During Apple’s WWDC keynote the company revealed all the new features coming to iOS 10, which iPhone and iPad users will get to enjoy in the fall when its becomes available for the general public.

We take an in-depth look at all the new features, including updates to iMessage, Apple Music, Maps and more.  

New features for iMessage

While iMessage for Android didn’t materialize at WWDC there are a variety of new features for the messaging platform.

Changes to iMessage include:

• Rich links inline: You will now be able to play YouTube videos or listen to songs from Music without leaving the iMessage app.   
• Full-screen animations: Type in ‘Happy Birthday’ or ‘Congratulations’ and full-screen animations, like balloons, confetti or fireworks will take over the entire screen.
• Invisible ink: When you write messages in ‘invisible ink’ the recipient will have to swipe over it for the text to be revealed while you can also blur text that needs to be tapped to reveal the hidden text.
• Shout or whisper your messages: Effects can be added to the iMessage bubbles to make it larger or smaller.
• Open to developers: Apple has opened up iMessage to developers.  

Siri SDK

For the first time, developers will be able to integrate the intelligence of Siri into their own apps. Apps like WeChat, WhatsApp and Slack are already making use of SiriKit and made an appearance at WWDC. Users will now be able to talk to these apps and they will follow your command. By the time iOS 10 becomes available for the general public in the fall, we are likely to see plenty more apps making use of SiriKit.

Redesigned Maps

Apple Maps has also been opened up to developers, examples at WWDC included the integration of apps like OpenTable allowing you to make a reservation directly from Maps, while Uber or Lyft integration will allow you to quickly book a ride for your dinner reservation.

The Maps app has also been redesigned and becomes more intuitive like giving you directions to the next place you are likely to go based on your routine or calendar appointments. Once you plan your trip, Maps will also search for coffee shops, restaurants, and gas stations along the way and give you an indication of the impact a stop at one of these places will have on the overall length of your trip.  

Memories feature comes to Photos

The Memories feature uses on-device facial, object and scene recognition to scan all your photos and group them into Memories. Each Memory also contains an automatically edited Memory Movie, complete with titles, music, and cinematic transitions.

Revamp of Apple Music and News app

Apple Music has been revamped with a new simpler design. There is also a new tab for ‘downloaded music’ and a For You section which contains recommended playlists from Apple. The company has also added a Search tab to Apple Music while Apple Connect has been hidden.

In iOS 10, the News app has also been updated with a new For You section with news stories organized into distinct sections. The News app also brings support for breaking news notifications and paid subscriptions.

HomeKit gets dedicated Home app

Apple has launched a dedicated HomeKit app called Home, which will allow you to control your HomeKit-enabled devices. Devices can be managed individually or you can group them into scenes and control them with a single command.

Siri brings new QuickType keyboard features

Siri will be able to provide suggested replies based on your location, calendar availability or contacts. Predictive typing now also supports multiple languages without the need to switch keyboards.

Raise to Wake feature

iOS 10 includes a new Raise to Wake feature that will automatically wake up your iPhone’s screen when you raise your device. You will be able to view all your notifications directly from the Lock screen while Notifications, Today view and Control Center can be accessed with a swipe or a press.

Delete default apps – went unannounced at WWDC

It was rumored that Apple would allow users to hide default apps and while nothing was said about it at WWDC 2016, apparently you will be able to delete these built-in apps and reinstall them at a later date if you so choose. Apps that you will be able to delete from your iPad and iPhone include Maps, Calculator, Music, Videos, etc. and each of these apps can now be found in the App Store. Users who have downloaded the developer beta of iOS 10 have confirmed the change while Apple has also published a help page to assist users in removing the default apps.

Additional iOS 10 features

• Apple Pay: You can now make use of Apple Pay for purchases on websites using Safari.
• Bedtime Alarm: The Bedtime Alarm in the Clock app will allow you to receive bedtime reminders and set up a regular sleep schedule.
• Built-in app updates: Updates for built-in apps include Notes collaboration, Safari split-view for iPad and Live Photos editing.
• Voicemail transcription: iOS 10 gets voicemail transcription as well as spam alerts for incoming calls and a new VoIP API.  
• Differential Privacy: With iOS 10, Apple will be using technology called Differential Privacy, which it describes as “crowd-sourced learning while keeping data from different users private.” The company says the technology will assist in improving emoji and QuickType suggestions, Lookup Hints in Notes and Spotlight deep link suggestions.

Images via: Apple