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FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | SEPTEMBER 2020 25 THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT! One big difference between an Apple iPhone and an Android Smartphone is how updates are handled. When Apple issues an update, that update goes to all Apple iPhones. Every iPhone owner gets a notice that an update is available and, for many reasons including malware safety, you should keep your phone up to date. The process differs with Android phones. The Android system is designed by Google, but Android phones come from many manufacturers. So, when Google updates the Android operating system, that update goes to outfits like Samsung which adapt the update to suit their phones. This process often results in a delay from the issue date and major or minor changes are often made to added features. This is a long way of explaining that I'm going to cover the upcoming changes to the Apple operating system. Android users, forgive me. The changes Apple announced in June for iOS 14 are substantial, more than the typical changes from one version to another. By the way, have you ever wondered what iOS stands for? The OS is easy; it means Operating System. The "i" is anyone's guess. It probably originally stood for iPhone, but even back in 2007 when the iPhone was introduced, Apple was making iPods, which you still buy today. More importantly, iPads use the same operating system as iPhones. So, the "i" can stand for whatever you like. iOS 14 will be released around the middle of September, and I'm going to highlight some of the features it will bring to your iPhone. The new iOS will be available to the iPhone 6s and later. If you have an iPhone 6 or earlier, it will still work, but you'll be limited to iOS 13. The biggest change is a redesigned Home screen that now supports widgets. So, what's a widget? Well, you have them on your iPhone right now. If you swipe right on the Home screen, you see the Today Center. Those boxes are widgets. Unlike an app icon which you have to tap to activate, widgets display a small amount of timely, useful information. My Today Center has two widgets – News and Google Traffic. But if I press the edit button, I'm presented with dozens of other widgets I can add to my screen. With iOS 14, you can drag one or more widgets to your Home screen. To save Home screen space, you can stack widgets on top of one another and swipe through them. There will even be a Smart Stack feature that automatically brings up the right widget based on time, location, and activity. I've discussed the idea of placing apps in folders as a way to easily find them. In my experience, that works great for apps I use often and for apps with an obvious category. But sometimes I can't remember where I put an app. Apparently, Google solved this problem long ago by giving users the option of see a list of their apps. And there's an app list on the Apple Watch. Apple will finally be doing the same for its phones. The App Library will be at the end of your screen pages. I'll have to see how that works because they'll apparently be organized by Apple categories. That, to me, is no better than putting apps in folders. I'm hoping apps can be listed alphabetically. You will even be able to hide screen pages, using the App Library to access your apps individually. Phone calls (you remember them, right?) won't take over your screen anymore. They'll appear as a banner which you can dismiss or enlarge with swipes up or down. This will include FaceTime calls. Siri requests will follow the same banner model. Speaking of Siri, she's supposed to be getting smarter. In my experience, a voice request on Google brings up better results – but not always. Another change is browser apps like Chrome and third-party mail apps can be set defaults in place of Safari and Mail. There will be changes to the Messages app allowing, among other things, improved group chats. If you have multiple conversations going on Messages, you'll be able to pin the important ones to the top of the app. There will be improvements in the Maps apps, but they will mainly be of use to those who ride bikes or own electric vehicles. Translate has been added as a separate app instead of being imbedded in Siri. You'll be able to enter text manually or with your voice. My understanding is that Google is way ahead on this feature; Google Translate is currently available as an app in the Apple App Store. If you're using Apple for home automation, there are improvements to the HomeKit which may be of interest to you. Likewise, there have been improvements to the Health app. There are literally dozens of other new or improved features in iOS 14. I've tried to cover the important ones. It won't be long till you can try it yourself. If you use an app you'd like to share with others, let me know at steve.benoff@verizon.net. Upcoming Changes to Apple OS By Steve Benoff

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