iOS 9.3

Public beta testers: iOS 9.3 beta 2 and OS X 10.11.4 now available

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 27, 2016

Two days after seeding OS X 10.11.4 El Capitan beta 2 and iOS 9.3 beta 2 to members of the Apple Developer Program, public beta testers who are signed on the Apple Beta Software Program can now freely deploy these new beta builds on their Mac, iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices.

iOS 9.3 beta 2 is available as an over-the-air update in Settings → General → Software Update on enrolled devices. OS X 10.11.4 beta 2 can be downloaded through the Mac App Store's Purchased tab for those who are enrolled in Apple's beta testing program.

Apple seeds iOS 9.3 beta 2 featuring new Night Shift Control Center toggle and more

Cody Lee ∙ Updated June 13, 2018

Apple on Monday seeded the second beta of iOS 9.3 to developers. The software is available to registered developers either over-the-air, for those running the latest iOS beta, or via Apple’s developer website. Today's release comes two weeks after the original 9.3 beta, and more than a month after iOS 9.2 became publicly available.

iOS 9.3 Night Shift mode to have a Control Center toggle?

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated November 10, 2023

Apple's iOS 9.3 beta was seeded to developers and Public Beta program participants last week with some pretty big changes to the mobile operating system. One of the flagship features of the release is the f.lux-like Night Shift mode that will change the display's color temperature depending on the time of day to make using the device easier on the eyes at late evening and night hours.

Mimic iOS 9.3’s new Calculator app Quick Action with this tweak

Anthony Bouchard ∙ January 18, 2016

iOS 9.3 beta includes a new Quick Action feature for the Calculator app, allowing those with a 3D Touch display to press firmly on the Calculator app icon to reveal a new option: Copy Last Result.

Fortunately, those with a jailbroken device on iOS 9.0-9.0.2 don't have to upgrade to iOS 9.3 beta to get this feature. A new free jailbreak tweak called CalculatorCopy is now available in Cydia's BigBoss repository that will bring this feature to older iOS 9 installations.

f.lux responds to Apple’s inclusion of Night Shift in iOS 9.3

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated November 10, 2023

The creators of f.lux, the Mac and iOS utility that makes it easier to use bright screens in dark settings, have responded to Apple's inclusion of Night Shift mode in iOS 9.3—a feature that duplicates f.lux's primary feature.

In the Apple world, we refer to this as being Sherlocked—a term that's used when Apple provides OS-level functionality that seemingly makes a popular third-party application redundant. Curious as to what f.lux has to say about the situation? Have a look.

Apple seeds iOS 9.3 beta 1.1 to developers

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

Apple has seeded an updated version of iOS 9.3 beta 1 to developers. The new update, which appears as iOS 9.3 beta 1.1 in the OTA Software Update on iOS, contains bug fixes and improvements. All developers are recommended to update to this latest version of the iOS 9.3 beta.

If you've yet to install the beta, you'll find the updated version available on Apple's developer member center. The updated version, seeded today, comes with a build number of 13E5181f. You can also take advantage of the new configuration profile feature to get directly on the developer seed path without needing iTunes.

Apple releases iOS 9.3 for public beta testers

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated November 10, 2023

A few days after seeding iOS 9.3 beta 1 to developers, Apple has released iOS 9.3 Public Beta 1 to beta testers as a part of its public beta program. As we mentioned in our in-depth preview of iOS 9.3 beta 1, this release is filled to the brim with new features like the f.lux-inspired Night Shift mode, additional 3D Touch Quick Actions, and much more.

If you’re already a member of Apple's public beta program, or if you’d like to join, simply head over to Apple’s beta website using your iOS device to get going. Remember, you'll need to log in to the public beta website and enroll your device if you have not done so already.

New in iOS 9.3: Peek and Pop within App Store

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 14, 2016

The forthcoming iOS 9.3 software update expands the number of 3D Touch shortcuts available on the Home screen for Apple's stock apps, and it also brings shortcuts for the first time to legacy apps such as Compass and Stocks.

iPhone 6s owners will appreciate a pair of new Home screen shortcuts for the App Store that are self-explanatory: Update All and Purchased. But as it turns out, that's not all: iOS 9.3 also enables Peek and Pop gestures to apps within the App Store.

New 3D Touch shortcuts for stock apps in iOS 9.3

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 10, 2023

In addition to a few headlining features revealed in the first beta of iOS 9.3—such as Night Shift mode, Notes protection with Touch ID, improvements for the Health app and other goodies—proud iPhone 6s owners will be happy to learn about a bunch of new 3D Touch-enabled shortcuts for Apple's stock apps.

Ranging from Settings to App Store to Health and more, half a dozen apps have either gained 3D Touch shortcuts for the first time or introduced new ones in the menu that appear after pressing an icon on the Home screen.

Poll: Will you keep your jailbreak or update to iOS 9.3?

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated November 10, 2023

Just this week, Apple surprised us all with a major revision to iOS going into its first beta: iOS 9.3. The reason for the surprise? Apple also has a beta period running for iOS 9.2.1, which still hasn't been released to the public just yet. The new iOS beta was also followed by watchOS 2.2, tvOS 9.2, and OS X 10.11.4.

Like previously noted, this is no minor update, but a major revision to iOS. It comes with a variety of major new features, including the flagship feature Night Shift, which is a lot like the popular f.lux extension that changes the color temperature of your display after certain hours to work with your circadian rhythm to help you sleep better, the ability to pair multiple Apple Watches, new ways for developers to update to new betas, app improvements, and more.

But for those loyal to jailbreaking, is iOS 9.3 enough to lure you away from the freedom to do whatever you want with your iOS device?

New in iOS 9.3 beta 1: Wi-Fi Assist usage statistics

Jeff Benjamin ∙ January 12, 2016

It's now easier than ever to keep an eye on how much data is used by Wi-Fi assist, thanks to a new data monitor found in iOS 9.3 beta 1. Wi-Fi assist, is the controversial feature that taps into your iPhone's cellular connection in those instances where the Wi-Fi connection may not be adequate enough.

First noted by MacRumors' Juli Clover, the addition of data usage numbers for Wi-Fi Assist will help those who claim to have experienced exorbitant amounts of cellular data usage due to the feature.

Apple introduces new OTA update option to developers

Jeff Benjamin ∙ January 11, 2016

If you're a developer who doesn't already have your iPhone on a developer seed, then updating to the latest iOS beta means going through iTunes to accommodate the update.

While going through iTunes is the traditional manner for facilitating updates, it's antiquated, and largely unnecessary from a technical perspective. Wouldn't it be much better if you could upgrade to a developer seed without needing to connect to iTunes?

That's the basic premise behind the new Configuration Profiles released by Apple alongside iOS 9.3. These profiles essentially allow you to take a shortcut directly to the beta seed path without needing to touch iTunes. If you've ever upgraded an Apple Watch, or used a Public Beta, then you're already familiar with the process.