Transitioning from iOS 6 to Apple's overhauled iOS 7

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
iOS 7 represents the most significant change to Apple's mobile operating system since it debuted on the first iPhone in 2007. To help users in their transition from iOS 6 to iOS 7, AppleInsider offers a breakdown of some of the changes instituted by Apple.

Multitasking

Multitasking


One of the biggest changes in iOS 7 is the new multitasking menu. This can still be accessed by double tapping the home button on any iOS device, or swiping up with four or five fingers if multi-touch gestures are enabled on an iPad.

Instead of a row of icons at the bottom of the screen, recently accessed applications are displayed in the form of cards, which preview the entire app screen. Icons for the respective apps are displayed below.

To kill a background application in iOS 7, users simply slide the window preview upward and "throw" it off of the screen.

Any application can be killed in the multitasking menu, including the currently running one. Previously, users could not close the current application.

New lock screen

image


With the new lock screen in iOS 7, users can slide their finger anywhere on the display from left to right to unlock the device. Previously, the "slide to unlock" capability required a specific part of the screen to be touched.

This convenience also extends to answering a phone call on the iPhone, allowing users to swipe anywhere to take the call.

Information and controls can also be quickly accessed from the lock screen, without a need to unlock the device. The new Control Center can be viewed from the lock screen by swiping up from the bottom of the display, while the revamped Notification Center is also available by swiping down from the top.

Quick access to the camera is also available by swiping up from the bottom right corner of the screen. Users are shown this with a camera icon logo displayed there.

Spotlight Search

Lock Screen


In iOS 7, the Spotlight search functionality is no longer its own home screen. Instead, Spotlight can be accessed from any home screen by simply swiping downward.

Doing so pulls all of the icons down to reveal a search box at the top of the screen. This also brings up an onscreen keyboard so a search query can be entered.

Aside from this change, Spotlight search works exactly the same as it did in iOS 6, allowing users to search messages, contacts, apps, music and more.

Camera

Photo, Square capture


Switching between video, photo, panoramic shots, and the new square picture feature in the iOS 7 Camera app is as simple as swiping left or right. The current mode can be seen highlighted in yellow above the Camera app's shutter button.

At the top of the screen are options for the camera flash, high-dynamic range photos, and switching between the rear facing iSight camera and forward facing FaceTime lens. At the bottom left is a quick link to captured photos, while the bottom right gives users the ability to use Instagram-like filters in their shots.

Notification Center

Lock Screen


Notification Center has been overhauled in iOS 7, with the default screen now serving as a quick summary of relevant information. This can include the time needed to travel to a popular destination, current weather, or upcoming calendar entries.

Users can swipe left or right on the screen to jump over to a more complete list of notifications, such as messages from installed applications or a list of recently updated apps. There are a total of three panes: Today, All, and Missed.

When a Notification Center banner appears at the top of the screen when doing another task on an iPhone or iPad, users can simply swipe upward to dismiss that banner.

Background apps

Background


Multitasking has been enhanced in iOS 7, allowing all applications to provide background updates at times the company says won't hurt battery life. The new system learns from users' habits and updates frequently used applications automatically in the background.

iOS 7 knows when is the best time to check for these updates, such as current battery life or network conditions.

Users still have the ability to control this feature, however, through the Settings application in iOS 7. Simply navigate to General, then choose Background App Refresh.

From there, the background refresh feature can be disabled entirely, or users can turn it off on an app-by-app basis. Blue location icons are also displayed next to applications that has the ability to use location services in the background, including geofencing.
«134

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 69
    Downloading.....no whammy no whammy no whammy!

    STOP!! .......on a WHAMMY!!!

    Failed to install

    By the way, did we three articles in a row on the same topic?
  • Reply 2 of 69
    malaxmalax Posts: 1,598member
    I spent quite a while trying to find the search option in iOS7. Pulling down from the top of the screen brings in the notifications and pulling up from the bottom brings up the new controls. It never occured to me to pull down the main screen (not near the top). I had to do an Internet search to find the option. I hope Apple provides this as a tip during the iOS7 first-time install process or lots of people will never stumble onto it.
  • Reply 3 of 69
    How could you put an image of a woman with a gun in this article. Are you that insensitive and out of touch with reality?

    Last time I read anything on your site!!!!!
  • Reply 4 of 69
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by happyjoel View Post



    How could you put an image of a woman with a gun in this article. Are you that insensitive and out of touch with reality?



    Last time I read anything on your site!!!!!

     

    you signed up just to say that? Get off this site

  • Reply 5 of 69
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by dnd0ps View Post

     

     

    you signed up just to say that? Get off this site


     

    LOL, ditto that.  We just a big shooting in D.C., expect the wingnut wacko activists to be doing this for the next few weeks...

