iOS 10 Preview

How to master Apple’s new swipe keyboard

Apple's QuickType keyboard on iOS 13 and iPadOS supports gesture typing so you can swipe from one letter to the next in one continuous motion, with Siri intelligence and machine learning making reliable predictions as to what you're trying to type. Follow along to master gestural typing as iDB shows you how to set up and use the new iPhone swipe keyboard.

iOS 10 Preview: Phone gains spam alerts, VoIP integration, transcribed voicemails & more

iOS 10 turns the iPhone's boring Phone app into a software platform in its own right. Developers are now permitted to add previously unheard-of capabilities to Phone using Apple's new application programming interface (API), called CallKit, allowing Voice over IP (VoIP) calls from apps like Skype and WhatsApp to behave like cellular calls.

CallKit-enabled apps put contact images on the Lock screen for incoming VoIP calls and are deeply integrated with Contacts and Phone's Recents and Favorites.

Phone on iOS 10 packs in other exciting improvements that we honestly started to believe would never get implemented on the iOS platform, like voicemail transcription à la Google Voice and third-party extensions for detecting spammy calls automatically.

So let's get to it...

Everything new in iOS 10 beta 5

Somewhat unexpectedly, Apple this morning issued new developer-only betas of iOS 10, macOS Sierra, tvOS 10 and watchOS 3—a mere week after posting their respective fourth beta. While Apple's release notes for iOS 10 beta 5 (build number “14A5335b”) mention no new features as we inch closer to a Gold Master, there are a few tidbits and tweaks to wet your appetite.

Aside from other changes, for instance, iOS 10 beta packs in a new lock sound and lets you download apps from the App Store after a reboot without needing to re-authorize Touch ID purchase with your Apple ID password.

Video walkthrough: everything new in iOS 10 beta 3

Apple this morning released a third beta of iOS 10 for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. The latest build is available right now to developers registered with Apple Developer Program and public beta testers signed on Apple Beta Software Program. Like prior iOS 10 beta releases, beta 3 packs in about a dozen or so tweaks, refinements and some new features. Without further ado, here's our overview of everything new in iOS 10 beta 3.

Video walkthrough: everything new in iOS 10 beta 2

Apple today seeded a second beta of iOS 10 to its registered developers and this time around, release notes are pretty packed to reflect that the company has squashed many bugs in iOS 10 beta 2 while also bringing out a bunch of notable changes, refinements and new features. Here's our running list of everything that has been changed or tweaked in iOS 10 beta 2.

iOS 10 preview: keep yourself well-rested with Bedtime and Wake alarm

In addition to a gorgeous new dark interface, the Clock app on iOS 10 packs i a little-known but useful new feature— Bedtime and Wake alarm. With it, you can set up a regular sleep schedule to receive reminders when it's time to hit the bed and wake up.

By making it easier than ever to create a regular sleep schedule and receive timely bedtime alerts, this feature could help the insomniac types get a good night's sleep. With that in mind, watch our video hands-on and read a detailed preview of the new Bedtime and Wake alarm feature in iOS 10's Clock app.

iOS 10 preview: Siri comes to (some) apps & powers smarter QuickType keyboard suggestions

Siri has gained new features in iOS 10. Not only does she power smarter QuickType keyboard suggestions and lets you control HomeKit-compatible accessories using your voice, but Apple now officially supports third-party integration with SiriKit for developers.

In opening up Siri to apps, Apple's taken the same controlled approach like with iOS multitasking by only permitting certain app types.

In this iOS 10 preview, we're going to take a closer look at an improved QuickType keyboard with added Siri intelligence, explain specific app types that can take advantage of Siri and look into the technologies that make all of this possible. 

iOS 10 preview: your new Lock screen with Raise to Wake, widgets, interactive notifications & more

Having taken a closer look at a much improved Messages app, which delivers more expressive and animated ways to message friends and family, our preview of big new features in iOS 10 continues with a detailed overview of an all-new Lock screen. Wait, the Lock screen in iOS 10 warrants an article?

As you know, the Lock screen has remained virtually unchanged since the iPhone's inception. With iOS 10, however, it's  undergone some major improvements in the form of a refined look and feel, including vastly redesigned widgets, and new features such as interactive notifications, Raise to Wake and expanded use of 3D Touch shortcuts.

We think that many folks are going to appreciate how iOS 10 makes their device's Lock and Home screens way more functional than before, so here's a detailed walkthrough of all the goodies included in iOS 10's freshened up Lock screen experience.

iOS 10 preview: Messages does stickers, apps, animations & more

Apple's iMessage system has officially become a chat platform in its own right as Messages in iOS 10 now supports third-party apps, stickers and more. In addition, Messages on iOS 10 brings out a number of useful improvements, including animated chat bubbles and full-screen motion backgrounds.

But we're just getting started: Messages on iOS 10 supports inline media previews, sports a redesigned built-in camera, provides downloadable stickers and apps, includes handwriting recognition, Digital Touch for your media and more.

Here's our walkthrough showing off every new feature in iOS 10 Messages.