Apple impresses with its new iOS update

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Courtesy of Apple Insider

Apple unveils iOS 14, introducing big changes such as widgets.

Every year Apple introduces a new version of iOS, and every year there’s new features and twists. This year Apple came out with the new iOS 14 update that boasts many innovative features.iPhone users are using the latest iOS update to customize their home screens with pictures, aesthetics, and color schemes.

Over the course of a few weeks, iPhone customization went viral. One video that was titled “How to make your iOS 14 home screen aesthetic” had over 24 million views on TikTok. iOS 14 became known for the widgets after many people showing off their new home screens on TikTok, so the app Widgetsmith became the top free app on Apple’s App Store in the United States.

David Smith, the app’s creator tweeted, “Widgetsmith went viral on TikTok, which is a phrase I don’t even understand but is having rather robust effects on my life right now.”

What a new homepage with the iOS 14 update looks like (Courtesy of Apple)

Many people are posting their home screens on Tik Tok with their aesthetically pleasing themes but brought back the shortcut app for a picture change on the app icons. This happened a while ago, but it’s been brought back to compliment the new widget update. And now it’s become a trend to show off your artistic abilities with the update.

The “Smart stack” addition allows you to have the weather app, or maps come up as one of the widgets on your phone, for a better view that shows upright on your home screen, rather than having to click on the app itself.

Another favorite new feature on this update is the app library. The app library automatically organizes your apps in categories based on the apps’ content. The App library also leaves a suggested section so you can easily access the apps you use the most. The new update includes upgrades to group chatting. You can now pin important conversations to the top of the list on messages, and mention others in group chats.

Memoji avatars also have new emoji expressions, animations, and 20 new hairstyle additions. Are digital car keys the new thing? First, Apple came out with an apple wallet, and now they’ve made an app to control your keys. Unfortunately, this app is only for the new 2021 BMW 5 series, but it’s still quite an addition.

FaceTime got an update as well. With the iOS update, FaceTime calls don’t turn your camera off when you go on pause. You can be on a FaceTime call while scrolling through Instagram and see the other person all at the same time. Many people find this annoying, while some actually enjoy the feature of seeing the other person on their screen while scrolling through their feed. Incoming calls don’t take up your whole phone screen now and actually show up as a banner at the top of your screen.

After previous iOS updates, you can tell Siri hasn’t been up to par. However, on iOS 14, Siri received some improvements, including an easier way to use Siri. The reactions of your voice will not take up the whole screen, and actually just show up as a normal notification on your phone. Siri sends more accurate translates, thanks to the translation app, and can send audio messages now too. All things considered, Apple has yet to fail to come up with new and fun additions to our favorite and most prized possession, the iPhone.