5 New iOS 10 Features Apple Didn’t Tell You About
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Apple unveiled the forthcoming installment of its mobile operating system, iOS 10, at the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) earlier this summer. And while we saw plenty of wonderful and exciting new features, showcased for us live on stage, it’s perhaps understandable that the latter majority of iOS 10’s enhancements — which will soon be gracing compatible iPhones, iPads, and iPod Touches around the world — were held off on being revealed, even if for the sheer sake of surprise.
That certainly hasn’t stopped us from combing through the new iOS, though, and compiling a short list of our favorite, and most useful, iOS 10 features for your enlightenment! Check out our top picks in the list below!
1. Send Smaller Photos to Save Data
This may be a bit more common knowledge to some than others, but I’m sure most of us know that all those iMessages — and picture messages, in particular — actually dip into our data allowance each month, when they’re sent or received over 4G/LTE. The data amount is negligible, but if you’re sending hundreds of full size photos every month, it can all add up very quickly.
Thankfully, however, in iOS 10 Apple has created a way for users to send smaller photos with smaller fie sizes — thereby saving data in the process of sending or receiving pictures. Simply navigate to Settings > Messages. Once you scroll to the bottom of the sub-menu, just toggle Enable Low Quality Image Mode to on, and you’re all set!
2. Unsubscribe From Annoying Chain Emails With a Single Tap
Are you getting sick and tired of those monthly, weekly, or heavens forbid, daily, email newsletters from restaurants and department store and online retailers, that you maybe signed up for eons ago, but simply care to receive no longer? We don’t blame you. And apparently, neither does Apple!
When iOS 10 touches down, you’ll officially be able to “quick unsubscribe” from those pesky chain emails. As opposed to scrolling al the way down to the bottom of the page and then searching for the unsubscribe link, however, Apple Mail will provide you with an easily accessible Unsubscribe link at the top of the email, when it’s determined that said message has beyond the shadow of a doubt originated from a mailing list.
3. New Panels in Control Center
iOS 10 boasts some rather substantial design interface enhancements, with Notifications, Control Center, and apps like Photos and Messages, gaining a plethora of refreshes and enhancements in their respective capacity. For instance, in iOS 10, you’ll be able to access the new double-pane Control Center — much in the same way as you would in iOS 9, except that it’s been both redesigned and expanded upon. Simply swipe up from the bottom of the screen, and then swipe to the left to reveal additional navigation tools — such as audio playback controls — or back to the right for Wi-Fi, Airplane Mode, Bluetooth, et al.
4. ‘Define’ Has Been Replaced By ‘Look Up’
Prior to iOS 10, if you were to press-hold on a word, you’d be presented with a menu of options — one of which would be to Define the word, at which point iOS would search the word in the dictionary and provide you with the definition. However, in iOS 10, ‘Define’ has been replaced with a new ‘Look Up’ option. Not only will selecting Look Up give you the definition of the word, but it will also perform a wide search of all relevant apps, the Apple App Store, your digital content, Apple Music, and even the web, while presenting a comprehensive list of the findings, which you can then use at your discretion.
5. Mark Up Your Photos and Messages
Finally! The wonderful iOS 9 feature that allows you to mark up files and attachments in Apple Mail, is now coming to Messages and Photos in iOS 10, too! For those of you who’re unfamiliar with the current feature in Mail, you might want to get the hang of it before iOS 10 comes along — especially if you’re the creative type, and like to send lots of personalized photos to your contacts.
On your iOS 10-running iPhone, simply select a photo to send in Messages > tap it to preview before sending > and then, from the lower, left-hand corner of the screen, select Markup. You’ll then be able to draw, write, and color over the photo to your heart’s desire before sending it off.
To perform this same action directly from the Photos app, simply select the photo you want to Markup > select Edit > select the extension button from the bottom row of options, and then select Markup.
What’s your favorite feature coming to iOS 10 this fall? Let us know in the comments!