iOS 14 rumours: new features, launch date and moreThe likely launch date, and all the new features coming to your iPhone with Apple's next big software update. New iOS 14 is on the way Launch date If all goes according to plan, which [...]
The likely launch date, and all the new features coming to your iPhone with Apple’s next big software update.
New iOS 14 is on the way
Launch date
If all goes according to plan, which so far it has not, Apple will introduce iOS 14 at WWDC 2020, which starts on June 22. This year the conference will be held virtually, but we’re still expecting it to be announced at the keynote that usually kicks off the event, alongside all the other major software update announcements.
In the past, the announcement was followed by the release of the developer beta, then the public beta a few months later, with the official release of iOS at the iPhone launch event in early September.
But this year the timeline is subject to change. The coronavirus pandemic is rumored to have caused production delays for the next iPhone and Apple may be forced to push back the launch event, along with the release of iOS 14, to October. Apple has yet to comment.
Updates to the home screen
The home screen may look drastically different in iOS 14. According to 9to5Mac, iOS 14 will bring a list view option that would allow you to organize apps as a list instead of the current grid view. The Apple Watch already allows you to view apps listed alphabetically, but on the iPhone you’d also be able to sort them by most used or by the number of unread notifications.
Changing default apps
Since the existence of the iPhone, Apple has made its own preinstalled apps like Maps or Music the default choice. This may change in iOS 14, as rumors suggest Apple could allow you to choose third-party apps instead: Spotify instead of Apple Music, Google Maps or Waze instead of Apple Maps, or Chrome instead of Safari.
@ mentions in Messages
Apple’s Messages app is rumored to be taking a cue from other messaging apps like Slack and WhatsApp by allowing you to mention specific people in group chats by adding an @ symbol before their name. According to MacRumors, the app would also include an option to delete a message once it has already been sent or mark a message as unread as you would with an email. We’re also expecting a new batch of emojis along with some new tricks for Animojis and Memojis.
iPad-like multitasking features
iOs 14 may also bring multitasking features to the iPhone. Apple Leaker Ben Geskin posted a video on Twitter of what this would look like on an iPhone 11 running an early version of the OS. Since then people have responded saying it’s just a current jailbreak version rather than an iOS 14 feature. Apple is rumored to be launching an iPhone 12 Max with an even larger screen than the current Max which would benefit from more iPad-like features, but that
