Apple's new iOS 10 is finally out and about, and despite reports of a glitch that's bricking iPhones and iPads, the latest OS brings a ton of neat features to the table.
The bricking issues have already been sorted out, according to Apple, so let's focus on what the new mobile OS has to offer. We've compiled a list of the top five best iOS features, so here's what you can expect.
iOS 10 Messages App
The highest of the top 5 iOS 10 features is the Messages app, which Apple says is easily the most-used app on its mobile operating system. The upgraded app now brings a slew of emoji enhancements, automatically integrates images directly into chats thanks to rich links, and sports neat dynamic text bubbles to spice things up a bit.
Moreover, Apple's Messages app finally got a Software Development Kit (SDK) and app store, which means that users can extend the functionality of Messages by enabling other iMessage Apps to tap into the main one. At the same time, this app store also includes graphic enhancements such as the already popular Super Mario Run stickers.
Catching up with Facebook Messenger, Apple's new iOS 10 Messages app also introduces full-screen effects at last. For instance, the app could display fireworks on the whole screen in the background, behind the users' chat bubbles.
Removing iOS 10 Native Apps
The ability to remove native apps has been something mobile users of all platforms have been long requesting. While it's useful to have powerful and popular apps preinstalled out of the box, not all users want to use all of those apps. In such cases, the option to remove the apps you don't normally use comes in handy.
The new iOS 10 finally allows users to delete preinstalled apps, at least partially. More specifically, users can partially remove, or hide, a number of apps such as Compass, Calendar, Calculator, Home, FaceTime, iCloud Drive, iBooks, Mail, iTunes Store, Find My Friends, Maps, News, Reminders, Podcasts, Notes, Music, Stocks, Videos, Tips, Weather, Voice Memos and Watch.
These are all native iOS apps and up until iOS 10, users could not remove any of them — not even partially.
If you're thinking that removing all of these apps will free up a storage goldmine, think again. The apps are not completely removed and you'll only be able to free up 150 MB. While that may not be a lot, you can still save plenty of real estate just by removing those 21 app icons.
Siri Improvements
Apple's Siri virtual assistant now plays nice with a number of noteworthy third-party apps, including Pinterest, Square Cash, Uber, Lyft and LinkedIn, which now come with integrated Siri controls.
At the same time, Apple has also tapped a deep neural network to make Siri smarter, equipping the assistant with better responses and improved voice interpretation.
HomeKit Home App
Apple's latest iOS 10 also brings a dedicated Home app for HomeKit, which will serve as a control room for HomeKit accessories. Without this Home app, users needed to rely on third-party apps to enjoy the full HomeKit functionality. With Home, instead of having a number of third-party apps, you can simply manage and control all HomeKit accessories from one place.
When it comes to compatibility, the dedicated Home app will play nice with the iPhone, iPad and the Apple Watch. Moreover, iPads running iOS 10 can now serve as hubs to remotely control HomeKit accessories even when you're no longer in range of a local network. So far, only Apple TVs had this trick.
Smarter Photos, Now With Search
With iOS 10, you can now search through your photo library to find a specific photo more easily. A new Memories tab within the iOS 10 Photos app now features smart albums, which automatically labels your images to help you find them later. Basically, iOS 10 will analyze the content of your photos so it can determine what they're about and the next time you want to find that cute photo of your cat, you can simply search for the term "cat" and Photos will display all cat photos in your library.
An honorable mention in addition to these top five features goes to the new fast camera app launch, which allows you to fire up the camera simply by sliding left on the lock screen.
These top five iOS 10 features barely scratch the surface of what the new OS has to offer, as Apple packed a number of other neat features and changes to enhance the overall experience.
Head over to Apple's website to learn more about its latest OS and, if you decide to give it a shot, check out our guide on how to download and install iOS 10.
