The latest Apple iOS 13 update has just landed and it’s the first big-point release in weeks. As such, as well as crucial bug fixes, security updates and welcome patches, it has genuine new features, too.
Here’s everything to enjoy in this major update, and how to get it.
At the end of this post, there’s a complete transcript of Apple’s changelog, plus details of all the iOS 13 updates that went before it (spoiler: there’ve been a few already).
How to get it
You’ll know the routine by now, but basically it’s just been released so it’s now available to download on compatible iPhones, with iPadOS 13.3 also ready for compatible iPads. Simply find the Settings app on the device and then choose General, followed by Software Update. Once you’ve clicked on Download and Install, it’ll get you up to date in no time at all (well, it took me about half an hour).
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What’s in the update?
Apple News
Some newspapers, including the Wall Street Journal, have taken advantage of a new layout. Sounds minor but it makes a big difference. You can also now easily like or dislike stories with a single tap.
Screen Time
Parental controls are a big thing these days, and this update aims to add new controls with greater communication limits as to who children can call (or FaceTime or Message).
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Stocks
This is one of those apps that everyone has on their iPhone and iPad because it comes as standard, but may rarely use. Maybe that will change with new features such as stories from Apple News which are now available in Canada in both English and French. There are also links to related stories, which can be handy. And new labels such as “Breaking” or “Developing” will bring more items to your attention.
Fixes
For the rest of the update, the focus is mainly of updates, fixes and other extras. Here are the main changes.
Security: This is an important update. There’s now support for NFC, USB and Lightning FIDO2-compliant keys in Safari. Security keys are physical gadgets which help users to find authentication without relying on passwords in the same way. They haven’t been available Safari users until now, though there has been some compatibility with certain apps.
Photos: When you’re trimming video you can now create a new video clip. Also, issues where cropping or using Markup on screenshots didn’t save the results to Photos are now fixed in this update.
Gmail: If you found messages couldn’t be deleted, you should be good to get rid of them now.
Exchange Accounts: If incorrect characters would appear in messages, or sent messages would be duplicated, you can breathe easy again as these issues should be fixed.
Text Input: You know that invaluable long-press on the space bar which let you move the cursor? Some users found you couldn’t move the cursor after all. That should be fixed.
Messages: Have you sent screenshots only to find they turned out blurry? That should be okay now.
Voice Memos: This is one of the most underrated apps in iOS. If you found you couldn’t share your recordings with other audio apps, that should be sorted.
Missed Calls: The indicator showing you had a missed call wasn’t clear for some users. That is fixed, if this update works.
Mobile Data: The setting which incorrectly showed Mobile Data as off when it wasn’t should also work properly now.
Dark Mode: When enabling Smart Invert, some users found that Dark Mode wouldn’t turn off. That’s fixed.
Wireless chargers: As proof that hardware is affected by software, some wireless chargers were charging more slowly than they should. This software update should have sorted that.
The next update? Who knows, but it’s likely to be after the holidays unless a burning issue emerges in the next day or so.
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The previous iOS 13 updates
iOS 13.2.3
This was the last update before the new iOS 13.3. It went live on Monday, November 18, 2019. A smallish and unexpected update, it aimed to fix problems, including the following. System searches inside Mail weren’t working quite right, nor in Files or Notes. This update sought to fix this. Similarly, where Messages had an issue with displaying photos and attachments, this update was there to sort it. Apps that weren’t downloading content in the background before were resolved in this update, hopefully. Oh, and Exchange accounts that weren’t getting new messages or other content were the focus of this update, too.
iOS 13.2.2
Released on Thursday, November 7, 2019, this update sought to fix the way apps running in the background kept quitting. It also tried to get rid of temporary loss of cell signal, and fixed how some encrypted email messages between Exchange accounts were unreadable.
iOS 13.2.1
Don’t worry if you missed this one. Unless you have a HomePod, you literally wouldn’t have seen it. It was there to fix issues caused by iOS 13.2 which made some HomePods turn into useless, oversized paperweights. What that update had meant to do was add new HomePod features. These arrived in all their glory with this corrective update, when iOS 13.2.1 went live on October 30, 2019, just 48 hours after iOS 13.2. Something of a record, surely?
With iOS 13.2.1 HomePods were granted the ability to recognize different family members’ voices, music could be added to HomeKit scenes, you could hand off music, podcasts and phone calls just by bringing your iPhone near to the HomePod. Oh, and if you like ambient sounds, these arrived in this update, with the facility to set a sleep timer to these restful noises.
iOS 13.2
A big update, this. released on Monday, October 28, 2019. Marquee features include Deep Fusion, a new camera feature that improves images taken in medium and low light. Siri Privacy settings were updated with this release – also an important step forward. Foundations were laid for the new Research app which could have a big impact on health data collection. Oh, and scores of new emoji were set free. AirPods Pro in-ear headphones are supported in this release. More features including Siri reading out your messages were also included.
iOS 13.1.3
This was another surprise release, out on October 15, 2019. It was aimed at fixing issues more than anything else. Some devices didn’t ring or vibrate when a call came in – kind of important for a phone, right? That was fixed in this update. As was an issue with Voice Memos not downloading or problems where meeting invites didn’t open in Mail. A U.K.-focused repair was made so that Health data would display properly after British Summer Time ended (which was yesterday, October 27, by the way).
