Get ready for Apple iOS 10 update

It will enhance 3D touch architecture to grant quicker access to core functions.

Apple had announced the iOS 10, its next operating system offering for the mobile platform, at the WWDC 2016 in June. iOS 10 is scheduled to bring in feature highlights, which include facelifts to the user interface, smarter Siri, an overhauled iMessage and lots more. The Cupertino company will be rolling out iOS 10 over-the-air (OTA) to the following devices — iPhone 5, iPhone 5S, iPhone SE, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPod touch 6th gen, iPad mini 2, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 4, iPad 4th generation and iPad Air, iPad Air 2, and iPad Pro. So before you download and upgrade your devices to the latest OS, here’s what you need to know about the new iOS. Don’t forget to backup your data before upgrading your device.

Apple’s latest upgrade to iOS 10 is said to be packed with a range of features. iOS 10 will be enhancing its 3D touch architecture to grant quicker access to core functions without physically opening the apps. Apple is supporting widgets for the very first time on iOS 10, even though Android had widget support years ago. Apple is even opening up this widget experience to third-party developers.

The notification drawer will now come with enhanced notifications on the new OS — along with an option to swipe right — to view an extension of widget offering other information. ‘Raise to wake’ is a new feature add-on that turns on the iPhone’s lock screen without even having to touch the Home button.

Siri is finally opening up to third-party app developers too, enabling users to ask Apple’s assistant about various topics — a trait that was never enabled by Apple in the past. There will now be Siri support in Slack, WhatsApp, Uber, Lyft, Shutterfly, Pinterest, Map My Run, RunKeeper and many more apps. On July 19, 2016, the company added 'App Support' within Siri's settings.

Apple is plugging more social features into iMessage with the new OS, an effort to make its chat interface and offering better for users. Users will now be able to use rich links in their messages. Emojis will be three times the size and will be incorporated into predictive text. Messages can scan a message you're about to send and highlight all the words that could be replaced with an emoji. Users can also send handwritten messages and can use Digital Touch and send their heartbeat to friends.

With iOS 10, users will now also be able to ditch many of Apple's preinstalled apps from their iPhone or iPad, but it's worth pointing out that the apps are not really "deleted" in the strict sense; all that happens is the app icon is hidden or disabled. All links to functions like Siri are temporarily severed, and user data associated with the unwanted apps is deleted. If users want to bring back the apps after deleting it, iOS forces them to revisit the App Store, and re-download it—strange right Apple does it this way in order to keep the user experience consistent. However, Android does it differently—it allows the user to disable preloaded bloatware and will ask for an update if needed to be enabled.

Apple News has been redesigned too — just as the other apps here, it becomes cleaner and simpler. But more amusingly, Apple has added subscriptions in News. The Apple News now comes with a 'Breaking news' notification option. Users can toggle the feature from the app's settings and even custom-tune the publications they wish for push notifications to the device. Apple has also added a widget for the Apple News — YAY!

Apple has used deep learning techniques to analyse faces, places and objects. Around 11 billion computations are made per photo and smart albums are automatically built for users — Google Photos already has a similar feature!

The photos app can now draw together linked photos and videos by place, people and time, and automatically create highlight reels and trip mementoes; Apple calls this “Memories”. Apart from the new features and overhaul in certain areas, iOS 10 is expected to make the user experience better. iOS 10 is known to be fun, fresh and more functional than before. So get ready and hit that software update button on your iOS devices.