, even before releasing iOS 9.2.1 to the public.
Chip Loder
Christine McKee
Malcolm Owen
William Gallagher
Andrew Orr
21 Comments
I'm glad to hear about the upcoming security features for the Notes app. Using Touch ID to secure individual notes is a great feature. Hopefully the update will come out soon.
I am shocked at bad terminology on warm-cold in lighting. Daylight is 6500K and it is warm light most popular home light for night is 2700K-4500K that is actually cold. I hope everybody knows what Kelvin scale stands for. It is like saying that 32Fahrenheit is warm and 90 Fahrenheit is cold. You can use description of sharp or soft light, but when you mention warm or cold then use proper temperature scale. I see it everywhere this incorrect reference is on boxes with bulbs and now here. People skew proper terminology and then they think it is correct use because everybody else does this popular mumbling. Even f.lux got it wrong. Follow physics properly... do not create common lingo with opposite terms.
I just hope they fix the Notes app. I made a shopping list in Notes on my iPad and it didn't transfer automatically over to my iPhone. When I got back and tried to make a change to it, the note disappeared completely while I was looking at it! Now this is probably an iCloud issue, but still it reflected very poorly on them.