200+ Exciting New iOS 13 Features for iPhone

Apple revealed iOS 13 to developers and remote viewers worldwide at its WWDC 2019 event on June 3, and there are many new features to get excited about on iPhone. We’ve rounded up everything you’ll want to know about iOS 13, whether a colossal feature, small settings change, interface update, or hidden improvement.

Right now, iOS 13 is in beta testing, and it won’t be ready for prime time until September 2019, if history is any indicator. That means that some of the items below may not end up in the final version of iOS 13 that ships to everyone’s devices in the fall. However, the vast majority of them will probably stick around.

System-Wide & General Settings

Dark Mode for native apps, available to app developers as well
Dark Mode scheduling
Eight new wallpapers optimized for Dark Mode
There’s an option when choosing wallpapers to dim them during Dark Mode
Undistracting volume overlay, which is on the side now
The Silent Mode overlay, which looked like the old volume overlay, is replaced by a pill-shaped banner notification when you use the Silent Mode switch on the side of the iPhone
Slide to Type option in Keyboard (enabled by default)
Better undo in Keyboard with a three-finger swipe gesture
Fonts manager to store fonts downloaded from within apps
Low data mode where apps reduce their network data usage
There’s an option in the Wi-Fi settings to “Auto-Join Hotspot” which can be set to ask, never, or automatic
Will prompt you to switch to Mobile Data when the Wi-Fi you’re using isn’t connected to the internet
Bluetooth computer mice work now
There’s a setting that helps make your battery last longer overall
Simpler, rounded glyph design for menu icons across iOS 13
While 3D Touch still exists, it’s more like Haptic Touch now in most areas and doesn’t work in other areas (will be getting fixed)
Peek can be accessed on the iPhone XR and when 3D Touch is disabled in some areas, while Pop is an extra tap, not a smooth movement
You can long-press the scroll bar, then move up or down to fast-scroll a page
You can dim the lock screen during Do Not Disturb without needed Bedtime enabled in the Clock app
Sheet and full-screen modals in Apple apps look like the Wallet ones from iOS 12.2, where the options in square white boxes appear in rounded white boxes with more padding overall (but it’s still not everywhere)
There’s a new toggle in the Face ID & Passcode and Touch ID & Passcode settings to disable Wallet on the lock screen
Some header tabs look different across apps such as in the Battery settings and in iTunes Store
Some apps have changed the “Edit” button in the top right to an ellipsis (•••) that holds “Edit” and more options via an action sheet
Dictation tool is now available in Search menus via the microphone button
In apps where time shows, the digits are larger than the AM or PM
Share sheet, aka activity view, is completely redesigned, with a header with basic info on what you’re sharing
AirDrop row in Share sheet is now for suggested items, such as AirDropping to your computer or sending a text to a frequently used contact
AirDrop in Share sheet is now an app-style icon in the sharing options row
The actions options in the Share sheet have moved from a bottom row to a vertical list of options
The markup tool icons such as pencil and markers look like real ones now vs just outlines

Control Center Improvements

Long-press the Wi-Fi icon in Control Center to select a different Wi-Fi network and get quick access to Wi-Fi in Settings
Long-press the Bluetooth icon in Control Center to select another Bluetooth device and get quick access to Bluetooth in Settings
There’s a glyph icon in the Control Center’s volume slider that shows an iPhone when you aren’t using external headphones or speakers, and it shows a Bluetooth symbol for Bluetooth devices
New “Appearance” option in the Control Center’s brightness slider to go from Light to Dark Mode

Mail Improvements

The Search box appears immediately in mailboxes and folders
The toolbar when reading an email now only contains a Reply and Trash icon, but the Reply button houses the Flag and Move Message options
Reply menu now has options for replies, mark as unread, move to junk, move to a different mailbox, and flag options
Mute conversations either via the new Reply menu, from the “More” menu when swiping on emails in lists from a mailbox or folder view, or when long-pressing to bring up the contextual menu
Settings are available to choose “Mark as Read” or “Archive or Delete” when muting threads
You can chose when to include attachments with replies
There are more options when long-pressing an email on all iPhone models vs. what was only available when Peeking and Popping with 3D Touch before
When flagging in an email directly, you can choose different flag colors
Block incoming emails from a specified sender
New formatting bar above the keyboard for inserting media and attachments and performing other edits
New text formatting for fonts, size, color, strikethrough, alignment, lists, and indents
All system fonts and acquired fonts are supported
Photo selector is smaller so you can view email and choose photo at the same time
The old “Send” button when composing a draft is now an up arrow icon
Emails and contact names in the To, Cc, and Bcc fields are now highlighted with a background when one of those fields is selected, to help separate them better
Provides better email address auto-complete
When composing a draft, the “New Message” header, which also shows the subject line when filled in, is HUGE now and below the “Cancel” button instead of beside it, though it can be hidden and reverted back to the old view by swiping up on the draft
You can no longer create a new draft when reading an email, only Reply or Forward

