Disclosure: I own a small number of shares in Apple stock.
It has been less than a week since Apple released iOS 9 and more than 50% of Apple devices are already running on the new operating system. This is the fastest adoption rate of any Apple release ever. When
iOS 9 also includes faster performance and improved battery life. There is also an emphasis on under-the-hood improvements in iOS 9, which includes security enhancements.
I updated my iPhone and iPad to iOS 9 on September 16th and have been tinkering with the new features since then. What I discovered is that there are many major changes in the software update that are very useful -- some of them being subtle. Below are 42 of the biggest changes and how to set them up.
1.) 3D Touch For Controlling Quick Actions On iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus
The 3D Touch feature is only available for just the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus as of this year. And there is a Quick Actions feature in iOS 9 that will be added to the home menu of those devices, which can be controlled with 3D Touch. The 3D Touch feature enables the Peek and Pop action so that you can preview content and act on it without opening the app.
For example, light pressing emails in your Mail app will let you Peek at an email and a deeper press actually opens it. If you receive a website link in Messages, you can preview it by Peeking without leaving the app.
2.) Add The iCloud Drive App On The Home Screen
The iCloud Drive app is a cloud storage service -- which is similar to Dropbox and Google Drive -- that lets you share files between Mac and iOS. The standalone iCloud Drive app on iOS makes it easy to quickly pull up your files in one place.
In the previous version of iOS, you were able to access files from iCloud. But you could only access files through iCloud Drive by opening compatible apps like Apple Pages.
iCloud Drive does not show up automatically on your device. You actually have to enable or disable the iCloud Drive app. To enable or disable the iCloud Drive app, go to Settings > iCloud > iCloud Drive. And then you will have to toggle the switch where it says Show on Home Screen.
After you enable the app, you will see all of your iCloud Drive documents organized by folders. You can move files to different folders or share it through the app. To edit the files, you will have to export the documents to a different app by hitting the Share button at the top right corner. And then select the app that you want to use to edit the file.
3.) Apple Pay Improvements
Aside from standard credit cards, Apple Pay will be able to store retail credit cards and loyalty cards in iOS 9. Apple Pay already supported American Express, Visa and Mastercard credit cards, but the Discover has been added recently.
In iOS 9, you will be able to access the Wallet app by double-clicking the Home button when the iPhone is locked. The ability to store retail credit cards like the JCPenney Credit Card and the Kohl’s Charge card will soon be supported in the Wallet app. And you will also be able to add loyalty cards like MyPanera and Dunkin’ Donuts DD Perks.
4.) Back To An App
iOS 9 offers a way to go back to the app that you were previously using. For example: if you click on a website link from an e-mail, then a web browser like Safari or
5.) Battery: Low Power Option And Usage Information
One of the biggest problems about smartphones is battery life. Unless you are constantly charging your device, you could go from 100% to 10% battery in just a few hours.
If you do not have access to a charger and need to conserve battery, then you can set up the Low Power Mode by going to Settings > Battery. The description of Low Power Mode is as follows: “Low Power Mode temporarily reduces power consumption until you can fully charge your iPhone. When this is on, mail fetch, background app refresh, automatic downloads, and some visual effects are reduced or turned off.”
Another interesting battery feature in iOS 9 is the usage details. Under Settings > Battery, iOS 9 shows you which apps are consuming your battery life based on percentages. In the screenshot, you will notice that the Music app consumed 30% of my battery over the last 24 hours. When you tap on the clock icon, you will see how long each of the apps were open and running in the background.
The low power mode optimizes the device performance to extend battery by up to three additional hours. It also supports facedown detection for turning the display off when the device is not in use.
6.) Calendar Changes
The changes in the Calendar app have been designed for convenience. Now Calendar in iOS 9 shows you events like flights and restaurant reservations that it pulls from your Mail. And Calendar utilizes Apple Maps to look up locations and traffic conditions to suggest when you should leave.
You can toggle on/off the "Events Found in Mail" feature by going to Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > Calendars. And you can toggle on/off the alert for the "Time to Leave" in each of the individual events.
