Apple announced the next-generation operating system, iOS 13, back in June. While it promises to bring advanced features to all age groups, there are certain iOS features about which every parent will want to know.
From a whole new look to advanced editing tools to increased privacy, iOS 13 brings about a host of changes that will completely impact the way you and your children interact with your phones. Check out the most noteworthy iOS 13 updates below.
System-Wide Dark Mode Promises to be Easier on the Eyes
Are you worried that your tween or teen’s eyes suffer as a result of pre-bedtime scrolling? Worry no more. Dark mode is Apple’s newest feature and automatically adjusts every element on the screen in accordance with the light in the user’s surroundings. With the intent to make screen use easier on the eyes, users will see this adjustment throughout the operating system. You can turn on dark mode via the Control Center or set it to turn on automatically at different times of day, such as dawn, dusk, and nightfall.
Advanced Safety Features Provide Peace of Mind
As a parent, you worry. You worry that your teen isn’t where he or she said he or she will be. You worry that your child accidentally gave away his or her information to an identity thief. You worry that too many companies have access to your child’s data at any given time. Thanks to the new iOS features, you may not have to worry quite so much.
The new “Find My” app combines Find My Friends and Find My iPhone to allow you to track devices on your account even when they’re offline. This new app leverages other nearby iOS devices and Bluetooth so that you can locate your child’s whereabouts with ease. It also helps to find a wayward device when you’re running out the door in the morning and on the brink of being late.
The new “Sign In With Apple” provides for increased privacy and convenience when it comes to signing in to other apps and websites. When you sign in to an app with Face ID or Touch ID, Apple will send developers not your real info, but rather a unique and randomized ID. For those sites and apps on which you must enter your email address, Apple can even generate a single-use, random email address for you.
With the new HomeKit Secure Video Footage feature, you and others you invite into your Home app can view footage from your home’s security cameras in real time. Your use of this feature does not count against your data plan.
CarPlay and Other Features Make for Safer Driving
Distracted driving is the leading cause of accidents today, and talking and texting while driving is one of the most common forms of distracted driving. Both you and your teen can practice safer driving thanks to CarPlay, which is an overhauled dashboard that shows everything from maps to music to the calendar app. If you or your teen need to change the music, check for driving directions, or even open the garage door, you can do so via the one screen on your dash.
The Settings menu allows you to easily access and activate Do Not Disturb While Driving. Siri also has more capabilities. For instance, Siri now works with third-party apps so you can, for instance, say “Navigate to Thai food using Google Maps,” and she’ll bring up suggestions without requiring you to divert your attention from the road. Siri also reads text messages aloud as they come in and lets you respond without having to pick up your phone and enter the Messenger app.
The new iOS 13 features seem to have a lot of promise. Though there are new updates that may distract your child even more from real life, such as advanced photo-editing tools, new Memoji customization, and an interactive photos tab, many of the changes seem to be for the better.
iOS 13 Features — Sources
Apple Inc
Mac Rumors
CNET