iOS 10 facts for kids

iOS 10

Version of the iOS operating system
iOS 10 home screen running on an iPhone 6. The Videos app was replaced by the TV app in iOS 10.2 in the United States.
Developer	Apple Inc.
Source model	Closed, with open-source components
Initial release	September 13, 2016; 8 years ago (2016-09-13)
Latest release	10.3.4 (14G61) / July 22, 2019; 5 years ago (2019-07-22)
Repository	Lua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
Update method	Software Update
Package manager	App Store
Platforms	iPhone iPhone 5 iPhone 5c iPhone 5s iPhone 6 & 6 Plus iPhone 6s & 6s Plus iPhone SE (1st generation) iPhone 7 & 7 Plus iPod Touch iPod Touch (6th generation) iPad iPad (4th generation) iPad Air iPad Air 2 iPad (2017) iPad Mini 2 iPad Mini 3 iPad Mini 4 iPad Pro
Kernel type	Hybrid (XNU)
License	Proprietary software with open-source components
Preceded by	iOS 9
Succeeded by	iOS 11
Tagline	More personal. More powerful. More playful.
Support status
Obsolete, unsupported. Drops support for all A5 and A5X chips, including the iPhone 4s, iPad 2 and 3rd generation, iPad mini (1st generation), and iPod Touch (5th generation).

iOS 10 was a big update for iOS, Apple's mobile operating system. It was the tenth main version, coming after iOS 9. Apple first showed it off on June 13, 2016, at their Worldwide Developers Conference. It was officially released to everyone on September 13, 2016. Later, iOS 11 took its place on September 19, 2017.

This version brought many cool changes to how you use your iPhone or iPad. For example, 3D Touch and the lock screen got new features. Apps like Messages, Maps, and Photos were updated with exciting tools. There was even a new Home app to control smart home devices. Siri, Apple's voice assistant, also became smarter and could work with more apps. In a later update (iOS 10.3), Apple introduced a new way to store files called APFS.

People generally liked iOS 10. They especially praised the updates to Messages, Siri, Photos, 3D Touch, and the lock screen. Many felt that Messages was "becoming a platform" because other apps could now add features to it. Siri's ability to work with other apps was also a big hit. The "Memories" feature in Photos, which uses smart technology to group your pictures, impressed many. Users also found 3D Touch much more helpful than before. The lock screen became easier to use, letting you see more information from notifications without unlocking your device.

About a month after its release, iOS 10 was on more than half of all iOS devices. Over time, more and more people updated, reaching 89% of active devices by September 2017. iOS 10 was the last version to support older 32-bit devices, like the iPhone 5 and fourth-generation iPad. Newer versions, like iOS 11, stopped supporting these older devices and apps.

Key System Updates

iOS 10 brought many improvements to the way your device works. These changes made it easier and more fun to use.

Control Center and 3D Touch

The Control Center, where you quickly change settings, was redesigned. It was split into three parts: one for general settings, one for music, and one for smart home devices. If you had a device with 3D Touch, you could press harder on some icons to see more options. This also worked for app icons on your home screen, showing quick actions or widgets.

Hiding Default Apps

With iOS 10, you could finally hide many of the apps that come pre-installed on your device. If you hid an app, it would also remove its data and settings. This feature was something users had wanted for a long time.

Keyboard and Look Up

The QuickType keyboard got smarter. It could guess what you wanted to say next and suggest information based on your location or calendar. The "Define" feature was replaced by "Look Up," which could find information from many sources, not just definitions. You could also type in multiple languages more easily.

Lock Screen and Notifications

Unlocking your phone changed from "slide to unlock" to simply pressing the home button. A new "Raise to Wake" feature would turn on your screen when you picked up your phone. Notifications became larger and could show more details. You could also clear all unread notifications at once using 3D Touch. A search bar was added to the notification center, too.

Accessibility Features

New accessibility settings were added to help more users. A "Magnifier" setting let you triple-click the home button to use your camera as a magnifying glass. There were also new "Color Filters" to help people with color blindness see the screen better.

Other System Changes

• The Messages app added a "Low Quality Image mode" to save space.
• The Wi-Fi menu now warned you if a network was not secure or had no internet.
• In iOS 10.2, you could set the Camera app to always open in a specific mode (like Video or Square).
• Music added to Apple Music on one device could automatically download to others.
• Maps allowed you to avoid toll roads or highways in your routes.
• iOS 10.3 updated Settings to show your Apple ID account information easily.
• You could see which older apps might not work in future iOS versions.
• Siri could announce who was calling you.

App Enhancements

Many of Apple's built-in apps received significant updates in iOS 10.

App Store Updates

The App Store allowed developers to buy ad spots. The "Categories" section also returned, making it easier to find apps. In iOS 10.3, developers could reply to user reviews, and users could mark reviews as "Helpful" or "Not Helpful."

Camera and Photos

• The Camera app on the iPhone 7 Plus gained a new "Portrait Mode" in iOS 10.1. This mode used both cameras to create photos with a blurred background, making the subject stand out.
• You could now add drawings and text to your photos using a "Markup" feature.
• Live Photos could be edited, allowing you to trim them or add special effects.
• The Photos app got smarter with "deep learning" technology. It could sort and search your pictures better.
• A new "Memories" feature automatically grouped related photos and videos into short, shareable movies with music.
• The app could also recognize faces, grouping pictures of the same people together.

