WWDC 2019: iOS 13 brings Dark Mode, watchOS 6 gets App Store, tvOS gets multi-user support
HIGHLIGHTS
- iOS 13 brings system-wide Dark Mode to the iPhone, turning the background true black.
- watchOS 6 gets a dedicated App Store and new watch faces.
- tvOS comes with a redesigned home screen with fullscreen previews.
Apple’s WWDC kicked off with a keynote by CEO Tim Cook who announced new updates for tvOS, watchOS and iOS. Some of the most anticipated features previously rumoured came true like Dark Mode for iOS and a dedicated App Store for the Apple Watch, among other things.
With iOS 13, Apple announced the highly anticipated system-wide Dark Mode. The new feature turns the background of iOS true black. This goes for wallpapers and native Apple Apps like Notes, Calendar, Messages, Apple Music and so on. Apple also redesigned Mail, Reminders, Notes and Safari apps as well.
Apple also spoke in detail about new privacy features coming to iOS such as location tracking protection with the ability to share your location with an app just once. Apple wil also not be able to use Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to infer your location. iOS 13 also promises to further improve performance, especially on older devices. Apple also announced a new Sign in with Apple feature for easier and more secured way to log into apps by using Face ID. Speaking of which, Face ID gets a little more faster with iOS 13.
The new version of tvOS comes with a redesigned home screen with fullscreen previews of TV shows and movies. Apple introduced multi user support for tvOS so everyone in the family can have their own profiles with their personal suggestions and personalised music experience. To promote the new Arcade gaming experience, Apple also announced that tvOS now supports Xbox and PS4 controllers.
Apple Watch is getting more independent by getting its own dedicated App Store with watchOS 6. Apps can now be installed directly on the Apple Watch without the having to install them via the iPhone. Apple is also allowing developers to build apps that can run independently on the Watch without a companion iPhone app.
watchOS will also get new watch faces that includes gradient face, digital face, solar face and California dial, among others. Apple also announced Calculator, Audio Books and Voice Memo for the Apple Watch. With watchOS 6, Apple is bringing new Health and Fitness features like “activity trends” that shows activity over time instead of seeing a monthly overview. With hearing health the Apple Watch will tell you if the noise in your surrounding is too loud. Notably, watchOS 6 will also bring Cycle Tracking for women to track their cycle in a simple and discreet way.