7.) Caller ID Support
If you have an incoming call from an unknown number, Siri will try to determine who it is. Siri will see if that number appeared in one of your e-mails in the signature to let you know who it might be. Details about someone that sends you an email with their contact information can be automatically added to your Contacts too.
8.) Control Siri Voice Feedback
Earlier this month, Siri accidentally interrupted a White House press briefing. Now iOS 9 offers a way to prevent Siri from interrupting you. This feature is called Voice Activation and there are 3 options.
- Always On: This option means Siri will provide voice feedback, even when the ring switch is on silent.
- Control with Ring Switch: Siri will silence all audio feedback when the ring switch is set to silent. You will continue to hear Siri beep and provide voice feedback while using “Hey Siri” or when you are connected to a Bluetooth device, headphones or CarPlay.
- Hands-Free Only: Siri will only beep and provide voice feedback when you are using “Hey Siri” or when you are connected to a Bluetooth device, headphones or CarPlay.
You can find Siri Voice Feedback under Settings > General > Siri > Voice Feedback.
9.) Customize The News App
iOS 9 includes a new preinstalled app called News. The News app gathers stories that you may be interested in so you do not have to sift through different apps and websites to find interesting content. The articles are gathered from a wide variety of sources and news organizations. The stories are decided based on what you enjoy reading. The more you use the News app, the better it understands content you enjoy. The News app features aesthetic layouts, multimedia galleries and typography. And the News format is optimized based on the device you are using whether it is the iPhone or iPad.
You can select News content from various topics. Some of the topics include business, design, entertainment, technology, fashion and sports. After you read an article, you can easily share it with other people or read it offline. The News app also has a minimal toolbar that has buttons like: For You, Favorites, Explore, Search and Saved.
Favorites lets you edit and follow channels and topics like technology, sports and fashion along with individual brands like CNN, Bloomberg and Bleacher Report. Explore lets you browse categories like news, politics, sports, technology, etc. and tapping on a topic lets you go deeper. The search button lets you enter keywords to narrow down results within a set of channels and topics. The Saved button shows you articles that you have saved to read later, which also lets you view content offline. And you can utilize iCloud to start reading a News story on your iPhone and finish it on your iPad.
Story Previews can be controlled by going to Settings > News. Having this feature activated will show you a shortened version of the article when you click on the headline, which also means you may have to tap on a link to read the whole article. If the Show Story Previews setting is toggled off, then you may be redirected to the website directly.
The News app essentially replaces the Newsstand app and it looks similar to the Flipboard app. If you already subscribed to magazines in the old Newsstand app, you will still be able to read them from its own existing apps or you may notice them in the Newsstand folder on the home screen.
10.) Discover Places That Accept Apple Pay
Apple Pay is now available at thousands of places, including grocery stories, restaurants, hotels, etc. Some of the places that support Apple Pay includes Bloomingdale’s, Chevron, Disney Store, Firehouse Subs, Foot Locker, GameStop, Jamba Juice, Macy’s, McDonald’s, Office Depot, Panera Bread, Petco, Radioshack, Staples, Subway and Whole Foods.
When you search for places on Apple Maps, there is now an indicator that shows you whether that place accepts Apple Pay. You will see whether the place accepts Apple Pay when you search for a location on Apple Maps and tap on the right arrow to get more information.
11.) Draw On Image Attachments
Through the Mail app in iOS 9, now you can draw on image attachments. This is much easier than downloading an app to edit images and then attaching the edited image.
To edit an attached image, open up a new e-mail to compose. When you long-press on the body of the e-mail, there is an option that says “Insert Photo or Video.” When you select the photo to attach, push down on it and tap on the right arrow to find the “Markup” option.
Markup for iOS 9 lets you sketch colors, zoom into part of the photo, add text and insert your signature. The Markup feature automatically recognizes shapes so it can straighten them out for you.
12.) Draw Sketches, Add Attachments And Set Up Checklists In Notes
The Notes app has received a major update in iOS 9. Changes that you make on your Notes will be updated across all of your devices through iCloud.