The analog stopwatch face

Clock and Contacts

The Clock app got a darker look. A new "Bedtime" feature helped you get enough sleep by reminding you when to go to bed. The Contacts app let you set a main phone number or email for people with many contacts.

Home App

The Home app was brand new in iOS 10. It let you control smart home devices that work with Apple's HomeKit system. You could add devices like smart locks, lights, and thermostats. You could also create "Scenes" to control many devices at once, like dimming the lights and locking the doors for "Movie Night."

Mail App

The Mail app made it easier to unsubscribe from mailing lists. It also brought back support for HTML5 videos. You could filter messages by unread or read, and by different categories. The way emails were grouped in conversations also changed, showing the oldest email first by default.

Maps App Redesign

Apple Maps was redesigned with new features. It could scan your calendar for locations and learn from your usual trips. It could even mark where you parked your car automatically. You could also find nearby gas stations, restaurants, or coffee shops easily. Third-party apps could add features to Maps, like booking a restaurant table directly from the app.

Messages App Enhancements

The Messages app got a huge update. It now had its own App Store, letting you download special iMessage apps. You could send fun stickers, play games, or share rich content right within your chats.

• Visual Effects: You could send messages with "loud" or "gentle" animations. "Invisible ink" hid your message until the recipient swiped to reveal it. Full-screen effects like balloons or fireworks could fill the screen.
• Handwritten Notes: You could send handwritten notes by turning your device sideways.
• Emojis: Emojis appeared three times bigger if sent alone. The keyboard could suggest emojis, and you could even replace words in your message with emojis.
• Read Receipts: You could turn read receipts on or off for individual contacts.
• Tapbacks: This new feature let you quickly react to messages with a heart, thumbs up, or other quick responses.

Music App Redesign

The Music app was redesigned to be easier to use. The "For You" section offered daily music recommendations. A new "Downloaded Music" tab showed all your offline songs. You could also see lyrics for songs right in the app.

News App Redesign

The News app was also redesigned, with bold headings and a newspaper-like look. It added support for subscriptions and could send you notifications for breaking news.

Phone App Features

The Phone app could now transcribe your voicemails into text. Siri could announce who was calling you. You could also mark suspected spam callers. A feature called "Emergency Bypass" allowed important contacts to ring your phone even when "Do Not Disturb" was on.

Safari Browser Updates

Apple Pay became available in the Safari browser. There was no longer a limit to how many tabs you could have open. On iPads, Safari had a "Split View" to show two browser tabs side-by-side. You could also search for keywords within specific tabs.

TV App (US only)

In iOS 10.2, a new "TV" app was introduced in the United States. This app replaced the old Videos app. It brought together content from different video services into one easy-to-use place.

Developer Tools

iOS 10 gave app developers new ways to connect their apps with Apple's main services.

• Siri Integration: Developers could make their apps work with Siri. This meant you could use voice commands to do things like send messages, make calls, or order a taxi through certain apps.
• iMessage Apps: Developers could create special apps for the iMessage App Store. These apps let users send stickers, play games, or interact with app features directly within a message conversation.
• Maps Extensions: Apps could add features to Apple Maps. For example, a restaurant app could let you book a table right from the Maps app.

Developers could also let their camera apps capture RAW photos, which are high-quality image files. VoIP apps (like WhatsApp calls) could now look and act more like regular phone calls.

Removed Features

Some older features were removed in iOS 10:

• The VPN protocol PPTP was no longer supported.
• The option to group notifications by app or change their order was removed.
• The Game Center app was removed, but you could still access its services through games.
• The "slide to unlock" feature was replaced by "Press Home to unlock."

Important Issues and Fixes

Like any big software update, iOS 10 had a few issues when it first came out.

Update Problems

When iOS 10 was first released on September 13, 2016, some people had problems updating their devices. Their iPhones and iPads would go into "recovery mode," meaning they had to connect to a computer to fix them. Apple quickly released iOS 10.0.1 to fix this and apologized for the trouble.

Backup Security

In September 2016, a security company found that local backups made with iTunes on iOS 10 were less secure than on iOS 9. This made it easier for someone to guess the password for a backup. Apple fixed this issue in the iOS 10.1 update.

Battery Issues

Some users with iOS 10.1.1 reported that their devices would unexpectedly shut down, especially when the battery was around 30%. Apple worked to fix this, and in iOS 10.2.1, they said they had greatly reduced these shutdowns.

Later, in December 2017, it was found that Apple was slowing down older iPhones (like the iPhone 6 and 6S) with older batteries. Apple explained that this was to prevent unexpected shutdowns and keep the phones working smoothly as their batteries aged. They offered discounted battery replacements to help users.

Supported Devices

iOS 10 supported devices with an Apple A6 chip or newer. It stopped supporting older devices with Apple A5 or A5X chips. This included the iPhone 4s, iPad 2, iPad (3rd generation), iPad Mini (1st generation), and iPod Touch (5th generation). The iPhone 5, 5c, and iPad (4th generation) had limited support. iOS 10 was the last version to support 32-bit apps and devices with 32-bit processors.

Version History

Here's a quick look at the different versions of iOS 10 that were released:

See also

In Spanish: IOS 10 para niños

• macOS Sierra
• watchOS 3
• tvOS 10