Apple will unveil its next major software update for iPhone and iPad in a couple of months at this year’s WWDC event, but we already have an idea of what to expect from iOS 13 thanks to a new report from 9to5Mac.
According to people familiar with the development of the operating system, iOS 13 will provide interface updates, as well as long overdue changes aimed specifically at the update. iOS 13 will reportedly launch with a system-wide Dark Mode, revised system-wide Undo and Redo gestures, and significant improvements to Mail, Safari, and multitasking, amongst other improvements.
Dark Mode, a highly-anticipated feature that debuted in individual iOS apps before going system-wide in macOS Mojave, will work across all of iOS 13. Dark Mode is a more sophisticated “invert screen” feature that turns otherwise bright white and light gray app UIs to black and dark gray while flipping font colours and generally preserving other graphic elements. Beyond its appeal in dark surroundings, the feature may conserve energy on iPhone OLED screens that use power only when illuminating individual pixels.
iOS 12 ignored the iPad, but that’s likely to change with this year’s version, which would be keeping with Apple‘s pattern of adding tablet-specific features every other year. iOS 9 brought multitasking, for example, while iOS 11 introduced the dock and App Spaces to the iPad. This year, we’re expecting a new home screen design, tabbed apps, and file management improvements.
iPad apps are also getting multiple windows, the report claims. Each window will contain sheets attached to a portion of the screen but can be detached by dragging them and then moved to a different part of the screen. The cards can also be stacked on top of each other, and “flung away” when you want to dismiss them.
Another significant change concerns the “Undo” system. In iOS 13, Apple will introduce a new gesture on the iPad: A three-finger tap on the keyboard, followed by a slide to the left or right, will let the user undo and redo actions. Similarly, selecting multiple items at once will become easier with multi-finger dragging selection tools.
Safari on iOS 13 for iPad will automatically ask for the desktop version of a site instead of the mobile version as well, including YouTube and others. The Mail app is “getting smarter for the first time in a while” too, the report notes. The app will automatically categorize emails, and users will be able to mark emails with a “read later” tag.
Apple has historically unveiled its major updates to iOS at WWDC, its Worldwide Developers Conference, where execs outline what changes are coming to the company’s assorted operating systems. iOS updates are formally announced and previewed at that keynote, which in recent years takes place in early June.
