Apple just rolled out a major update for iPhone and it’s one of the most exciting that we’ve seen in a few years. iOS 14 solves many common smartphone frustrations that users have had for years, including trying to find apps, messaging the wrong person, and more.
Any major smartphone OS update can have a big impact on business productivity because mobile devices have taken over such a large part of the workload.
Mobile devices now make up 60% of the endpoints in an average business network and do as much as 80% of the workload.
So, making it easier to navigate phone apps, improving messaging speed, and other improvements mean great things for work productivity as well as cool new features for the user.
In this article, we’ll take you through an overview of the cool new updates you’ll find when you upgrade to iOS 14.
(Note: All photos are from Apple.)
Things to Get Excited About in the iOS 14 Update
Better Screen Space Use
Most people multi-task on their devices. For example, you may need to look up an email while also on Facetime with someone. It can also be annoying when you’re in an app on your phone and an incoming call takes over the entire screen.
The new OS update gives you more of your screen back and makes multi-tasking much easier with a new compact UI.
Changes you’ll see include:
- Incoming calls now show in a banner at the top, not the entire screen
- Picture in Picture allows you to watch videos or be on Facetime while using another app
- Siri also has a new compact design, allowing you to use more of your screen
App Library Organizes Your Apps
The more apps you add to your phone, the harder they are to find. Swiping through screens takes up valuable time and search doesn’t always work if you know an app by its icon, not its name.
The new App Library automatically organizes all apps on your phone into categories. You can access each app with one tap and can see them all on a single screen instead of having to look through several.
Make your phone experience much more efficient by hiding all the unneeded screens, so you just have your Home screen and then the App Library with all your apps.
To do this, just hold down your finger on any blank space on the home screen. Then, click the dots at the bottom. Click to uncheck the circles of the screens you want to hide.
Advanced Widgets Do More
Widgets were always nice, but they just sat over there on the far left-side screen of your iPhone, not really interacting with your Home screen.
Widgets are going to become your new “best friend” in the iOS 14 update. They’ve not only become more powerful to bring you more helpful information, they can also now be added to your Home screen.
Here are some of the many widget updates:
- Add widgets to your Home Screen
- Size widgets small, medium, or large
- Stack up to 10 widgets together and swipe to page through them
- There are more widgets, for everything from music to podcasts to Siri Suggestions.
- Developers can now use a new API to create their own widgets
More Efficient Messaging
Reduce the risk of sending a message to the wrong text conversation by pinning your most important threads to the top of the Messages window. They’ll always be easy to find and you won’t have to scroll through several conversations trying to guess which one you need.
Other ways that messaging has become easier on iPhone include:
- Call out a person in a group text using a name mention
- Set a group conversation photo using a photo, emoji, or Memoji
- Inline replies allow you to reply directly to a specific message in a group conversation
More Helpful Siri
If you only used Siri for setting reminders, you’ll find that it’s much more helpful once you’ve updated to iOS 14.
Siri now knows 20x more facts than just three years ago. It also has new voices in more languages.
Some of the other Siri improvements include:
- Ability to send audio messages
- More capabilities for web answers
- Siri can now give you cycling directions
- While navigating Apple Maps you can tell Siri to send your ETA to a contact
- Support for over 65 language pairs for translations
Safari Security & Performance Improvements
Safari has also been upgraded in this update. Improvements include the ability to monitor your passwords and let you know if a breach has been discovered.
You’ll also find:
- Web page translation capabilities
- Website Privacy Report button
- Up to 2x faster JavaScript performance than Chrome on Android
How Do Mobile Devices Fit Into Your Technology Workflow?
Mobile use at work can easily get out of hand and cause security and workflow problems if not properly planned out. Texas I.T. Pros offer expert consulting on all types of technology needs including mobile use at work.
Contact us today to learn more! Call 940-239-6500 or reach out online.