Messages Improvements

Profile pics, profile Memoji, or profile monograms for iMessage
More Memoji customizations such as braces, piercings, makeup, hairdos, etc.
Three new Animojis — mouse, octopus, and cow
Smiley lets you capture the perfect expression to share
Memoji stickers packs are created for each Memoji you make
The details pane for each conversation is more organized
Searching messages gives immediate suggestions
Searches will have categorized results with terms highlighted
You can search in specific conversations, not just the whole app
All A9 and higher devices support Memoji and Animoji sticker packs

Photos & Camera Improvements

Media is curated with on-device machine learning
Automatically hides duplicate media, screenshots, documents, receipts, etc.
Can view in days, months, and years in Photos tab
Contextual transitions in the Photos tab so you keep your place when navigating time views
Auto-play video and Live Photo previews show right in list views
Live Photos can play back longer if other Live Photos were taken within 1.5 seconds of the one being played
Smart photo previews help identify shots more easily
Event titles display in Photos tab (ex. location, holiday, concert, etc.)
The months view displays photos by significant events
Birthday mode shows photos of someone’s birthday in the People album
An “On this Day” mode shows you pictures from previous years for the current date
Zoom in or out in All Photos to scan more easily
You can perform multi-keyword searches without having to tap each word individually
Screen recordings have their own smart album
Memories choose music based on your listening habits in the Music app
Preview intensity shows for each adjustment
Control a filter’s intensity
Individually review each effect applied in before-and-after views
The intensity of the Enhance adjustment can be adjusted
Video edits are nondestructive, so you can revert back to the original state
Adjust the temperature of a photo and the tint
Control the intensity of the Definition slider for clarity adjustments
Strength, Radius, and Falloff vignette filters
Pinch-to-zoom during edits
High-Key Mono effect for monochromatic Portrait photos on a white background in Camera
Adjust the position and intensity of Portrait Lighting effects in Camera (only for iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max)Music Improvements

Music Improvements

Time-synced lyrics
It’s only one tap to “Up Next”
Lets you know when you already have a song in a playlist that you try to add

Maps Improvements

More detailed maps with realistic views of roads, beaches, parks, buildings, etc.
Favorites can be added in launch screen
Collections for favorites that can be shared with friends an family
Look Around for a 3D-style 360-degree street view you can navigate
Junction View lines you up in the correct lane before turning
You can share ETAs to other people
The Maps feedback has been redesigned
Siri navigation directions are improved to follow along more easily
Flight departures, arrivals, gate locations, and terminal info with flight status
Real-time transit information for public transportation
MapKit gives developers more options such as putting overlays on the map
CarPlay route planning, search, and navigation have improved, and there’s Junction View, favorites, and collections.

Reminders Improvements

Redesigned interface for Reminders
Quick toolbar about the keyboard to add times, dates, locations, flags, or attachments
Type longer, more descriptive sentences and Reminders will understand and give suggestions
Siri will suggest you create a reminder from a Messages conversation
Add photos, documents, scans, web links, etc. to reminders
Tasks can be added to other reminders
Can group multiple lists together
There are smart lists that show reminders for the current day, flagged ones, or all reminders
Tag people in reminders so when you chat with them next in Messages, a reminder will appear during the chat
Customize list colors with 12 color options and 60 symbols

Notes Improvements

You can hide sub-folders
The swipe menu has a move to another folder option
The swipe menu lets you share a folder with other users
There’s a new ellipsis (•••) menu when in a folder to add people, move, rename, select, and view attachments
The full screen modal for viewing attachments in a folder is now a sheet modal
You can set it so that new notes start with a subheading instead of a title, heading, or body
When inside a folder, you can swipe down to reveal a new button — it looks like four boxes, the same icon that used to be the one to view attachments — to view notes as icons instead of a list
You can share notes with collaborators in view-only mode instead of them being able to make changes
In the drawing tools, there are no longer any default color options, only the color picker
The import media button is no longer a (+) but a camera icon
The “Add Sketch” option is gone from the import media buttonSecurity Improvements

Security Improvements

Sign into apps and sites with “Sign in with Apple” which uses your Apple ID (two-factor authentication needed on your Apple account)
Alias emails auto-created for apps and sites
Sign in with Apple works on Android and Windows too
Give location permissions to an app just once or anytime
Receive alerts when apps are using location data in the background
Prevent apps from getting your location via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth without consent
Turn on or off geotags for photos shared to social media
Browser font protections in Safari to prevent fingerprinting devices

