In September Apple launched its newest software update, iOS10. We’ve compiled a list of the new iOS10 features which we think users should be aware of.
Goodbye to the gun emoji
The latest update saw the introduction of 72 new emojis and include new and diverse emoji people.
In iOS10 Apple have made steps towards getting rid of threatening emojis by turning the gun icon into a water pistol. There are high profile cases in the past where emojis have been used to threaten and bully people, these include Taylor Swift being abused with the snake emoji on Instagram and an MP being threatened with emojis, including the gun, on Twitter.
Hello to self-deleting messages
From Snapchat to Instagram stories, expiring messages are becoming increasingly popular with young people. Apple have joined in with this craze by introducing fading text and voice messages within iMessage. These messages ‘expire’ after a certain amount of time and after that time cannot be viewed again.
This feature may be fun but it’s important to know the risks, these messages can still be screenshotted and are not untraceable.
iOS10 offers tools to help you sleep better
As many parents know a good night’s sleep is important but sometimes hard to come by. There’s a lot of discussion about how using devices before bed can impact on sleep, but iOS10 has two features that aim to help with this.
Night shift was introduced in iOS9.3 but has become more prominent in the new update. This feature can now be found the control centre when you swipe up from the bottom of the phone. Nightshift reduces blue light emitted from a smartphone screen, which can have an impact on sleep hormones. This feature also turns off bright notifications which go off throughout the night.
iOS10 has also introduced ‘Bedtime’ a feature within clocks which is designed to remind you when to get to sleep and to figure out what time to wake up. This feature also has its own alarm sounds, all of which gradually rise in volume until you turn them off.
Find out more about other safety features available on smartphones, in our Parents’ Guide to Technology.
