iOS 5 facts for kids

iOS 5

Version of the iOS operating system
iOS 5 home screen running on an iPhone 4
Developer	Apple Inc.
Source model	Closed, with open source components
Initial release	October 12, 2011; 13 years ago (2011-10-12)
Latest release	5.1.1 / May 25, 2012; 13 years ago (2012-05-25)
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 3GS iPhone 4 iPhone 4s iPod Touch iPod Touch (3rd generation) iPod Touch (4th generation) iPad iPad (1st generation) iPad 2 iPad (3rd generation)
Kernel type	Hybrid (XNU)
License	Proprietary EULA except for open-source components
Preceded by	iOS 4
Succeeded by	iOS 6
Tagline	We've taken iOS to a whole new level.
Support status
Obsolete, unsupported. Drops support for the iPhone 3G and iPod Touch (2nd generation).

iOS 5 is the fifth major release of the iOS mobile operating system developed by Apple Inc., being the successor to iOS 4. It was announced at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference on June 6, 2011, and was released on October 12, 2011. It was succeeded by iOS 6 on September 19, 2012.

iOS 5 revamped notifications, adding temporary banners that appear at the top of the screen and introducing the Notification Center, a central location for all recent notifications. iOS 5 also added iCloud, Apple's cloud storage service for synchronization of content and data across iCloud-enabled devices, and iMessage, Apple's instant messaging service. For the first time, software updates could be installed wirelessly, without requiring a computer and iTunes. iOS 5 also featured deep integration with Twitter, introduced multitasking gestures on iPads, and added an easily accessible camera shortcut from the lock screen.

iOS 5 was the subject of criticism for iPhone 4s users, as the initial release had poor battery life, failures of SIM cards, and echoes during phone calls. These problems were fixed in subsequent releases.

iOS 5 is the last version of iOS that supports the third-generation iPod Touch and first-generation iPad.

History

Introduction and initial release

iOS 5 was introduced at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference on June 6, 2011, with a beta version available for developers later that day.

iOS 5 was officially released on October 12, 2011.

System features

Notifications

In previous iOS versions, notifications popped up on the screen as dialog boxes, interrupting the current activity. In iOS 5, notifications are revamped, and show up as a temporary banner at the top of the screen. Recent notifications can also be accessed by pulling a "Notification Center" down from the top of the screen. Users who prefer the old notification system can keep it by choosing the appropriate option in the Settings menu.

iCloud

iOS 5 introduces iCloud, Apple's cloud storage service. The new service allows users to synchronize their music, photos, videos, and application data across all of their iCloud-enabled devices for free.

Wireless updates

iOS 5 enables wireless system updates on supported devices, meaning a computer and iTunes aren't necessary to update devices. Both activation of new devices and updates can be done wirelessly.

Twitter integration

iOS 5 features deep Twitter integration. Users are able to sign in to Twitter directly from the Settings menu. Photos can be "tweeted" directly from the Photos or Camera apps, and users are also able to tweet from the Safari, YouTube, and Google Maps apps.

Multitasking

Multitasking gestures debut on the iPad with the release of iOS 5. Multitasking allows users to jump between apps without double-tapping the home button or first going to the home screen. Multitasking gestures were only available on the iPad 2.

Keyboard

The iPad keyboard could be undocked from the bottom of the screen, and could be split into two half-keyboards.

Siri

Siri, Apple's voice assistant, is supported on the iPhone 4s only. It was later extended to other devices (such as the iPhone 5) in iOS 6 and expanded further with each new major software release.

App features

Photos and Camera

The first iOS 5 release allowed the Camera app to be easily accessed from the lock screen for the first time. If users double-clicked the home button, a camera icon would appear next to the "slide to unlock" message, and users would click on it to directly access the camera. The iOS 5.1 update streamlined this process by removing the home button double-click procedure, and replacing it with a process requiring users to swipe up the camera icon. For security purposes when the device is locked with a passcode, this method of accessing the camera only allows access to the Camera app, and no other features of the device.

Pressing the volume-up button allows the user to take a picture.

Messages

iMessage, a new instant messaging service built into the Messages app, allowed anyone with an iOS 5 device to send both basic and multimedia messages to anyone else with a compatible iOS 5 device. In contrast to SMS, messages sent through iMessage use the Internet rather than regular cellular texting, but also in contrast to regular SMS, Android and BlackBerry devices are not compatible with the service. iMessages are synchronized across the user's devices, and are color-coded blue, with regular SMS in green.

Mail

The Mail app included rich text formatting, better indent control, flagging of messages, and the ability to drag addresses between To, CC, and BCC lines.

Reminders

Reminders allows users to create lists of tasks with alerts that can either be date-based or location-based.

Newsstand

Newsstand does not act as a native app, but rather a special folder. When selected, it shows icons for all of the periodicals that the user has subscribed to, such as newspapers and magazines. New issues are downloaded automatically.

Music and Videos

The iPod app was replaced by separate Music and Videos apps on the iPhone, as with the iPod Touch.

