How iOS 6 Changed the Game: Book Updates and Insights on iOS 6 and Friends Edition
Book updates: iOS 6 and Friends edition
If you are an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch user, you probably know that Apple releases new versions of its mobile operating system every year. These updates bring new features, improvements, and bug fixes to your devices, making them more powerful, secure, and enjoyable to use.
Book updates: iOS 6 and Friends edition
One of the most significant updates in the history of iOS was iOS 6, which was announced at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference on June 11, 2012, and was released on September 19, 2012. It was succeeded by iOS 7 on September 18, 2013. [1]
iOS 6 introduced over 200 new features when released, some of which were big and noticeable, while others were small but useful. In this article, we will go over some of the most important features of iOS 6 and how they changed the way you use your device.
The big features of iOS 6
Siri: The smart assistant gets smarter
Siri is Apple's voice-controlled personal assistant that lets you perform various tasks by speaking to your device. Siri was first introduced in iOS 5 for iPhone 4S, but in iOS 6, it became available for more devices, including the new iPad (third generation), iPhone 5, iPod touch (fifth generation), iPad mini (first generation), and iPad (fourth generation).
Not only did Siri expand its reach, but it also improved its functionality. In iOS 6, Siri could do more things for you, such as:
Get sports scores (baseball, basketball, football, hockey, soccer) from various leagues and teams.
Get movie listings per theater, movie reviews from Rotten Tomatoes, movie facts and trailers, and search by actor or actress.
Make restaurant reservations through OpenTable, see restaurant details such as type, price, Yelp reviews, distance, map, hours, and phone number.
Launch apps by name.
Update your Facebook status or send a tweet.
Listen to your notifications from the Notification Center.
Support more languages (Canada, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Korean, Taiwan, Hong Kong) and local search (all of the above plus countries with existing Siri functionality).
Siri also partnered with some car manufacturers to enable a feature called Eyes Free. This feature allows you to use Siri without looking at your device's screen by pressing a button on your steering wheel. This way, you can keep your eyes on the road while using Siri to make calls, send messages, play music, get directions, and more.
Maps: Apple's own navigation app
One of the most controversial changes in iOS 6 was the replacement of Google Maps with Apple's own Maps app. Apple decided to create its own mapping service to provide more features and control over the user experience. Some of the features that Apple Maps offered were:
Turn-by-turn spoken directions with real-time traffic information and alternative routes.
Flyover mode that shows 3D models of buildings and landmarks in select cities.
Vector-based graphics that load faster and use less data than bitmap images.
Integration with Siri, Contacts, Calendar, and Mail.
Local search with over 100 million points of interest, including Yelp ratings and reviews.
However, Apple Maps also faced a lot of criticism due to inaccurate or incomplete data, missing features, and poor performance. Many users complained about wrong directions, misplaced landmarks, distorted images, outdated information, and lack of transit directions. The issues prompted an open letter of apology from Apple CEO Tim Cook, who admitted that Apple Maps fell short of their expectations and promised to improve it over time. He also suggested some alternative mapping apps for users to try until Apple Maps gets better.
Facebook: Integrated into the system
Facebook is one of the most popular social networking services in the world, with over a billion users. In iOS 6, Apple integrated Facebook into the system, making it easier for users to share content and stay connected with their friends. Some of the benefits of Facebook integration were:
Single sign-on: You only need to enter your Facebook credentials once in Settings, and then you can access Facebook from any app that supports it.
Share from Photos, Safari, Maps, App Store, iTunes, and Game Center: You can post photos, links, locations, apps, songs, and games to your Facebook timeline or your friends' walls directly from these apps.
Contact and Calendar sync: You can sync your Facebook contacts with your iOS contacts, and your Facebook events and birthdays with your iOS calendar.
Like button: You can like apps, songs, movies, TV shows, podcasts, and books on the App Store and iTunes Store.
Public API: Developers can use Facebook's API to add Facebook features to their apps.
Passbook: Your digital wallet
Passbook is a new app that was introduced in iOS 6 to store and manage different types of passes, such as boarding passes, movie tickets, coupons, loyalty cards, and more. Passbook allows you to:
Scan your passes using your device's camera or display them on your lock screen for easy access.
Get updated information on your passes, such as gate changes, balance updates, expiration dates, etc.
Receive notifications when your passes are relevant based on time or location.
Add passes from various sources, such as apps, websites, emails, or QR codes.
Passbook is not a payment system like Apple Pay (which was introduced later in iOS 8), but rather a way to organize and use your passes in one place.