After you open a new Note on your iOS device, you will see a plus symbol. After you tap the plus symbol, you will see a squiggly line which pulls up a sketching option. You can sketch using a marker or pencil tool. And there is a ruler that lets you draw straight lines.
When you tap on the share button of a website, a Map location, etc., you will notice that there is an option to share it with the Notes app. Once you share content with the Notes app, you will notice an option to create a new Note or add the content to an existing Note.
Set Up Checklists On Notes
One of the handiest features added to Notes in iOS 9 is checklists. To set up a checklist in Notes, start a new Note or open an existing note. Once you hit the plus symbol, you will see a circle with a checkmark in it. Tapping on that checkmark puts Notes into a checklist mode. I used this feature over the weekend while grocery shopping.
To add another checkmark, go to the end of a line and hit "Return." And you can remove items by hitting backspace on the line you want to delete.
13.) Easily Find Words In Safari
The ability to search for words on a website or news article can come in handy sometimes. In the past, you would have to tap on the address bar, type in the keyword that you are looking for and then scroll to the bottom of the results where it says “On This Page.”
To search for words in Safari through iOS 9, the “Find On Page” option now appears within the “Share” menu. When you tap on the “Share” button in Safari for iOS 9, you will see a “Find on Page” option with a magnifying glass icon on the far right. The original way to search for keywords from the address bar is still in place too.
14.) Float Videos In A Separate Window (iPad)
One of the biggest highlights in iOS 9 is multitasking abilities for the iPad. The iPad supports Slide Over, Split View and Picture in Picture. The first two features will be discussed further down the article. Picture in Picture lets you respond to e-mails or work on documents while watching a TV show.
If you are watching a video or having a FaceTime conversation, pressing the Home button will move a scaled down video screen to the corner of your display. Even when you open a second app, the video will continue playing. You can move the video to another corner by dragging it around. To pull up the full video screen again, tap on full-screen icon on the video.
Video players that can be scaled down have a Picture in Picture button that looks like a video player with a small arrow in it such as the Podcast app. Aside from the latest iPad devices, Picture in Picture also works with older devices like the iPad Air, iPad Air 2, iPad mini 2 or later.
15.) Health App Improvements
Apple iOS 9 has several improvements in the Health app. The Health app now has support for reproductive health, ultraviolet exposure, water intake and sedentary state data types.
Another improvement is landscape mode. When you tilt your phone to landscape with the Health app open, you will notice some interesting charts. Below is an example:
16.) Hide Multiple Photos At Once
Apple iOS 8 already offered the ability to hide photos, but you had to long-press each photo individually and tap on “Hide Photo.” Fortunately, iOS 9 offers a way to hide a group of photos at once.
You can hide a group of photos by opening up your Camera Roll. Tap on “Select” and choose the images that you want to hide. And then tap on the Share button at the bottom left to tap on Hide.
17.) High Quality Music Over Data
Did you know that the bit rate of Apple Music depended on whether you were on WiFi or cellular connection? Apparently, Apple Music streams music at 256kbps AAC, but the sound quality may be reduced if you are on a weaker data connection.
However, iOS 9 now offers an option to listen to high quality music regardless of your connection. You can find this setting under Settings > Music > Playback & Downloads > High Quality on Cellular. Apple points out that this feature will always stream music at the highest quality and will use more cellular data. Songs may also take longer to start playing.
18.) Highlight A Group Of Photos With A Finger Swipe
One of my favorite features of the Google Photos app is the ability to select multiple photos by holding down your finger over the photos that you want to select. Now this feature has been applied to the Camera Roll in Apple iOS.
When you long-press your finger on a photo and slide it over other photos, you will notice blue checkmarks that indicates which photos have been selected. After selecting the photos, you can share, move or delete each photo group.
You can test this feature out by opening the Photos app and selecting the album where you want to select a group of photos and videos. Tap on the Select button on the top-right corner and then slide your finger in a direction to select other photos.
19.) Hold Refresh Button In Safari To Request Desktop Site
The previous version of iOS already offered the ability to request the desktop version of a website, but it required you to tap on the address bar again and scroll up to where it says “Request Desktop Site.” Now iOS 9 offers a couple of ways to request a desktop version of the website.