Safari Improvements

You can take full-page screenshots of long webpages
There’s a new website view menu
The top and bottom toolbars can be hidden while scrolling
Text size on webpages can be adjusted from 50% to 300%
Requesting Desktop Websites moved from the refresh button to an actual menu
When going back to the mobile view for a website, there’s a Request Mobile Website option instead of a confusing Request Desktop Site option
You can specify that specific sites use Desktop Website by default
You can specify that specific sites use Reader Mode by default from the menu instead of a long-press
You can manage sites that default to Reader Mode from Safari’s settings
Long-press the “AA” icon to enter and exit Reader Mode quickly (it was a tap before)
Permissions are available per website to ask, deny, or allow access to Camera, Microphone, or Location
There’s a Download Manager in Safari
Files can be downloaded via links
You can pause and resume downloads when needed
You can play or view downloads right in Safari
And share downloads right from Safari
The Download Manager lets you jump right to the folder when items download
You can change the downloads location via Settings
The list of downloads in Download Manager can be cleared manually or automatically every day or when downloads are successful
There’s an updated start page with bookmarks and frequently visited and Siri suggestions
Folders and favicons in the start page have drop-shadows
Folders in the start page have gray backgrounds instead of white
You can save all open tabs as bookmarks at the same time
Editing and deleting bookmark folders is easier
You can open all bookmarks in a folder in new tabs in one go
Tabs can be set to automatically close after a day, week, or month
The Smart Search field (the URL bar) can be used to switch to open tabs for sites you search for
Siri suggests popular links for a website you search for in the start page, not just the website itself
You can choose different photos sizes when uploading to websites
Private Browsing Mode has a HUGE notice on the start page so there is no confusion when in Dark Mode
There’s end-to-end encryption for bookmarks and browsing history that sync to iCloud
A warning will appear whenever you try using a weak password for a new account

Home Improvements

There are HomeKit-enabled security cameras available
HomeKit Secure Video auto-stores clips in iCloud when people, pets, cars, etc. move
Can control when cameras stream, record, or shut-off
View security videos in Home
HomeKit-enabled routers helps protect your IoT devices and home network
Can play songs, playlists, and radio stations via Music with AirPlay 2-enabled speakers in scenes and automations
Siri shortcuts work with automations now
More accessory controls in Home

Voice Control

Voice Control lets you use iPhone just with your voice
All Voice Control processing happens on the device, not in servers
Add custom words for Voice Control
Use rich-text editing with Voice Control
Ask to correct a word or emoji and get suggestions
It knows when you want dictation and are speaking commands
Can navigate an entire app entirely by voice
Navigation commands make it easy to jump to certain areas or tasks
Make numbers appear next to items in an app in case you don’t know the name of the task
You can superimpose a grid on the screen to tap, zoom, drag, and more
Touch gestures still work with Voice Control
Voice Control sleeps when you’re not facing the TrueDepth camera
There’s a new toggle in the Face ID & Passcode and Touch ID & Passcode settings for “Voice Dial” that’s enabled by default, which works with Voice Control

Accessibility Improvements

The Accessibility menu is now in Settings, not Settings -> General
The Accessibility menu has been revamped and organized better
You can enable haptic feedback for successful authentication with Face ID
Can disable auto-playing videos not just in the App Store and iTunes but in other Apple apps, with third-party apps being able to use the public API to let you do the same
Disabling iMessage effects from playing automatically is now easier

Siri Improvements

Shortcuts app is preinstalled, no longer a download
Suggested Shortcuts are no longer available in the Siri & Search settings and have been incorporated into the Shortcuts app
There’s a new Indian voice for Siri available

Performance Improvements

Face unlock is 30% faster than in iOS 12
App downloads are 50% smaller than in iOS 12
App updates 60% smaller than in iOS 12
App launch speed 2x as fast than in iOS 12

Other Improvements

Daily Reading Goal in Books, where you can build streaks and reach achievements
You can create a new folder for On My iPhone in the Files app
You can send spam and unknown callers for Phone directly to voicemail
Find My joins Find My Friends and Find My iPhone into one app
There’s a new Contacts app icon that looks smoother
The Reminders app icon looks slightly different
App Store’s “Updates” tab is gone, replaced with new “Arcade” tab
To view updates for apps in App Store, you need to tap your profile icon from any of the working tabs
The subscriptions menu item is more noticeable, coupled with purchases now
Voice Memos has a new splash screen
You can pinch to zoom in Voice Memos

The list above will be continually updated as the iOS 13 beta continues.