10 tips for iOS 10

Lucy Hattersley’s tips and tricks will ensure you get the most out of iOS 10’s new features

1. Swipe left and right on the Home screen

When you first install iOS 10, you’ll be presented with a new Home screen. We find this change the most jarring, unlocking our iPhone and iPad has mostly remained the same process: swipe right and enter your passcode.

With Touch ID now firmly entrenched on all new Apple devices, Apple’s decided that the swipe to unlock gesture is no longer required. Instead, you can swipe right to access a Widgets window (similar to Notifications in iOS 9), and swipe left to access

Camera. These gestures are more intuitive than the current ones, but it’ll take a while it to become instinctive. As for unlocking the iPhone, you now press the Home button in and keep your finger held on the button for Touch ID.

2. Customise your widgets

The Widgets window displays app information on your Home screen (without having to unlock your phone. By default it displays weather, time and information from Calendar, News, Music, Batteries and Reminders as well as Siri App Suggestions. Tap any option to open the associated app (you may be asked to use Touch ID or Enter Passcode). You can manage the widgets by tapping the Edit button. Here you can add, or remove items, and move Widgets between the left columns on the iPad.

3. Remove stock apps

Apple has finally bowed to the wishes of its customers and is allowing you to remove its stock apps from the Home screen.

There are a few exceptions. Find iPhone and Feedback are locked, as is Playground on our iPad for some reason. But you can get rid of Apple Maps, FaceTime, Calendar and even the iTunes Store if you want.

Apps you have removed can be reinstalled from the App Store. Open the App Store app and search for the app.

4. Sketch in Messages

The ability to sketch out messages was first introduced on the App Watch. It’s a fun feature, but bound to find many more fans now that Apple is

bringing it to the iPad and iPhone. Open Messages and tap the Sketch icon (shaped as a heart with two fingers). Draw on the black rectangle and it’ll be sent to the other person. It’s sent as an animation, so they see your finger sketching it out as it goes.

5. Bedtime in Clock

The Clock app has a new feature, called Bedtime. Bedtime sets a recurring wake-up alarm, and a gentle reminder when it’s time to go to bed. Open Clock and tap Bedtime > Get Started. Bedtime asks what time you want to wake up, tap next and deselect the days the alarm should not go off.

6. Split Safari windows

One of the most welcome new features is the ability to open two Safari windows side-by-side on an iPad.

If you have multiple tabs open, drag one down from the Tab bar and to the right of the screen, it’ll slot into place in Split View. Drag its tab back to the left to return to a single tabbed view. You can also tap, and hold, on a link and choose Open In Split View.

7. Memories in Photos

Few apps have had as big a shot in the arm in iOS 10 as Photos. Open Photos and you’ll see a new option called Memories. This automatically creates Photo albums. You’ll see the Best of Last Month, and Best of Last Three Months. Below that will be albums of places or events.

8. Better Maps app

Maps has had another refresh in iOS 10, as Apple continues to create an app that truly rivals Google

Maps. It has a new, much cleaner, interface that makes options easier to access. There’s a lot of new features too. It now features traffic information on route, and displays alternative routes as you drive. A new Dynamic View mode shows what traffic conditions look like. There’s also an option to find things along the way, like supermarkets or petrol stations. One handy feature is that Apple Maps automatically remembers where you parked your car. Another interesting touch is that Search now pulls in places you’ve looked for in Google and Google Maps. So it feels a lot more integrated with your search history. Cunning.

9. Control Centre

The Control Centre has been split into two windows, making it less baffling to the eyes. Slide

up from the bottom of the screen and you’ll see options, screen brightness, AirPlay and AirDrop (as well as shortcuts to Camera and Clock). Swipe to the left and you’ll move over to media controls, volume controls, and an AirPlay list.

10. Playgrounds and Home

Two new apps were installed by default on our iPad running iOS 10. The first is Home, which allows you to interact with smart connected devices on your network. Nothing seems ready for it yet, but we’ll keep an eye on it as the Beta rolls out.

The second is Playgrounds, which is an interactive code learning environment. We were surprised to find this automatically installed, but it’s great fun and a good game (even if you don’t code). Be sure to look at both of them.