Issues which saw the Apple Watch not pairing with an iPhone and notifications not coming through to the Watch were also fixed. Other fixes included apps not downloading after an iCloud Backup and better connectivity between Bluetooth hearing aids and Apple devices. Launch performance of apps in Game Center were addressed and one relating to Bluetooth connectivity in certain vehicles. Lots of fixes, then.
iOS 13.1.2
September 30, 2019 was the release date for this recent update, just one weekend later than 13.1.1. It’s another bug fixer to do with iCloud Backup, for instance which showed a progress bar even after being completed. A malfunctioning camera was fixed here, too, as was the flashlight failing to initiate. Like in 13.1.3, this update sought to address an issue with Bluetooth dropping on some vehicles. There was also a display issue for the iPhone and a fix for problems running shortcuts from Apple HomePod.
iOS 13.1.1
This update launched on September 27, 2019. The big element was a fix for the flaw which led some third-party keyboards access the iPhone even when permission hadn’t been granted.
It also offered a solution to problems with battery drain, rather in contrast to the battery life gain which iOS 13 is all about.
Restoring from a backup was a problem in this update as well as the latest one. Siri recognition is better and syncing in Reminders shouldn’t be slow any longer.
iOS 13.1
This came out on September 24, 2019 and sought to fix issues and squish bugs such as problems opening the camera properly, improperly behaving wallpapers, text entry issues and so on. There was also a fix to a battery management problem. New features included activating the U1 chip in the latest iPhones which gives the handsets a form of spatial awareness, improving AirDrop immediately and with other benefits set to follow. The Shortcuts app also saw extra support and more features. The facility to send your ETA to others from Maps was added.
iOS 13
Released on September 19, 2019, this was a very big release with an awful lot in it. For full details, read the indepth analysis here.
Features include:
Dark mode to make the iPhone’s interface less glaring in a low-light environment, for instance. App developers can integrate Dark Mode into their apps so that the iPhone has a consistent look. Sign in with Apple lets you sign up to apps with your Apple ID and Apple will keep the site or app at arm’s length. You can sign in using Face ID or Touch ID as appropriate. Maps has been updated with a new street-level look and in-depth mapping on selected cities.
Photos and Camera apps have been seriously altered with a new look to the Photos tab and significant editing upgrades. Siri sounds more natural and will offer personalized recommendations. Reminders has been completely overhauled, and Notes has a new gallery view. Find My combines Find My iPhone and Find My Friends. It will help to locate offline devices, too.
QuickPath is the new way to enter text by swiping. It’s very cool.
Text editing has been improved, though the elegant magnifying glass which used to appear when you touched a word, making it visible even though the word itself was hidden under your thumb, say, has gone. I hope it’s coming back soon.
Among the miscellaneous treats are a pro-active system that tells you which apps have been accessing your location, for example. A message says how often it has done so in a set period of time and you can leave things as they are or adjust. It’s a very simple but highly reassuring detail.
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Here’s the full changelog as supplied by Apple.
Apple’s changelog follows…
iOS 13.3 includes improvements, bug fixes and additional parental controls for Screen Time.
Screen Time
- New parental controls provide more communication limits over who your children can call, FaceTime or Message
- Contact list for children lets parents manage the contacts that appear on their children’s devices
Apple News
- New layout for Apple News+ stories from The Wall Street Journal and other leading newspapers
- Easily like or dislike stories with a tap
Stocks
- Stories from Apple News are now available in Canada in English and French
- Continue reading with links to related stories or more stories from the same publication
- “Breaking” and “Developing” labels for Top Stories
This update also includes bug fixes and other improvements. This update:
- Enables the creation of a new video clip when trimming a video in Photos
- Adds support for NFC, USB and Lightning FIDO2–compliant security keys in Safari
- Fixes issues in Mail that may prevent downloading new messages
- Addresses an issue that prevented deleting messages in Gmail accounts
- Resolves issues that could cause incorrect characters to display in messages and duplication of sent messages in Exchange accounts
- Fixes an issue where the cursor may not move after long-pressing the space bar
- Addresses an issue that may cause screenshots to appear blurry when sent via Messages
- Resolves an issue where cropping or using Markup on screenshots may not save to Photos
- Fixes an issue where Voice Memos recordings may not be able to be shared with other audio apps
- Addresses an issue where the missed call badge on the Phone app may not clear
- Resolves an issue where the Mobile Data setting may incorrectly show as off
- Fixes an issue that prevented turning off Dark Mode when Smart Invert was enabled
- Addresses an issue where some wireless chargers may charge more slowly than expected
For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: support.apple.com/kb/HT201222