A comprehensive list of iOS 7 features

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated February 2, 2023

ios 7 white iPhone ipad

Since it was unveiled on June 10, 2013, iOS 7 has seen six beta and one final GM releases before it was made available to the general public today. If the overall look and feel of iOS 7 hasn’t changed much since Apple first demo’d it on stage during WWDC, the mobile operating system has been constantly improved on with the usual “bug fixes and stability enhancements,” but most importantly with new features.

These new iOS 7 features are sometimes obvious, but often very subtle. Over the course of the last three months, we’ve made it our mission to build a list of features that are new to iOS 7. It is not an exhaustive list, but this is probably as comprehensive as it gets. If you want to know all iOS 7 can do for you, you’ve come to the right place…

Note that we didn’t necessarily focus on the design aspect of things in iOS 7, but rather on features. This means that we didn’t list every new design element.

These new features are sorted by application. For a complete list of what was new in every beta release, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the applicable beta release.

App Store

  • A closer look at the App Store app in iOS 7
  • Add apps to a Wish List
  • You can search your previously purchased apps by name
  • Tap the screenshot preview of an app to get a full screen screenshots of it
  • Apps can be updated automatically in the background (can be turned off in Settings > iTunes & App Stores)
  • You can see popular apps “Near Me”
  • You are now asked if you want to download an app if it is over 59MB
  • New icon animations when downloading an app
  • You can now use apps while they’re updating

Camera

Clock

  • The app icon now shows the current time
  • When setting a timer, remaining time appears on Lock screen
  • When alarm is snoozed, remaining snooze time appears on Lock screen
  • In World Clock, tap on a clock to display digital clocks

Compass

  • The app has a new calibration system
  • The app now features a level as well

Contacts

  • When editing a contact, you can now add date, social profile, or instant message handle
  • A contact now shows icons for Messages, Phone, FaceTime, FaceTime audio or email

Control Center

FaceTime

Lock screen

  • A brand new Lock screen
  • You can pull down to bring Notification Center
  • You can swipe up to bring Control Center
  • Charging icon is now showing up for a few seconds when first plugged in
  • You can Slide to Unlock from everywhere on the Lock screen
  • Lock screen fades in as you hit the Home or Power buttons
  • Lock screen fades out after 10 seconds of inactivity

Mail

Maps

  • Maps app has a night view
  • Turn-by-turn walking directions
  • Maps bookmark syncing
  • Night mode
  • Pin in Maps app now shows estimated driving time to location

Messages

  • A closer look at Messages in iOS 7
  • See Messages timestamps by swiping left
  • Messages app now opens to conversation list instead of opening to unread message
  • Double tap and hold a message to copy, delete, clear all, or select to forward
  • “Contact” button at the top of a conversation now makes it easy to access additional contact info
  • Long MMS support
  • You can block senders

Multitasking

  • Flick an app screenshot up to close
  • Flick up up to three apps to close
  • Multitasking works in landscape mode

Music

  • Complete app redesign
  • iTunes Radio
  • Landscape mode now shows a tile view of your albums (no more cover flow)
  • Better Lock screen controls
  • You can skip up to 6 songs on iTunes Radio before hearing an ad
  • Tap on album cover in Music app to rate a song

Notification Center

  • A new Notification Center
  • Context-based alerts
  • Notification Center works in landscape mode
  • NC now has 3 tabs: Today, All, and Missed
  • You can now swipe between Today – All – Missed views in Notification Center
  • Notification sync

Passbook

  • You can share passes via email or Messages
  • Scan to acquire Passbook passes

Photos

  • The Map view is gone
  • Screenshots aren’t pushed to Photo Stream anymore
  • Photo collections
  • You can now see Shared Streams activity
  • A new tab for Videos has been added

Phone

  • You can block callers
  • Photos are showed for your Favorites
  • On the keypad, pressing “Call” will call the last dialed number

Reminders

  • Search bar in Reminders
  • A new card-like view

Safari

  • An all new mobile Safari
  • Full-screen interface
  • Unified smart search field
  • New layout for your Favorites
  • New tab view
  • Swipe tabs to the left to close them
  • Parental controls
  • Swipe left and right to navigate back and forward
  • Easy access to Private Browsing mode
  • Saved Passwords for Safari now ask you want to setup an on-device password

Settings

  • In Cellular, you can see cellular data used per app
  • In General > Text Size, you can change text size of apps that support the feature

 Siri

Other

What’s new in each beta release?

If there are any features you think should be added to this list, please feel free to leave a comment or send us an email at tips@iDownloadBlog.com

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