Problems

Initial upgrade issues

The initial October 2011 release of iOS 5 saw significant upgrade issues, with errors during installation and Apple server overload.

iPhone 4S battery life

Following user complaints, Apple officially confirmed that iOS 5 had poor battery life for some iPhone 4s users, and stated that an upcoming software update would fix the issues. The iOS 5.0.1 update fixed bugs related to battery issues.

Wi-Fi connectivity drops

In November 2011, Engadget reported that the iOS 5 update caused Wi-Fi connection drops for some users. The report also wrote that "The recent iOS 5.0.1 update certainly hasn't fixed the matter, either", and questioned whether the events were unrelated or part of a larger issue.

SIM card failure

Some iPhone 4s users reported issues with the SIM card in iOS 5, being given error messages about "Invalid SIM" and "SIM Failure". Apple released a second software build of the 5.0.1 update designed to fix SIM card issues.

Phone call echo

Some iPhone 4s users reported the random appearance of echoes during phone calls made with earphones in the initial release of iOS 5. The other party in the call was sometimes unable to hear the conversation due to this problem.

Supported devices

With this release, Apple dropped support for the iPhone 3G and the second-generation iPod Touch.

Version history

Version	Build	Codename	Release date	Notes	Update type
5.0	9A334	Telluride	October 12, 2011	Initial release on iPhone 4s Introduces iCloud Devices can be set up, activated, and configured with Setup Assistant without iTunes System updates can now be installed via Settings, not requiring iTunes Music, Photos, Documents, Apps, Contacts, and more can be synced in iCloud Find My iPhone allows users to track their iPhones running iOS 5 Apps and Books now have purchase history and can be automatically updated Introduces the Notification Center Notifications now briefly appear at the top of the screen Notifications can be viewed from Lock Screen Slide notifications on Lock Screen right to go to the app Introduces iMessage Other iOS 5 users can send and receive unlimited text, photo, and video messages with other iOS 5 users iMessages can track delivery and read receipts All messages are encrypted Support for group messages iMessage works over Wi-Fi and cellular Integrates Twitter into Settings Adds a Camera shortcut to a sleeping device Double-click the home button to open the Camera app Volume Up takes a picture Overlays grid lines to better line up shots Pinch to zoom is added to the preview screen Red-eye removal, crop and rotate, and one-tap enhance edit features have been added to Photos Text in Mail can be formatted with bold, italic, or underlines Text can be indented Personal photos can be used for Game Center profiles Adds Multitasking Gestures to the iPad 2 Use 4 or 5 fingers to pinch to the home screen Swipe left or right to switch between apps Improves Accessibility features LED flash can be lit when receiving a call or an alert on iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S Highlighted text can be spoken aloud Fixes a bug that allowed a user's Apple ID password to be logged to a local file Fixes a bug that allowed remote attackers to reset a device Fixes a bug that allowed local attackers to reset a device Fixes a bug that allowed local attackers to recover the parental controls passcode	Initial Release
5.0.1	9A405		November 10, 2011	Fixes a bug that caused iPhone battery life to deplete rapidly Adds Multitasking Gestures to the iPad 1 Fixes a bug that caused Documents to fail to sync to iCloud Improves voice recognition for Australian users Fixes a bug that allowed an application to execute unsigned code Fixes a bug that allowed local attackers to access user data on a locked iPad 2	Bug Fixes
	9A406		December 12, 2011	Fixes an issue that caused iPhone 4s users' phones to report "No SIM" or "No Service" when a valid, active SIM was inserted	Bug Fixes
5.1	9B176 9B179	Hoodoo	March 7, 2012	Initial release on iPad (3rd generation) Adds Japanese support for Siri Photos can be deleted from Photo Stream The Camera shortcut is now always visible on Lock Screen for iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4s, and iPod Touch (4th generation) Camera face detection now highlights all faces The camera app has been redesigned for iPad 2 Adds Genius Mixes and Genius Playlists for iTunes Match subscribers Audio for TV shows and movies is tweaked to sound louder and clearer for iPad Adds playback speed and a 30-second rewind option for Podcasts on iPad Improves battery life Updates the AT&T network indicator Fixes a bug that caused audio to drop for outgoing phone calls Increases App Store app download limit over 3G to 50MB, from 20MB Fixes a bug where applications could bypass their sandbox Fixes a lock screen bypass Fixes a bug that caused web browsing history to be recorded in Private Browsing	Feature Update
5.1.1	9B206		May 7, 2012	Improves reliability of HDR photos being taken using the Lock Screen Camera shortcut Fixes a bug that caused the iPad 2 to fail to switch between 2G and 3G networks Fixes a bug that affected AirPlay video playback from working correctly Fixes an issue where "Unable to Purchase" displayed after a successful App Store purchase Fixes a bug that allowed a maliciously crafted website to spoof the currently loaded website link	Bug Fixes
	9B208		May 25, 2012

See also

In Spanish: IOS 5 para niños