Which iOS features, tweaks or original Apple apps of the last few years were really good and helpful for you?

[Hergesheimer]

Every year there is a new iteration of Apple’s iOS mobile operating system released. Each year the company tries to promote its new version as the best one ever, with new features you can’t live without anymore.

But what were your (big or small) favourite implementations, tweaks or apps which really made a difference for you until today?

Mine are focus mode, dark mode, picture-in-picture mode, vehicle motion cues (it really works for me) and the Shortcuts app.

 

[HouseLannister]

RCS is about the only thing additive for me since dark mode.

 

[Hergesheimer]

Yes dark mode of course!

 

[MisterSavage]

I've been loving the dynamic island now that Live Activities are becoming common.

I know you said iOS, but double tap on the watch wasn't something I expected to love. I find it incredibly useful often.

 

[Hergesheimer]

I've been loving the dynamic island now that Live Activities are becoming common.

I know you said iOS, but double tap on the watch wasn't something I expected to love. I find it incredibly useful often.

Yes you are very right about Live Activities they improved a lot (auto start etc.)

 

[BBDDVV]

Photos app: being able to select text in pictures (Settings -> General -> Language & Region -> Live Text ON)

 

[MisterSavage]

Photos app: being able to select text in pictures (Settings -> General -> Language & Region -> Live Text ON)

That's a really good point. I use this quite frequently.

 

[gwang73]

Dark mode is my #1.
I really loved 3D Touch and wish they kept it. Haptic Touch isn't the same.
Live activities - great for Uber and sport scores
Widgets - use them in both the Today screen and Home screen
Shortcuts - really allows you to customize and automate your phone.
Customizable Control Panel - I assigned this to the action button

 

[BBDDVV]

Totally agree about 3D Touch, was so much better than Haptic Touch, sad it's gone... E.g. it was so easy to move the cursor in text, then hard-press to start selection and continue the dragging motion to select text. Today you need a second tap while holding down finger to achieve the same (way more cumbersome :-( )

Shortcuts is a nice addition, but in many cases it seems more like put-the-responsibility-at-the-end-user and have him create something rather that implementing it directly so everyone can benefit from it. E.g. have two automations about low power mode (turn on automatically when battery drops below 30% and turn off when it exceeds 70%) that I get asked to add to all the devices of friends and family who find out of this. These could just as well have been options of low power mode itself...

 

[FeliApple]

3D Touch by far. I’m lucky enough to still have an iPhone 6s running iOS 10, before they destroyed it pointlessly and maliciously on iOS 13, and I use it a lot when I grab that 6s.

Sadly, due to compatibility, the device isn’t too useful nowadays. But Apple shouldn’t have killed it with iOS 13 for devices that have 3D Touch. They should have also kept it in newer devices.

 

[Bazza1]

Telling this has been up for 4 days and there's only been 9 replies, and of those, some repeat posters? 🤔😏

 

[platinumaqua]

Adding the “search web” button in the text selection pop up (iOS 16)
Ability to remove remembered Wi-fi networks (iOS 16)
Dark mode (iOS 14)
Reminders app (iOS 5 or 6)
Safari extensions (iOS 15)
Safari Content Blockers (iOS 9)
Better looking Chinese font (iOS 9)

 

[It’s always something]

Number conversions in the text selection popup (something I only discovered recently), like £ to $ and hectares to acres. Extremely useful!

 

[MisterSavage]

Number conversions in the text selection popup (something I only discovered recently), like £ to $ and hectares to acres. Extremely useful!

Another one I forgot about. This has been so nice for the group chat with Europeans!