iOS 9 has loads new features many of which have not been discussed in depth by Apple. This article covers 20 of my favourite new features in iOS9 – some of which may be new to you.
1. Low Power Mode
If you are running out of battery life on your iPhone on IOS 9 you can turn on low power mode to eek out every last bit of juice.
- Click Settings
- Scroll down to Battery
- Click the Low Power Mode slider to switch it on
Once you recharge your phone and it goes above 95% low power mode is automatically switched off.
If you want to see which Apps are using up your battery then scroll down the Battery page page to the Battery Usage section and you will see a list of Apps together with their usage.
2. Easy bluetooth disconnect
Have you ever tried to connect to a bluetooth speaker or other device only to find someone else has already connected to it? You have to get the other person to switch off their bluetooth completely so you can connect instead. It’s a real pain. Well in iOS 9 they can disconnect the device rather than switch bluetooth off.
To disconnect from bluetooth do the following on the iPhone that is already connected to the device:
- Click Settings
- Click Bluetooth
- Under My Devices find the device that is currently connected
- Tap the ‘i’ next the device name
- Click Disconnect
3. Quick calculator & conversions
You can do calculations direct from the search box. Need to convert from metric to imperial? You can quickly do conversions too.
- Click the home button to go to the home screen
- Swipe left to right to show the search screen
- Type in the calculation or conversion
4. Draw on images in your email
You can draw on images that are sent to you from within an email message.
- Within email tap and hold over the image
- The contextual menu will appear
- Find Markup and Reply
- You can now draw on the image, add text, or even add your signature
- Click Done and it will be inserted in an email ready to send
5. Make Siri recognize your voice
You can use the “Hey Siri!” feature to recognize your voice.
- Click Settings
- Scroll down and click General
- Tap Siri
- Turn on Allow “Hey Siri”. If it is already on switch it off, then back on again to start the setup process
- You will be asked to say “Hey Siri” 3 times
6. Make Siri your personal DJ
In iOS 9, Siri’s gotten a lot smarter. Not only does Siri serve up information about the weather or different directions, but she can answer complex queries now like, “Show me photos from last summer.” The most exciting part, however, is how well she knows my Apple Music collection. You can ask Siri to play a specific artist, playlist, or “the hottest songs from 1986.”
7. Save a webpage as a PDF
Want to save a webpage as a PDF?
- In Safari click on the square with the up arrow
- In the middle section of the share sheet scroll right
- Tap on Save PDF to iBooks
8. How and why to enable Wi-Fi Assist on iOS 9
Wifi assist is a feature that allows iOS 9 to swap between wifi and cellular data usage to ensure you get the best data connection possible.
There has been a lot of negative publicity over Wi-fi assist, mainly because it is switched on by default. As a result your iPhone can gobble up mobile data without you noticing. As a result some people have had unexpectedly large data bills.
However, it is a good feature as long as your data plan can support it. If you have a small data allowance then this feature might be best switched off.
To enable or disable Wi-Fi Assist:
- Tap Settings
- Scroll down to Cellular (also known as Mobile Data in some countries)
- Scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page where you’ll see Wi-Fi Assist.
- It should be enabled by default, but tap the toggle switch to turn it on (or off).
9. Find each setting more easily
Are you trying to remember where to find that obscure setting? Just search the Settings app. Instead of pouring through each individual setting to find what you want to adjust, you can now just do a quick Spotlight-esque search to find what you need.
- Tap Settings
- At the very top you will find a Search box
- Type in the setting you are looking for and it will instantly filter the results in the list below
10. Select multiple photos or videos
Previously, selecting multiple photos was a tedious pick-them-one-by-one process. Now you can grab a whole swath of photos just by sliding your finger across the screen.
- Click Photos
- Select an Album
- At the top right Click Select
- Drag your finger over the images that you want to pick and they will automatically be selected
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