You can hold down the “Reload” button next to the address bar to pull up a “Request Desktop Site” button. Another way to request a desktop site is by tapping on the Share button menu and scrolling to the right.
20.) Get Stock Prices, Sports Scores And Math Help From Siri Suggestions Via Spotlight
If you want to know the latest stock prices or sports scores, then Siri Suggestions has you covered. What I like about this feature is that it makes finding pertinent information about stock prices and sports scores much quicker. I have been using this feature every day now.
When you search for “[company name] stock,” to find the low, high and closing price for the day. And entering “[sports team] score” will show you the latest game results for that team. Below is an example of how these features work.
Another great feature is the ability to compute math problems in the search field on-the-fly. Here is an example of how it works:
21.) Group Notifications By App
In the previous version of iOS, there were a couple of Notification Center options -- which included the ability to sort notifications manually or by time. Sorting the notifications manually could be useful if you want to see your favorite app notifications at the top, but it can be quite tedious to adjust repeatedly.
However, iOS 9 now lets you keep your notifications organized based on the time and the app it came from. Apps that send you a recent notification gets bumped towards the top. You can enable this feature by going to Settings > Notifications > Group By App. After you toggle this feature on, the notifications will be organized by its corresponding app group. And the most recent notification will appear at the top even if that corresponding group has an older message.
22.) Have Siri Find Photos For You
Siri has now gained the ability to search for your personal photos and videos based on the dates, locations and album names. As long as the photos are stored in your Camera Roll, you can ask Siri to find photos based on that data.
For example, if you ask Siri: “show me photos from New York City,” then it will pull up photos from that area. Or you can ask Siri: “show me photos from the ‘Family Reunion’ album.” I asked Siri to pull up my photos from Shiawassee Park in Farmington, Michigan and here are the results:
23.) How To Multitask On The iPad
On iOS 9, the iPad now has a Multitasking feature. You can run two apps at the same time side-by-side. Older iPads may have some Multitasking limitations and this feature does not work on any of the iPhone models as of yet. There are three ways to utilize Multitasking: Slide Over, Split View and Picture-In-Picture. Picture In Picture was discussed earlier, but here are details about the other Multitasking features.
Slide Over lets you interact with a second app without having to leave the app that you are currently using. This feature lets you quickly check your text messages, notes, emails, etc. You can activate this feature by swiping to the left from the middle, right edge of the screen to see your previously used app. And you can switch the side app that you are using by swiping down from the top, right side of the screen. Once you see a list of your apps, you can tap on one of the apps to use it. After you are done, slide from left to right on the app to return to the previous app. Slide Over also works with the iPad Air, iPad Air 2, iPad mini 2 and later.
Split View is another Multitasking option. Split View lets you open and use two apps at the same time. When you open an app, tap or drag on the app divider to use both apps. Slide down from the top of the screen to change the app on the right. To close on the apps, slide the divider over the app that you want to close. Split View works on the iPad Air 2 or iPad mini 4.
24.) Increase Touch ID Security With Six-Digit Passcode
Apple has been using a 4-digit passcode to lock devices for a long time. And then the Touch ID fingerprint sensor option arrived in the iPhone 5s. Now Apple is offering a more secure way to lock your device, especially if you have an older device.
Apple is now offering a six digit code instead of four. You can change your security code by going to Settings > Touch ID & Passcode > Change Passcode. If you already have a passcode, you will be asked to enter it again. Then you will be asked to enter a new 6-digit passcode. To change it to a different 4-digit passcode, tap on Passcode Options.
25.) New App Switching Feature
iOS 9 offers a new way to switch between apps on your iOS device. After switching back, you can pick up where you left off. To switch between apps, double-click the Home button to see your recently used apps. There are app previews that are stacked on top of each other and the icon of each app is displayed at the top left to make navigation easier.
Swiping left or right shows you the apps that you may want to pull up again. Then tap on that app. To close one of the apps, double-click the Home button to see the recently used apps again and swipe up the app that you want to close.
