While the major features of iOS 6 are going to steal most of the limelight, there are plenty of awesome features that deserve just as much attention. So we’re bringing to you a list of the best, hidden features of iOS 6.
Password Prompts:
This is just one of the best additions to iOS 6 I can think of as Apple finally eliminates the need to continuously enter your password more than once per “session.” This. Is. Fantastic.
App Downloads:
Remember how frustrating it can be to download a new app and immediately get kicked back to your home screen? Well, be frustrated no more as App Store downloads keep you in the App Store and the downloads happen behind the scenes and are there waiting for you when you do return to your home screen. A trivial thing, but a major headache gone.
Landscape Browsing:
One of the biggest reasons third-party browsers were a success on the iPhone, was in part because of their ability to take advantage of the entire iPhone display real estate. Up until iOS 6, Apple had limited Safari’s ability to enter full screen mode and even now, there are still limitations.
Upon turning the iPhone sideways, a full screen button will appear in the lower right corner. We’d love to see Apple allow this in both landscape and portrait mode, but this is an improvement nonetheless.
Insert Pictures into Mail App:
This new feature in iOS 6 has all us on the TodaysiPhone staff jumping for joy as users can now attach photos from inside the Mail app instead of having to go into the Photos app.
Tap on the body of the email and you’ll see a familiar toolbar with an option for “Insert Photo or Video.” This is a feature we would have liked to see Apple include from the very beginnings of the iPhone, but now that we have it, we’re still overjoyed.
App Banners:
A minor addition to iOS 6 allows new app downloads to receive a “New” sash-like design in the top right counter letting you know which of your app downloads are the newest in your collection. It’s not very functional, but it just might remind you to play that new game.
Pull To Refresh In Mail:
A small but beautiful improvement for Mail app is the addition of pull to refresh for your inbox. Originally made popular by Tweetie, just drag the inbox list down and snap it back up, voila, new emails!
Custom Email Signatures:
For many of you, including myself, we manage more than one email address and having a separate signature for each address has long been a sore point for the platform. Use bold, italics, and underline to personalize an email signature, one for each email address you have set up on your iPhone or iPad.
Notification Center Additions:
Now included in the notification center screen is an area to “Tap to Tweet” and/or “Tap to Post” for Facebook.
Quick Access To Bluetooth:
Another minor quibble was jumping through the settings menu to turn on Bluetooth, a function I find myself doing more and more with as I use my Logitech keyboard with my iPad. Now, with iOS 6, the Bluetooth settings appear right at the front of the Settings app.
New Sharing Menu In Safari:
The new sharing menu inside iOS 6 is a much cleaner take on the previous menu, along with a few extras. Instead of the “list” of share options, the new menu shows app icons as share features, along with the ability to “Add to Reading List.” It’s a better look, and a worthwhile improvement.
Song As Alarm:
Hooray for being able to use a song from inside your music library as your alarm. It’s a simple, yet long-awaited addition to iOS and one we plan on using every day.
