With the iOS 14 currently scheduled for release later in the year, what can you expect to see for this major update, and which devices is it compatible with?

Introduced in June this year, the roll out of the new software is likely to be available to install in September. Apple have said that it will be compatible with any device that can run iOS 13 so should be available for most Apple’s devices.

The main difference that users will notice is the redesign of the home screen, and the introduction of widgets. Widgets serve you with quick access to information without having to open the actual app that manages this information. An example is the Calendar widget, which provides you a preview of your upcoming calendar events without opening the Calendar application. 

By using widgets you will be able to see things that are important to you and organise them on the home screen. This will be a simple overview of information that you want at hand. Widgets can be dragged from the Today view right onto the home screen, and can be pinned in different sizes, giving you access to your most essential apps.

Next up is the App Library. If you swipe all the way to the end of your apps, you are presented with the App Library which shows you all of your apps in one, simple to navigate view. The App Library organises your apps into categories such as Social, Productivity, and Entertainment, and categories are intelligently reorderdered based on app type and use. The App Library also has a search feature that allows you to search for anything you can’t find quickly, as well as organising them alphabetically. You can streamline your home screen by hiding pages but allowing access to them in the App Library, and new apps are automatically added to the Library, making them easy to select.

iOS 14 comes with a new space-saving feature which allows both incoming phone calls and Siri to be presented as small banners rather than full screen notifications, allowing you to see and use them while doing other things in the background. This feature also works with FaceTime/VoIP calls too, so you can make or take all sorts of calls regardless of what else you are doing.

This new software release also offers a feature called App Clips allowing the user to use an app without having to download and installing the full version of the app. In this way you can do plenty of things, such as make a reservation, order a coffee or a pizza, hire an electric scooter or PAYG bike by scanning a code without having to install the full app. This lets you do things while keeping your phone free of little-used apps.

And of course, Siri is a lot smarter in iOS 14. With a completely new look Siri can give you the answers to a bigger range of questions and send audio messages. There is also keyboard dictation running on iOS 14, which adds an additional layer of privacy for dictated messages.

There is also an updated Health app, a new Weather and Translate apps and updated privacy protection, but one of the most impressive features is the new digital car keys app which allows users to unlock and start their linked cars with an iPhone or Apple Watch, and next year, with the updated U1 chip, the app will let users unlock cars without taking the iPhone out of their pocket or bag.

iOS 14 is definitely a very impressive software update, full of great and promising features. We can’t wait to try it, once it’s released.