Apple releases iOS 9.3 with Night Shift, secure Notes, fix for iMessage security hole

Posted:
in iPhone
After seven beta releases, iOS 9.3 is now available to download by members of the public, bringing the new easy-on-the-eyes Night Shift mode, Touch ID integration with the Notes app, new iPhone 6s 3D Touch functions, and much more.




iOS 9.3 packs in a bevy of new features for iPhone and iPad users, including Night Shift for reduced eye strain, a Touch ID-secured version of Notes, additional 3D Touch Quick Actions and various improvements to existing first-party apps and services.

Apple has also built out specialized offerings for schools and enterprise with the upcoming iOS release. For example, the Classroom app and supporting ecosystem for iPad offers teachers and school administrators granular control over software distribution, per-student device management and remote monitoring.




The update also fixes a potentially critical security hole recently discovered by researchers at Johns Hopkins University.

iOS 9.3 will also allow third-party apps to add music to a user's iCloud Music Library.

A total of seven beta releases were issued before Monday's public launch of the update, marking a particularly long beta period for a point-one release from Apple. Alongside the release of iOS 9.3, Xcode 7.3 was also made available.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 35
    koopkoop Posts: 337member
    Just want to drop a friendly reminder that Google has had their night mode in some beta form or another for a year now. So let's no drop the ol copying accusation when Android N hits later this summer please.
    jackansifreshmaker
  • Reply 2 of 35
    How do we know for sure that this update does not contain secret spying update what govt is looking for?
  • Reply 3 of 35
    NikilNikil Posts: 1member
    useruser said:
    How do we know for sure that this update does not contain secret spying update what govt is looking for?
    If they do then the security researchers out there will have a field trip in less than a week from now
  • Reply 4 of 35
    NikilNikil Posts: 1member
    koop said:
    Just want to drop a friendly reminder that Google has had their night mode in some beta form or another for a year now. So let's no drop the ol copying accusation when Android N hits later this summer please.
    Well since 2% of the android user base has the latest version of Android, Googles kinda taking it slow waiting for more OEM's to catch up

    sockrolidcornchippatchythepirate
  • Reply 5 of 35
    I just downloaded 9.3 and the features listed in your article are not part of this release. 3d touch functions have not changed and the size of the update was ~300 MB, not 1.5GB
    sockrolid
  • Reply 6 of 35
    I just downloaded 9.3 and the features listed in your article are not part of this release. 3d touch functions have not changed and the size of the update was ~300 MB, not 1.5GB
    Same here. I was looking for those functions but all I found was the new Night Shift function.
  • Reply 7 of 35
    sockrolidsockrolid Posts: 2,789member
    koop said:
    Just want to drop a friendly reminder that Google has had their night mode in some beta form or another for a year now. So let's no drop the ol copying accusation when Android N hits later this summer please.
    Hey, no problem.
    Only a tiny fraction of Android device users will ever hear of Android N anyway.
    edited March 2016 igorsky
  • Reply 8 of 35
    xmhillxxmhillx Posts: 112member
    archieny said:
    I just downloaded 9.3 and the features listed in your article are not part of this release. 3d touch functions have not changed and the size of the update was ~300 MB, not 1.5GB
    Same here. I was looking for those functions but all I found was the new Night Shift function.
    It's 310 MB by iPhone, or 2.05GB via iTunes on a mac. At least for me on an iPhone 6s iOS 9.2.1.

    The 3D Touch stuff isn't there for weather app, App Store, and Sertings the way the images portray. Weather does nothing. App Store only has search and redeem. Settings app has battery, wifi, and Bluetooth.

    I updated via iPhone. Maybe via iTunes gives the missing functionality? That shouldn't be the case though...
    edited March 2016
  • Reply 9 of 35
    dysamoriadysamoria Posts: 3,430member
    And which bugs have been fixed?
  • Reply 10 of 35
    xmhillx said:
    archieny said:
    Same here. I was looking for those functions but all I found was the new Night Shift function.
    It's 310 MB by iPhone, or 2.05GB via iTunes on a mac. At least for me on an iPhone 6s iOS 9.2.1.

    The 3D Touch stuff isn't there for weather app, App Store, and Sertings the way the images portray. Weather does nothing. App Store only has search and redeem. Settings app has battery, wifi, and Bluetooth.

    I updated via iPhone. Maybe via iTunes gives the missing functionality? That shouldn't be the case though...
    I literally went to check my phone again and the features showed up. No reboot. WTF.
  • Reply 11 of 35
    Same here. By the time I logged in to write this post, the quick actions appeared! Almost all - missing "update all" in the App Store and "set wallpaper" in settings. How odd. Maybe the phone needs some time to think about it. 
  • Reply 12 of 35
    Just to warn people :

    My iPhone 5s demands "activation" after updating to 9.3 (i.e. login with Apple ID). Unfortunately, I receive the message that the activation server is too busy, while offering only a "try again" button, no cancel, no skip. Impossible to escape this loop of try-again, the phone is unusable except for emergency calls. As my iPad didn't ask for such an "activation", I thought is was OK to go ahead with my old and trusty 5s. Not so. Hope this will be resolved soon.
  • Reply 13 of 35
    jcbigears said:
    Same here. By the time I logged in to write this post, the quick actions appeared! Almost all - missing "update all" in the App Store and "set wallpaper" in settings. How odd. Maybe the phone needs some time to think about it. 
    40 minutes later, just the Settings 3D-Touch feature showed up...
    edited March 2016
  • Reply 14 of 35
    hermidd said:
    Just to warn people :

    My iPhone 5s demands "activation" after updating to 9.3 (i.e. login with Apple ID). Unfortunately, I receive the message that the activation server is too busy, while offering only a "try again" button, no cancel, no skip. Impossible to escape this loop of try-again, the phone is unusable except for emergency calls. As my iPad didn't ask for such an "activation", I thought is was OK to go ahead with my old and trusty 5s. Not so. Hope this will be resolved soon.

    Same deal here.  iPad 4 stuck on activation server page.
  • Reply 15 of 35
    dysamoriadysamoria Posts: 3,430member
    Activation was slow here too on my 6s, but a few minutes later it was ready. 

    Edit: I see Apple STILL has NOT fixed text selection in text edit boxes in Safari!!!!

    the autocorrect on the first text on new lines in text edit boxes on this forum remain broken (no caps or other corrections on first word on first line). 
    edited March 2016
  • Reply 16 of 35
    The activation seems to be related to the Find My iPhone feature. At least it says so on the activation help page. 

    After a dozen attempts over the last hour, I connected the phone to iTunes on my laptop where the activation succeeded immediately. 


    edited March 2016
  • Reply 17 of 35
    pwinnpwinn Posts: 1member
    Launch the weather app, then try again. Same with Settings, etc. The new 3D-touch options only seem to show up after the app runs and "registers" them or something.
  • Reply 18 of 35
    After 9.3 update, my buttons no longer work on my 5s.  Even the accessibility versions do not work.  Cannot go home.  Reset does not help.
  • Reply 19 of 35
    jfc1138jfc1138 Posts: 3,090member
    I just downloaded 9.3 and the features listed in your article are not part of this release. 3d touch functions have not changed and the size of the update was ~300 MB, not 1.5GB
    OTA updates are always smaller. 
  • Reply 20 of 35
    Dang.  I was looking forward to Night Shift, but based on the comments above it sounds like I might need to wait a few days to see what/if any bugs are found
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