26.) Photo Slideshow Customization
The previous iOS version already offered the ability to play a slideshow within the Photos app. In the past, you had to go to the Settings app to control the slideshow speed. Now the slideshow options are much easier to access and there are additional functions.
You can find the “Slideshow” button by opening a photo and tapping on the share button. Once you tap on “Slideshow,” you will notice the Slideshow begins. To control the slideshow theme, music and speed, tap on the photo and click on the “Options” button at the bottom-right. You will notice that there are five new transitions and music options to choose from. My favorite option is “Ken Burns.”
27.) Quickly Call / Text / FaceTime A Contact
Now when you search for a Contact using the Spotlight feature on your iOS device, you will see the ability to quickly contact your friends through a phone call, a text message or a FaceTime conversation. Each of the icons corresponds to the way that you want to contact that friend. Simply swipe down from your Home screen to activate the Spotlight search feature and type in the name of the contact to get started.
28.) Quick Reply To Incoming Texts
Now you can quickly reply to contacts that have text messaged you. When someone messages you, pull down on the notification that appears at the top of the screen and write your reply. You will also notice the microphone icon is available for voice-to-text replies.
29.) QuickType Enhancements For iPad
Several major QuickType improvements have been added for the iPad. You can adjust your text with a new Shortcut Bar and there is a new way to select text with Multi-Touch gestures.
QuickType lets you control the cursor on your iPad by moving two fingers anywhere on the screen, which includes over the keyboard. This feature lets you select, edit and move around text.
The new built-in Shortcut Bar lets you bold, italicize, underline, copy and paste with just a few keyboard taps. And the Shortcut Bar can be customized for third party apps. This is a great time-saving feature!
Now you can perform more commands on the iPad using keyboard shortcuts through QuickType. This feature lets you switch between apps or bring up search with a wireless keyboard. You can also interact with apps using its own built-in shortcuts. Pressing Command, Option or Control will let you see shortcuts in any of the apps.
30.) Reader Mode Customizations
The "Reader" mode option in Safari offers pulls up the text of an article so that you can read the content distraction-free. This feature was introduced with iOS 6 originally and has been enhanced since then.
Now the Reader Mode of Safari lets you customize the font colors, types and sizes. You can activate this feature by tapping on the Reader Mode while reading an article in Safari and then pressing the “AA” icon at the top-right corner. The look-and-feel of this feature may remind you of iBooks.
31.) Resolution Change Option In Record Video Tab
In Settings > Photo & Camera > Camera, you will notice an option to change the Record Video option. This feature lets you set the quality of video that you want to record. The options will will vary based on the device that you have.
You can change the video quality to 720p HD at 30 frames per second, 1080p HD at 30 frames per second or 1080p HD at 60 frames per second. The higher the quality, the more space the video will consume. For example, one minute of 1080p HD at 30 fps is 130MB alone.
32.) Search Within Settings
Every time Apple releases a new version of iOS, a plethora of new controllable settings are added. It was inevitable that Apple would offer a feature that lets users search through Settings.
At the top of the Settings app, you will notice a new search bar at the top of the screen. As you type in keywords, the Settings search will filter the relevant results. For example, here is what the Settings search shows when you search for “Air”:
33.) Selfies And Screenshots Albums
Apple iOS 9 automatically sorts the selfies and screenshots that you take into separate albums. If you want to see a collection of your selfies and screenshots, open up the “Photos” app and tap on “Albums.” Inside of the “Albums” tab are the two smart folders. This feature simply makes it easier for messaging selfies or sending screenshots of interesting content to your friends.
34.) Shake To Undo
If you have a tendency to shake your iPhone on accident, you may want to consider disabling “Shake to Undo.” If you shake your iPhone after typing something, then an error message will pop up that says “Undo Typing.”
Many iOS users have complained about the “Shake to Undo” feature so an option to disable it has been added to iOS 9. You can disable “Shake to Undo” by opening Settings > General > Accessibility > Toggle on/off Shake to Undo. After you toggle off the feature, you iPhone will no longer try to undo your actions.
