iOS 14: Everything you need to know
WWDC 2020 has kicked off today, and as you’ve probably heard, Apple’s developers’ conference for this year is exclusively online. The event started with Apple’s CEO Tim Cook alone in the Steve Jobs Theater in Apple Park, streaming for millions of developers and Apple fans around the world. There’s a lot to cover here, we got to take the first look at the new iOS 14, iPadOS 14, WatchOS 7, macOS Big Sur as well as many updates on different Apple products and services. Here, we’re gonna take a look at the new iOS where Apple is making the biggest change to the iPhone home screen in years by introducing Widgets.
iOS 14 New Features
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Widgets & App Library
Just like in Android, widgets are coming to iOS in a variety of sizes and shapes. While they were only available in the Today View before, in iOS 14 widgets can be added to any part of your home screen. To choose between widgets, Apple is introducing a new “Widget Gallery” that allows you to browse between widgets and customize them to fit your style. Among all the new widgets, there is a new “Smart Stack” widget that will automatically show the most relevant apps based on the time of the day.
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System-wide picture-in-picture
The next feature in line is a new system-wide picture-in-picture addition to the new iOS 14. If you are watching a video or having a video call on iOS 14, all you have to do is to press the home button and the video will shrink and show on the screen, while you can open other apps and use them. You can also hide the video by sliding it to the side of the screen and the audio will keep playing in the background.
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App Clips
Another important feature that is coming to iOS 14 is the new “App Clips” which are snippets of apps that will allow users to access small parts of apps instead of downloading the full app. If you are wondering when will you need such a feature, then think about the next time you need to access a parking app through an NFC tag, or a coffee store’s reward program. The new Apps Clips support Sign In with Apple in order to avoid creating a new account and can be accessed again through the new App Library. Along with the App Clips, Apple is introducing a new format of QR-code that uses both NFC and camera to quickly access the clips.
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Siri
Siri is also getting an update, instead of it taking the full screen when activated, Siri will now show up as the small animated Siri icon at the bottom of the screen. Another thing that usually disturbs users is phone calls or FaceTime calls when they take the full screen. Fortunately, in iOS 14, they will show up as pop-ups instead of taking over the whole display.
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New Translate App
Apple is also introducing a new Translate app that will be a part of iOS 14. Just like Google Translate, the app will allow users to easily translate between languages by entering text or dictating messages. Users will be able to translate between 11 different languages that include English, Mandarin Chinese, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Portuguese, and Russian. More languages will be added later according to Apple.
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New Features for Messages
Messages is also getting some new features, one of them is the ability to pin important contacts and conversations to the top of the Messages app in order to easily access your favorite friends’ conversations or group chats. Another feature is the threaded conversations in group chats where you can now reply to specific messages in a new thread, you will also be able to mention other people in the chat, and choose not to be notified unless you are mentioned in a text.
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Apple Maps
Apple Maps is getting better by getting new guides from companies like Zagat or AllTrails so it can give better recommendations for new places. Support for cycling is now on board, directions will be available for bikers providing everything you need to know as a biker such as elevation, bike paths, stairs, and roads. Cycling will launch in NYC, LA, San Francisco’s Bay Area, Shanghai, and Beijing. There’s also a new EV Routing feature that will track the current charge of your car, factor in elevation and weather, and route you to compatible stations.
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Unlock your car with your iPhone
CarPlay is getting some cool features as well, including support for custom wallpapers and new app categories: parking apps, EV chargers, and fast food takeout apps. Apple is also adding a new feature that will allow users to unlock their car through NFC, the 2021 BMW 5 Series set to be the first to support the feature. Users will be able to give temporary access to their car keys to other iPhone users, and just to make sure you never get locked out of your car, a special power reserve feature will be used to allow access up to five hours after your phone has died.
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Other Features
While those were the biggest changes coming to iOS, there are many small updates that are worth mentioning. Safari on iOS 14 will now let you know if one of your passwords has been leaked in a data breach. The Game Center is getting a new design, and developers will now be able to share subscriptions through Family Sharing. There is also a new “Sleep Mode” that turns on do-not-disturb, dims your phone’s screen, and shows your upcoming alarm for the morning.
The new iOS 14 will be officially out next fall, but a developer preview will be available to Apple Developer Program members during WWDC 2020, as well as a beta version to be available to the public later in July, here’s a list of the iPhones that will support iOS 14:
- iPhone 11
- iPhone 11 Pro
- iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone XS
- iPhone XS Max
- iPhone XR
- iPhone X
- iPhone 8
- iPhone 8 Plus
- iPhone 7
- iPhone 7 Plus
- iPhone 6s
- iPhone 6s Plus
- iPhone SE (1st generation)
- iPhone SE (2nd generation)
