Uncover the Unknown Features of iOS7

If you own an iPhone or iPad and have upgraded to iOS7, chances are that you’re still adjusting to the new features. Maybe you read about some of them in one of our old blog posts, or maybe you upgraded without any preparation. Regardless, some of the greatest additions are hiding beneath the surface. Apple went to great lengths to add the extra detail that in some cases are very beneficial for the user experience and in other cases, just look nice.

1. Countdown On The Lock Screen

The lock screen of your device now has a live countdown so you no longer have to unlock your phone to see the remaining time. While this may not be too important or incredibly useful for all, I appreciate Apple trying to make the timer a little more purposeful.

2. There Is A Shooting Star In My Weather App

While nothing is hidden here, Apple did a major overhaul in their iOS7 weather app, which was very much needed. While the app still lacks some weather details, Apple has made the app full screen with weather images in the background. The animated background, whether showing heavy rain, moving clouds or a shooting star, gives the app the finishing touches that users enjoy seeing.

3. There Is A Compass App?

Have you ever even opened the compass app? Chances are not likely. With this being said, Apple has incorporated another feature into their built-in application that may increase the number of launches. Swipe past the compass and find a new digital level. This feature is a great tool to have at any home. And if you already had a compass app downloaded, feel free to delete it because this app is staying.

4. No More ‘Big Brother’ Advertisements

The digital world has made great improvements to our lives but with it has come negative side effects. One of the most concerning qualities is the lack of privacy. Advertising has become so personalized by the technical feature to track one’s browsing ability. But with iOS7, feel free to go into your settings and limit ad tracking. Apple does warn that even when this feature is on, it may still show the same number of ads as before but just less relevant because they will not be based on your interests.

5. Texts Are Timed Out

After reading about this feature on Mashable, I immediately had to tell all of my friends because no one knows about this. This also caused the whole idea of a blog post about hidden features in iOS7. If you slide text messages to the left, you can see the timestamp for all of them- not just the most recent. This feature will prove to very useful as I cannot even begin to count all of the times that I have deleted texts in order to discover the time of a particular one that was sent or received. Thank you Apple. We all appreciate it.

While there are still plenty of unattractive qualities about the new operating system, Apple introduced a new design full of details that I continue to discover daily.