35.) Shift Key Indicator (Show Lowercase Keys)
While typing in previous versions of iOS, it can be tricky to capitalize a word. After you tap on the arrow pointing up on the keyboard, it will capitalize the next letter.
Now iOS 9 makes it easier to see if the next letter you type will be capitalized or not by showing lowercase keys when caps lock is off. If you do not like this feature, then you can set lowercase keys to off by going to Settings > General > Accessibility > Keyboard > Show Lowercase Keys.
36.) Siri Reminders
Now Siri has the ability to remember exactly what you are looking at and pull it up anytime for future reference. This could be useful for pulling up a specific e-mail you are looking at or a note that you wrote. You can set up reminders by activating Siri and saying “remind me about this.”
After you tell Siri to remind you about an e-mail, a note, a Maps location, a website, etc. It will create a link to it within the Reminders app.
You can make the reminders time-based too. So you can say “remind me about this at 10PM.”
37.) Teach Siri How To Recognize Your Voice
In iOS 8, Apple added a feature called “Hey Siri” -- which lets you activate Siri by saying that command if the device is plugged in. In iOS 9, you can activate Siri by saying “Hey Siri” even if the device is not plugged in using the iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus. But one of the problems with Siri is that someone else can activate it by saying “Hey Siri.”
Now you can make Siri recognize just your device. You can have Siri recognize your voice by going to Settings > General > Siri > Allow “Hey Siri” (toggle on). You will be asked to say “Hey Siri” three times followed by a couple more expressions. After that, Siri will start to recognize your voice.
38.) Transit Planning And Popular Places Nearby In Apple Maps
One of the biggest changes in Apple Maps is transit directions. If you are traveling in a city that is supported by Apple Maps transit directions, then you can find out the best routes via buses, subways, trains and ferries. Tapping on “More Routes” next to the suggested directions if you want to pick a different option. The transit directions will tell you what time to leave by. And the directions will tell you how many stops there are on the subway.
The transit directions feature started off in Baltimore, Berlin, Chicago, London, L.A., Mexico City, New York City, Paris, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Shanghai, Toronto, Washington D.C. and several other cities in within China. Transit directions should be expanding to other cities soon.
Popular Places Nearby
When you tap on the search field of Apple Maps, several categories will be pulled up like Food, Drinks, Shopping, Travel, Services, Fun Health and Transport. Tapping on one of those categories pulls up relevant places nearby and breaks them down by subcategory. For example, tapping on Food shows restaurants, groceries, fast food, coffee shops, bakeries and desserts.
39.) Trash All / Archive All Of The Selected Mail
In the Mail app, you can trash your messages much faster. There is now a “Trash All” button, which can be found by tapping on the Inbox, hitting Edit and then Trash All (or Archive All). This will save you time from having to select all of the individual e-mails that you want to trash.
40.) Turn Off Siri Suggestions
When you open Spotlight in iOS 9, you will notice that Siri makes some suggestions for apps, people, locations and other content. Through Siri Suggestions, Siri is contextually aware based on the time and your location. For example, Spotlight will show you the weather when you search for “weather:”
And Siri Suggestions can find coffee places near you when you search for “coffee:”
Siri Suggestions can show more or less results like apps, points of interest on Maps and news articles by tapping on "Show More" or "Show Less."
However, there is a chance that you may not like the new Siri Suggestions feature so it can be disabled. You can disable Siri Suggestions by going to Settings > General > Spotlight > Siri Suggestions.
41.) Wi-Fi Assist
Wi-Fi Assist is a feature that lets you automatically connect to a faster data connection if your Wi-Fi connection is poor. By enabling this feature, you may consume a bit of your monthly data allotment. You can enable this feature by going to Settings > Cellular > Wi-Fi Assist (towards the bottom of the screen).
42.) Zoom Into Videos
In the previous version of iOS, users were able to zoom into photos. And when you are a recording a video, users were given an option to zoom in to what you are recording. But when you are playing back the video, iOS 8 did not let you zoom in. Now iOS 9 lets you zoom into videos while it is playing back by pinching the screen.
These are some of the iOS 9 features that I believe stands out. What are your favorite iOS 9 features? Please leave a comment!
