iOS 9

New in iOS 9: Native print preview

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

I don't often use AirPrint to print from my iPad or iPhone, but occasionally I find the need to do so. One of the things that's always bugged me about printing from my iPad is the lack of any sort of print preview.

Prior to iOS 9, if you wanted to print directly from the native iOS share sheet, you pretty much had to go into the whole ordeal blind, as you weren't provided with a print preview. With iOS 9, things have changed. You'll now find a native print preview option whenever you invoke the printing dialogue from the native share sheet.

iOS 9 code hints larger ‘iPad Pro’ could have 2732×2048 display

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

The oft-rumored 12.9-inch 'iPad Pro' could feature a 2732x2048 display, according to evidence found in the first iOS 9 beta. Developers Hiraku Wang and Steve Troughton-Smith point to code in the beta that refers to a 1366x1024 device, which implies a true resolution of double that using @2x scaling.

That works out to a display area of roughly 12.93 inches and a PPI of 263, which lines up with previous reports. In January of last year, NPD DisplaySearch cited supply chain sources, saying that Apple had a tablet in development with a larger 12.9-inch display, a resolution of 2732x2048 and PPI of 265.

Cellular Continuity allows for phone calls on iPads even when your iPhone is off

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Last week, it was reported that cellular Continuity would be making its way to iOS 9. The first carrier to support cellular Continuity is T-Mobile, which is unsurprising; it was the first to adopt Wi-Fi calling on iPhone as well.

Cellular Continuity allows you to use the Continuity features that debuted with iOS 8, features such as the ability to answer phone calls destined for your iPhone on Macs and iPads, without needing the involved devices to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network.

That means that you'll be able to leave your iPhone at home, and still receive phone calls on your iPad or other valid device while away from home and connected to the Internet via cellular or Wi-Fi.

But it goes deeper than that. After testing out this new feature on the iOS 9 beta, the Continuity features appear to be truly bound at the cellular network level. In fact, I could receive phone calls on my iPad while my iPhone was completely turned off. Watch our video demonstration for more insight.

iOS 9 reinvigorates iPad power users

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

WWDC 2015 was filled with shock and awe, at least for me, a former iPad user. In the past, I've tried my best to use my iPad for productivity, namely writing blog posts and the like. While this can be achieved with relative success, the iPad as we currently know it still lacks from a productivity standpoint.

The iPad that we know today doesn't have the ability to truly multitask—i.e. run two apps at the same exact time, and interface with those two apps at the same exact time. Although some prominent bloggers, most notably Mac Stories' Frederico Viticci, are able to aptly make due with this limitation, it's always been something that's pushed me back to my MacBook.

No matter how hard I've tried, and trust me, I've tried dozens of times, I always end up abandoning my plans of creating an iPad workflow that genuinely works for me. With WWDC 2015, and the release of iOS 9, I finally feel like we're on the precipice of something great.

The iPad Air 2, in particular, heavily benefits from iOS 9, but all iPads will benefit in a major way. Here are 6 outstanding new productivity features that promise to supercharge the workflow of those of you who use the iPad as a work machine.

Hidden ‘iPad Pro’ like keyboard in iOS 9 scales to larger screen sizes with additional keys

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 15, 2015

In addition to an all-new predictive touch technology and two times better touch-to-display latency in iOS 9, another clue of a rumored 'iPad Pro' comes in the form of a hidden software keyboard in iOS 9.

As discovered by iOS developer Steve Troughton Smith, it was designed to cater to bigger screen sizes with a wider key appearance, some new keys and a brand new row of symbols that are normally invoked with specific keystroke combinations.

iOS 9 introduces predictive touch technology that should be crucial for rumored Apple stylus

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 15, 2015

Coincidentally or not, iOS 9 has introduced a trio of notable enhancements in the multi-touch department that could be viewed as laying the groundwork for a rumored Apple-branded stylus thought to arrive later this year alongside a larger twelve-something-inch 'iPad Pro' model.

As one of the WWDC 2015 session videos details, the Cocoa Touch framework in iOS 9 has gained brand new predictive touch capabilities. Not only that, but iOS 9 now has a drawing engine and features vastly improved multi-touch performance, a significant boon for apps that let you draw with your finger or a stylus.

iOS 9 includes Markup feature to let you annotate email attachments

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated October 25, 2023

Similar to a feature that first made its way to the Mail app under OS X Yosemite, iOS 9 now includes Markup, a tool that lets you annotate email attachments, including image files as well as PDFs, effectively turning the Mail app into a more powerful one with a growing focus on productivity.

Just like its OS X counterpart, Markup for iOS 9 allows you to sketch, zoom, add text, and sign documents on the go. Absent from the list of annotations is the Shape button, which lets you easily insert squares, circles, etc.

Markup for iOS 9 works for both incoming or outgoing attachments, meaning that you can annotate either the attachments you receive, or those that you send. This seems to actually go hand in hand with another new iOS 9 feature that lets you attach documents from iCloud Drive.

iOS 9 Maps gives traffic avoidance warnings, transit coverage in Canada better than anticipated

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 11, 2015

Following Monday's announcement that Maps will gain Transit directions and other new features when iOS 9 launches this fall, some folks are reporting that the feature actually works in even more cities than Apple has said, as discovered by MacRumors.

Not only that but navigating with Maps provides en route traffic and construction warnings, including voice turn-by-turn suggestions for alternate routes, according to information shared with AppleInsider.

Elite Chinese hacking group ‘Keen Team’ working on iOS 9 jailbreak

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Good news today for jailbreakers who are hoping to update to iOS 9 this fall. Speaking with Forbes' Thomas Fox-Brewster, Liang Chen of the elite hacking group Keen Team says they're eyeing the firmware to release their first ever jailbreak.

Right now, Chen says the team is prodding the recently released iOS 9 developer beta, and may even reach out to the well-known Pangu Team for assistance. “We want to release it just after iOS 9, that’s our plan," he told Forbes. “It depends how lucky we are.”

iOS 9 includes support for Continuity over cellular

Cody Lee ∙ June 10, 2015

Soon, it looks like your iPhone won't need Wi-Fi to use Apple's awesome Continuity feature. As noted by the Verge, the iOS 9 beta seeded to developers earlier this week includes support for the feature over a cellular connection.

For those not familiar with it, Continuity was introduced in iOS 8 and it allows you to answer calls and messages on your Mac or iPad as long as they are on the same network as your iPhone. In iOS 9, that's no longer a requirement.

iOS 9 lets you save email attachments to iCloud Drive

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated October 25, 2023

iOS 9 offers a new feature that allows you to save attachments received via emails to iCloud Drive. Similar to the way iOS currently lets you save email attachments to third-party services such as Dropbox or Google Drive, this new feature takes advantage of the Share extension, bringing a new Save Attachment icon for easy sharing to your iCloud Drive.

iOS 9 code hints at iPhones with a supercharged FaceTime camera

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 10, 2015

Developer Hamza Sood has discovered some rather interesting code strings in the iOS 9 software development kit (SDK) potentially pointing to an impressive front-facing camera upgrade on future iPhone models.

While the iPhone has become the de facto the most popular camera in the world, many Android handsets have far better cameras out the front for taking selfies. But that could change soon as code strings point to a future FaceTime camera upgrade delivering video-shooting capabilities in full HD 1080p resolution, Slow-Mo video capture at 240 frames per second and more.