What’s new in iOS 10.3
- mar
- 27
Apple's newest iOS update is out and chock full of little updates and surprises.
After too many betas to count, iOS 10.3 is on the scene. It brings Apple's new in-app reviews system to the public, reorganizes iCloud settings, introduces the Find My AirPods feature, and adds new SiriKit features — along with a host of other little details.
We've put together a rundown of everything new in iOS 10.3 for your perusal — here you go!
How to download the latest update to iOS! iOS 10 review: Cleaner, clearer, and smarter
Apple ID Ch-ch-changes
The Settings app has been completely reorganized when it comes to your Apple ID, iCloud, and iTunes accounts — they now all live in a Apple ID prompt at the top of the screen. You can go here to change your Apple ID photo and other settings; customize your iCloud, iTunes, and App Store accounts; set up Family Sharing; choose what gets backed up to your device; and view the various devices associated with your account.
Meet Your Apple ID
Though many of these Apple ID features have existed in the past on the web, many settings and customizations are now available on your iPhone for the very first time. Here's how to view and change them.
- How to change your Apple ID's settings
- How to view any iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch connected to your Apple ID
- How to create an Apple ID
- How to reset your Apple ID
View your iCloud options
Primarily new to the iCloud section is a revamped iCloud Storage section, with a color-coded storage key, though Apple has also reorganized backups, Mail email aliases, and sharing location with friends and family.
- How to manage your iCloud Storage
- How to make an iCloud backup
- How to manage iCloud backups
- How to choose what your iPhone backs up to iCloud
- How to create iCloud email aliases
- How to share your current location with friends and family
Find my AirPods
If you're one of the lucky people who currently owns a set of AirPods, you'll now be able to find wayward buds that go missing with Apple's Find My iPhone app. Here's how to use it!
New Siri features and updates
With iOS 10.3, Siri gets a few new tweaks: You can now use Siri with supported third-party apps to check the status of your accounts and pay bills, and schedule rides in advance with apps like Uber. In addition, if you have a car whose app supports Siri, you'll be able to check its fuel level and lock status, and honk the horn or turn on the lights.
Lastly, if you're a cricket fan, you'll be able to check sports scores and statistics for the Indian Premier League and International Cricket Council.
CarPlay tweaks
If you're a CarPlay user, there are a few small updates to Apple's car interface. First, you can now find EV charging stations in Apple Maps when searching for a place to top up; Apple has also made it easier to quickly launch apps when in the CarPlay interface.
App updates
As with most iOS updates, Apple has taken the time to slip some updates into several of its stock applications. This time around, Music, iTunes, Maps, Calendar, Podcasts, Safari, and Mail get a few new perks.
Apple Music and iTunes updates
The Music app gets a few new features: The Now Playing screen now lets you access Up Next at the bottom of the scroll, and when you press the More (…) button, Apple has added a side arrow indicator next to the album name and art to indicate that you can get to the full album view by pressing it. (You've always been able to do this, but the visual indicator may help more users in finding the visual for the album.)
For Apple Music users, the service now offers more curated playlists and new music categories.
On the iTunes side, you'll now be able to rent movies from the service on any device — iPhone or Apple TV included — and watch them on any other device. Goodbye and good riddance, "rent twice to watch on both my iPhone and Mac" nonsense.
Maps
Maps gets two nice little features in iOS 10.3. First, you can press firmly on the weather indicator (using a 3D Touch-compatible device) to view an hour-by-hour breakdown of the day's weather, and press fully to enter your current area's full weather listing in the Weather app.
The other feature plays off iOS 10's "Find My Car" feature in Maps, with Apple now letting you search for "parked car" to find where your iPhone last last saw your vehicle.
Calendar, Mail, and Safari
A few small updates here: Calendar lets you reject and report unwanted invitations as junk — a nice fix to the Calendar spam issues of the past few months — while Mail adds a few navigational improvements to Conversation view, and Safari web apps will now pay attention to your systemwide reduce motion settings.
Podcast away!
The Podcasts app still has a long way to go before it can surpass third-party options, but there are a few nice updates with iOS 10.3: Podcasts now support 3D Touch gestures, and the app offers a Notification Center Today widget to play recently updated shows. In addition, you can now share shows or episodes in Messages and play them back inside the Messages app — no secondary app required.
In the Home(Kit)
I know iMore editor Mikah Sargent is excited about iOS 10.3's HomeKit improvements, which allow the Home app to trigger pre-programmed scenes with physical HomeKit switches and buttons. In addition, the Home app will now show battery level for accessories that rely on portable power.
Other changes
There are a few miscellaneous iOS 10.3 perks that aren't quite as visible to the average user:
- Third-party apps can now change icons after installation (with the user's permission). This allows both the user and developer to set custom icons — including, yes, obnoxious holiday-themed ones.
- When you open and close an app, you might notice a slight change to how the app appears on your screen: App corners have now been slightly rounded.
- Apple is now using differential privacy on your iPhone's iCloud user data to improve its services — this is very similar to what the company did with macOS Sierra 10.12.4. This is an opt-in procedure; if you don't want your data anonymized and shared, you don't have to.
Found any other cool iOS 10.3 features?
Anything we missed? Let us know in the comments!