FaceTime: Video calls over cellular
FaceTime is Apple's video calling service that lets you see and talk to your friends and family using your device's front-facing camera. FaceTime was first introduced in iOS 4 for iPhone 4 over Wi-Fi only. In iOS 6, FaceTime became available over cellular networks as well (depending on your carrier), allowing you to make video calls anywhere you have a data connection.
In addition, FaceTime also unified your Apple ID with your phone number, enabling you to answer FaceTime calls or iMessages on your iPad or Mac using the same account as your iPhone.
The small but useful features of iOS 6
Do Not Disturb: Silence unwanted notifications
If you don't want to be disturbed by notifications while you are sleeping, working, or doing something else that requires your attention, you can use the Do Not Disturb feature in iOS 6. This feature allows you to:
Silence incoming calls and alerts when your device is locked.
Schedule Do Not Disturb to turn on and off automatically at specific times of the day or night.
Allow calls from certain contacts or groups (such as favorites or family) to bypass Do Not Disturb.
Allow repeated calls from the same person within three minutes to ring through (in case of emergencies).
You can access Do Not Disturb from Settings or from the I'm glad you want me to continue the article. Here is the rest of it. Notification Center by swiping down from the top of the screen.
iCloud Tabs: Sync your browsing across devices
If you use Safari as your web browser on your iOS devices and Macs, you can take advantage of iCloud Tabs to sync your open tabs across them. This way, you can start browsing on one device and continue on another without losing your place.
To use iCloud Tabs, you need to sign in with the same Apple ID on all your devices and enable Safari in iCloud settings. Then, you can access your iCloud Tabs by tapping on the cloud icon at the bottom of the Safari app on your iPhone or iPod touch, or at the top of the Safari app on your iPad. On your Mac, you can click on the cloud icon in the Safari toolbar.
iCloud Tabs will show you all the tabs that are open on your other devices, as well as the device name and the time when they were last updated. You can tap or click on any tab to open it on your current device, or swipe left to close it remotely.
Shared Photo Streams: Share your photos with friends
Photo Stream is a feature that automatically uploads your photos to iCloud and downloads them to your other devices. In iOS 6, Photo Stream got a new feature called Shared Photo Streams, which lets you share selected photos with your friends and family.
To create a Shared Photo Stream, you need to go to the Photos app and tap on the Photo Stream tab. Then, tap on the plus sign at the top left corner and enter the names or email addresses of the people you want to share with. You can also give your Shared Photo Stream a name and turn on Public Website if you want to make it accessible via a web link.
Once you create a Shared Photo Stream, you can add photos to it by tapping on Edit and then selecting the photos you want to share. You can also add photos from other albums by tapping on Share and then choosing Photo Stream. Your friends will receive a notification when you add new photos, and they can view them on their devices or on the web. They can also like and comment on your photos, and you will get notified of their feedback.
Mail VIPs: Prioritize your important contacts
If you receive a lot of emails every day, it can be hard to keep track of the ones that matter most. That's why iOS 6 introduced a feature called VIPs in Mail, which lets you mark certain contacts as important and see their messages in a separate inbox.
To add a contact to your VIP list, you need to open an email from them and tap on their name or email address. Then, tap on Add to VIP. You can also go to Settings > Mail > VIP and tap on Add VIP to choose from your contacts. You can have up to 100 VIPs in total.
Once you have some VIPs, you will see a star icon next to their messages in your inbox. You will also see a new VIP mailbox under Mailboxes, which will show you all the messages from your VIPs. You can also customize your notifications for VIP messages in Settings > Notifications > Mail > VIP.
Attach photos in-line: No more going back and forth
One of the most annoying things about composing an email with photos in iOS 5 was that you had to go back and forth between the Photos app and the Mail app to attach them. In iOS 6, Apple finally fixed this issue by allowing you to attach photos in-line while writing an email.
To do this, you need to tap and hold anywhere in the body of your email until a menu pops up. Then, tap on the arrow icon and choose Insert Photo or Video. You will then be able to select a photo or video from your Camera Roll or any other album. The photo or video will be inserted at the cursor position, and you can resize it by pinching or zooming.
The compatibility and availability of iOS 6
Which devices can run iOS 6?
iOS 6 was compatible with the following devices:
iPhone 3GS
iPhone 4
iPhone 4S
iPhone 5
iPod touch (4th generation)
iPod touch (5th generation)
iPad 2
iPad (3rd generation)
iPad (4th generation)
iPad mini (1st generation)
However, not all features were available on all devices. For example, Siri was only available on iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (5th generation), iPad (3rd generation), iPad (4th generation), and iPad mini. FaceTime over cellular was only available on iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, and iPad (3rd generation) with cellular data capability.
How to update to iOS 6?