  • Reply 6 of 69

    Originally Posted by happyjoel View Post



    How could you put an image of a woman with a gun in this article. Are you that insensitive and out of touch with reality?



    Last time I read anything on your site!!!!!

     

    OK.  Bye then.

  • Reply 7 of 69
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by happyjoel View Post



    How could you put an image of a woman with a gun in this article. Are you that insensitive and out of touch with reality?



    Last time I read anything on your site!!!!!

     

    Lol the guy signed up just to say that.. :) funny..

  • Reply 8 of 69
    Ok so app update and background location services is the same? I don't mind my apps updating, but why should they have the ability to use location services if they are in the background. I want the app to only use location if the app is open and i press use location, otherwise why should they have access to my location.
  • Reply 9 of 69
    drblankdrblank Posts: 3,385member
    My iPad 4 is downloading iOS 7 as we speak, but my iPhone 4 doesn't even say it's available. Weird. All of this hype around iOS 7 and the iPhone and my iPad is getting it first. hahahahahahaha. I'll take any way I can get it.
  • Reply 10 of 69

    Sorry Bozos,

     

    I forgot, what could be more important than an update to an operating system for a phone?

  • Reply 11 of 69
    So is it making anyone's iPhone 4 slow? If it does, I'm not upgrading.
  • Reply 12 of 69
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by dysamoria View Post



    So is it making anyone's iPhone 4 slow? If it does, I'm not upgrading.

     

    This is what I'm waiting to hear as well. Have that issue with iOS 4(?) on the 3g and will just hold off until I hear more this time. Looking to get new iPhone in a month or two when things settle down any way.

  • Reply 13 of 69
    Three articles in a row that are essentially the same. Images that won't load or are corrupt. (I also expect a lot of typos) This site is appalling.
  • Reply 14 of 69
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by happyjoel View Post

     

    Sorry Bozos,

     

    I forgot, what could be more important than an update to an operating system for a phone?


     

    What could be more important?

     

    Well, let's see, how about remaining focused on what this site actually is and not turning it into your personal venue for political activism, you dishonest hack.  I just nailed you to the wall, that's exactly why you posted, now get off this forum and take your politics elsewhere.  Try Huffington, they love your viewpoints.

  • Reply 15 of 69
    This is what I'm waiting to hear as well. Have that issue with iOS 4(?) on the 3g and will just hold off until I hear more this time. Looking to get new iPhone in a month or two when things settle down any way.

    I can't afford to buy a new phone at all. I was trying to save for an iPad but that failed when the money got spent on food and bills (you know, unimportant things, hah hah). All my electronics are out of date and some stuff is dying (failed nvidia GPU, car on last legs, a PC still running Vista...). Sigh.
  • Reply 16 of 69
    echosonic wrote: »
    What could be more important?

    Well, let's see, how about remaining focused on what this site actually is and not turning it into your personal venue for political activism, you dishonest hack.  I just nailed you to the wall, that's exactly why you posted, now get off this forum and take your politics elsewhere.  Try Huffington, they love your viewpoints.

    Well... You had my agreement in that slam until you decided to mock by association a website I've no qualms with. Or am I reading you wrongly?
  • Reply 17 of 69

    Unlike your phone's ability to multitask, your feeble brain obviously can't process information about a technical issue and recognize that images purporting violence aren't in the best interest of society.

     

    My statement wasn't political, you didn't nail anyone to the wall, other than in your insipidly lame imagination and you are just an ignorant human being with no understanding of what is and isn't important in life.  Go back to playing with your phone! 

  • Reply 18 of 69
    Anyone getting a bit motion sickness with this software? I was listing to Leo Leporte on twit and he said too much swooping and swishing making him "dizzy" and I thought. "Awe your just an old man"

    But now . . . Jeez

    [B]AM I GETTING OLD?! Lol[/b]

    I like the features and effects. But I wonder if he got in my head, or am I feeling the same about it.
  • Reply 19 of 69
    -deleted-
  • Reply 20 of 69

    I am NOT feeling the luv for the new UI that I expected.  I HATE the new folders setup.  Before we had 4 columns within a folder even though nesting folders was not allowed.  Now they only allow 3 columns per folder, so folders that previously held all associated apps are NOW spread across two folders and I have to swipe back and forth to get to what I previously could do with just a single tap to the wanted app.  I also am finding that the new flat icons are harder to make out on the main screen.  

     

    Parts of the new UI are wonderful, but I am beginning to feel that TOO many visual clues may have been removed in the effort to purge iOS of its previous excesses.

     

    As a side note I could NOT believe that Apple did NOT update the "find friends" app.  It is still beautiful, simulated, Corinthian stitched leather.

     

    David

Sign In or Register to comment.