9 Great New ‘Little’ iOS 10 Features

Each major iOS release brings big headline features that Apple announces on stage. But there’s always a lot of great little improvements and polish, many bringing improvements worthy of their own headlines. I kept a running list of these big little iOS 10 features while testing the public betas. Now it’s time to share with the rest of the class.

New iOS 10 features

WiFi settings warn about and help with insecure networks

The Settings > WiFi list item now warns you if a network is insecure. If you tap it, the WiFi screen offers recommendations for how to protect your traffic from malicious do-no-gooders.

Edit contacts in-line in Mail

You have long been able to tap a contact’s name in email headers to view their details. In iOS 10, you can now edit them right there, as long as they’re listed in Contacts. If they aren’t, you can use the typical add/update contact option, then edit in-line, as shown below.

Edit Contacts In-Line iOS 10

A new lock screen gesture to shoot photos faster

In addition to swiping your lock screen right to view iOS 10’s new widgets, you can also swipe it left to quickly get to the camera. This replaces the previous ‘swipe up from the lower right corner’ gesture that I’m not sure ever caught on very well.

Opening homescreen folders makes more visual sense

When you open a homescreen folder in iOS 10, it now moves towards you and expand over your other icons which become blurred out, but still discernible, in the background. Previously, iOS would zoom into the folder and moved all other apps and folders out of view (it always felt a little disorienting to me). Now it maintains a sense of place. It’s also easier to check if an app you’re trying to find is close by elsewhere on the screen.

More app suggestions available

People must like the app suggestions on the Spotlight page (swipe down on any homescreen page). Apple added the option to “show more,” which adds a second row of the apps iOS thinks you might want to use right now.

Details and related pics in Photos

When you view an individual picture in Photos, notice that Apple replaced the Edit button with a new ‘Details’ button (the edit button has joined the favorite/heart and share buttons in the toolbar). Tap details to see more information about a photo, including the location it was taken (if Location Services were enabled) and any related photos shot in that location or on the same date in previous years, as shown below.

Details in Photo in iOS 10

App Store finally supports Split View on iPad

What it says on the tin. It’s so odd it took a year for this to arrive.

Keyboard bar suggests emoji, email addresses, more

You know that bar at the top of Apple’s default keyboard that suggests words to save your typing time? In iOS 10, it now suggests emoji replacements for relevant words, as well as your email addresses and other details when filling out forms.

Emoji Suggestions in iOS 10

Pick default transportation, avoid tolls, and pause audio with Maps

There are lots of new goodies in Settings > Maps. You can set a default transportation type for getting directions in Maps and Siri. You can choose to avoid tolls in directions by default, pause any music or podcasts playing when audible direction plays, and more.

No doubt, there are plenty more of these hidden gems scattered throughout iOS 10. Did you find something we didn’t list? Let me know.

[Update: Edited for clarity. Also added some screenshots. – Editor]

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