There were two ways to update your device to iOS 6: over the air or via iTunes.
To update over the air, you needed to have a Wi-Fi connection and enough battery life. Then, you had to go to Settings > General > Software Update and tap on Download and Install. The update size varied depending on your device and current software version, but it was usually around 600 MB.
To update via iTunes, you needed to have a computer with the latest version of iTunes and a USB cable. Then, you had to connect your device to your computer and open iTunes. iTunes would detect your device and prompt you to update it. You could also manually check for updates by clicking on Check for Update in the Summary tab of your device.
When and where can I get iOS 6?
iOS 6 was released on September 19, 2012, as a free update for compatible devices. It was available in over 100 countries and regions, including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, China, Japan, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and more. You can check the full list of countries and regions where iOS 6 was available here: http://www.apple.com/ios/feature-availability.
The conclusion and FAQs of iOS 6
iOS 6 was a major update that brought many new features and improvements to the iOS platform. It made Siri smarter, introduced Apple Maps, integrated Facebook, added Passbook, enabled FaceTime over cellular, and more. It also added some small but useful features, such as Do Not Disturb, iCloud Tabs, Shared Photo Streams, Mail VIPs, and in-line photo attachments.
iOS 6 was compatible with most of the iOS devices at the time of its release, but not all features were available on all devices. It was released on September 19, 2012, as a free update for users in over 100 countries and regions.
iOS 6 was a significant step forward for iOS users, but it also had some drawbacks and limitations. It faced criticism for its flawed Maps app, which led to an apology from Apple's CEO. It also lacked some features that were later introduced in iOS 7 and beyond, such as Control Center, AirDrop, Notification Center widgets, CarPlay, Health app, Apple Pay, and more.
If you are still using iOS 6 or an older version of iOS on your device, you may want to consider updating to a newer version if possible. You will get more features, better performance, enhanced security, and more app compatibility. However, if you are happy with iOS 6 or have a device that cannot run newer versions of iOS, you can still enjoy the benefits of iOS 6 as long as it meets your needs.
Here are some FAQs about iOS 6 that you may find helpful:
Q: How can I check which version of iOS I have on my device?
A: You can check your iOS version by going to Settings > General > About and looking at the Version field.
Q: How can I downgrade from iOS 6 to an older version of iOS?
A: Downgrading from iOS 6 to an older version of iOS is not officially supported by Apple and may cause problems with your device. However, if you really want to do it, you will need to have a backup of your device from before you updated to iOS 6 and a copy of the older iOS firmware file for your device. You will also need to put your device into DFU mode and restore it using iTunes. You can find more detailed instructions online at your own risk.
Q: How can I fix the problems with Apple Maps in iOS 6?
A: Apple has been working hard to improve its Maps app since its launch in iOS 6. You can help Apple by reporting any issues or errors you find in Maps by tapping on the Report a Problem I'm glad you want me to continue the article. Here is the rest of it. button at the bottom of the screen. You can also help Apple by using Maps as much as possible and sending feedback through their website: http://www.apple.com/feedback/maps_ios.html.
Q: How can I use Google Maps or other mapping apps in iOS 6?
A: If you prefer to use Google Maps or other mapping apps instead of Apple Maps, you have a few options. You can use the web version of Google Maps by going to http://maps.google.com on your Safari browser and adding a shortcut to your home screen. You can also download Google Maps or other mapping apps from the App Store, such as Waze, MapQuest, or Bing Maps.
Q: How can I turn off Facebook integration in iOS 6?
A: If you don't want to use Facebook integration in iOS 6, you can turn it off by going to Settings > Facebook and tapping on Delete Account. This will remove your Facebook credentials from your device and stop sharing your information with Facebook. You can also disable specific apps from accessing your Facebook account by turning off their toggles in Settings > Facebook.
Q: How can I delete a Shared Photo Stream in iOS 6?
A: If you want to delete a Shared Photo Stream that you created or subscribed to, you can do so by going to the Photos app and tapping on the Photo Stream tab. Then, tap on Edit and select the Shared Photo Stream that you want to delete. Tap on Delete and confirm your choice. This will remove the Shared Photo Stream from your device and from iCloud. If you created the Shared Photo Stream, it will also remove it from your friends' devices and stop sharing any new photos with them.
Q: How can I add more VIPs in Mail in iOS 6?
A: If you want to add more VIPs in Mail in iOS 6, you can do so by going to Mail and tapping on VIP under Mailboxes. Then, tap on Add VIP and choose a contact from your list. You can also add a contact to your VIP list by opening an email from them and tapping on their name or email address. Then, tap on Add to VIP. 71b2f0854b