Unannounced iOS 9 Features from WWDC

Unannounced iOS 9 Features

Apple announced iOS 9 on Monday at WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference) with a host of new features and “under the hood” improvements. While the mobile operating system won’t be available until Fall, developers have already gotten their hands on it and have noticed a few new features that weren’t discussed in the keynote.

Keyboard and Fonts

iOS 9 keyboard

Apple adopted the San Fransisco font as the default for iOS 9. It’s designed to be incredibly easy to read on smaller devices. The keyboard now displays lowercase letters, and changes to uppercase when the Shift key is pressed.

Location Based Apps

Find My Friends widget iOS 9

iOS 9 now includes Find My iPhone and Find My Friends as standalone apps - no download necessary. Find My iPhone allows you to track your Apple devices remotely and Find My Friends lets you know how far away your friends are if you want to meet up. Find My Friends also includes a new notification center widget.

iCloud Drive & Mail Attachments

iCloud Drive app

iOS 9 now includes an iCloud Drive app that can be enabled in Settings. The app provides access to any files stored in iCloud Drive. You can also add attachments to emails using documents from iCloud Drive.

Contact Photos in Messages

profile photos in Messages iOS 9

Previously available on the iPhone 6 Plus only, Messages now displays photos next to names in the Messages app.

Search in Settings

Search in Settings iOS 9

Settings now includes a handy search bar at the top, allowing you to search for any particular setting without having to dig through menus. For example, we typed in the word “Auto” in the screenshot below.

New Multitasking Switcher

iOS 9 App Switcher

The multitasking switcher has been redesigned, with layered cards rather than flat ones. The contacts at the top have been moved to the all-new proactive search screen.

Redesigned Siri

Siri in iOS 9

Siri recieved a colorful redesign to look more like the version on the Apple Watch.

Battery Life Widget

Battery Widget iOS 9

A battery life widget now displays prominently in Notification Center, showing the battery level of both iPhone and Apple Watch.

Photos Improvements

hide photos in iOS 9

In the bottom of the Photos app there is a scrubber that lets you quickly move through your entire photo library. After tapping select, you can drag your finger over every photo you wish to select - much like in the new Google Photos app. You can now hide multiple photos via the share sheet, rather than hiding each photo individually like on iOS 8.

Back to App

Back to app iOS 9

When you go to an app via search, open an app via notification or open an app through Safari - the carrier logo in the top-left corner of the display is replaced by a “Back to ________” button, which takes you back to the app you were in before you clicked the link.

New Settings Options

  • Group notifications by app (rather than by time/date received, which is the new default)
  • Touch Accommodations - Accessibility option that helps people who have trouble touching the screen.
  • Vibration Toggle - Eliminates all phone vibrations
  • Shake to Undo Toggle - Disables the “Shake to Undo” feature
  • Side Switch Option - Use the switch on the side of iPhone as orientation lock rather than a mute switch (just like on iPad)
  • Battery Section - A whole new section for managing battery life, including a toggle for “Low Power Mode”
  • Show Contacts Found in Mail - Allows phone to search through email for phone numbers to provide a suggestion for numbers not in contacts.
  • Notes - Allows you to change the default text format for new notes
  • Calls on Other Devices - Toggles forwarding of calls to iPad/Mac. Now located in the Phone settings section
  • Default Video Recording Option - Toggle between 720p/30fps, 1080p/30fps, and 1080p/60fps when recording video.
  • Siri Audio Feedback - Stops Siri from making sounds when iPhone is muted.
  • 30-Second Auto-Lock - New option allows your phone to lock after just 30 seconds.