iOS 6 facts for kids

iOS 6

Version of the iOS operating system
iOS 6 running on an iPhone 5, showing five rows of icons due to the increased screen height of the iPhone 5 compared to previous models.
Developer	Apple Inc.
Source model	Closed, with open source components
Initial release	September 19, 2012; 12 years ago (2012-09-19)
Latest release	6.1.6 (10B500) / February 21, 2014; 11 years ago (2014-02-21)
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 iPhone 5 iPod Touch iPod Touch (4th generation) iPod Touch (5th generation) iPad iPad 2 iPad (3rd generation) iPad (4th generation) iPad Mini (1st generation)
Kernel type	Hybrid (XNU)
Default user interface	Springboard
License	Proprietary EULA except for open-source components
Preceded by	iOS 5
Succeeded by	iOS 7
Tagline	It takes your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch in entirely new directions.
Support status
Obsolete, unsupported. Drops support for the iPod Touch (3rd generation) and iPad (1st generation).

iOS 6 was a big update for Apple's iOS software, which runs on iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches. It was the sixth main version of iOS, coming after iOS 5. Apple first showed it off on June 11, 2012, and it became available to everyone on September 19, 2012. Later, iOS 7 took its place on September 18, 2013.

iOS 6 brought many new features. It introduced a new Apple Maps app, which replaced Google Maps. There was also a special Podcasts app for listening to shows. A new Passbook app helped users keep track of tickets and coupons. The App Store got a fresh new look.

This update also added Facebook to many parts of the system. You could share updates or sync contacts easily. New privacy settings gave users more control over their apps. Siri, Apple's voice assistant, got smarter and could do more things. iOS 6 also added faster internet support (called LTE) for more phone companies.

Most people liked iOS 6. They said it made small but helpful changes. It didn't completely change how you used your device. Instead, it made daily tasks easier and improved things that already worked well. However, the new Apple Maps app had some problems. It showed wrong or missing information. This led to an apology from Apple's CEO, Tim Cook.

iOS 6 was the last version of iOS to support older devices like the iPhone 3GS and the fourth-generation iPod Touch. It was also the last iOS version with a design style called "skeuomorphic." This style made app icons look like real-world objects.

History of iOS 6

iOS 6 was first shown to the public at Apple's Apple Worldwide Developers Conference on June 11, 2012. It was officially released to everyone on September 19, 2012.

Key System Features

Siri's New Abilities

Siri is Apple's smart voice assistant. In iOS 6, Siri learned many new tricks. It could help you book tables at restaurants. You could also ask it to open apps for you. Siri could read out messages from your Notification Center. It could even post updates to Facebook and Twitter for you. You could also ask Siri for movie reviews or sports scores.

Siri also started to understand more languages. These included Italian, Korean, and Cantonese. It also became available on more devices. These were the iPhone 5, the fifth-generation iPod Touch, and the third-generation iPad. Later, in iOS 6.1, Siri could even help you buy movie tickets in the United States.

Facebook Integration

Facebook became a big part of iOS 6. It was built right into many of Apple's apps. For example, your Calendar app could show Facebook events. Your Contacts app could show information about your Facebook friends. The App Store and Game Center even had Facebook's "like" button. You could also post Facebook updates from the Notification Center.

Settings and Privacy

The Settings app got some updates in iOS 6. Its icon changed to look like the one on Mac computers. A new "Do Not Disturb" mode was added. This mode lets you silence calls and notifications. You could choose to let calls from certain people still come through. A small moon icon would appear when this mode was on.

New privacy settings were also added. You could now control what information apps could access. This included your contacts, calendars, reminders, and photos. If an app wanted to use this information, you would get a notification.

iOS 6 also gave users a "Limit ad tracking" setting. This helped you control targeted ads. Apple said this would give you more power over how advertisers track you.

Other System Updates

iOS 6 added a Twitter shortcut to the Notification Center. This let you tweet quickly without opening the Twitter app. The way you shared things also changed. Instead of a list, you saw a grid of app icons to share content.

App Features

Apple Maps

A brand new Apple Maps app was introduced. It replaced Google Maps as the main map app. Apple Maps used a new way to show maps. This made zooming in and out much smoother. It also offered turn-by-turn directions with spoken instructions. You could see 3D views in some cities. It even showed real-time traffic information.

Passbook App

A new app called Passbook was added. This app helped you keep all your important digital cards in one place. You could store things like boarding passes for flights. It also held admission tickets for events. You could save coupons and loyalty cards too.

Passbook could even replace a physical card when you scanned your device. The app was smart. It could show you relevant coupons when you were near a store. It would also show your boarding pass automatically when you arrived at an airport. It could even tell you about gate changes.

Photos and Camera

The Camera app got a new Panorama mode. This let you take very wide photos, up to 240 degrees. The Photos app also improved how you shared pictures. You could now share custom Photo Streams with friends or the public.

App Store Redesign

The App Store in iOS 6 had a completely new look. It removed the "Categories" tab. Instead, it had "Genius," which helped you find new apps. Apps were shown as cards instead of lists. The search also got better, helping you find apps more easily.

The App Store also made it easier to update apps. You didn't always need to type your iTunes password. When you installed or updated an app, you no longer went back to the home screen automatically.

Phone App Improvements

When you received a call in iOS 6, you could swipe up on the lock screen. This showed options like "Reply with message" or "Remind me later." "Reply with message" let you send a quick text. "Remind me later" let you set a reminder to call back.

Podcasts App

The Podcasts feature moved out of the iTunes app. It got its own special Podcasts app in iOS 6. This made it easier to find and listen to podcasts.

Safari Web Browser

The Safari web browser got a full-screen view when you held your iPhone or iPod Touch sideways. Reading List, a feature from iOS 5, also got better. It could now save articles so you could read them offline. This meant you didn't need internet to read them later.

FaceTime Calls

FaceTime video calls could now work over a cellular connection. Before, you could only use FaceTime over Wi-Fi.

Clock App for iPad

The Clock app, which was already on iPhone and iPod Touch, became available on iPad. The clock design looked like a famous Swiss railway clock. Apple even made a deal to use this design.

Music App Redesign

The Music app was updated for iPhone and iPod Touch. It had a new white look. The "Now Playing" screen also changed. It had motion-sensitive controls, similar to the iPod Nano 7th generation.

Removed Features

The YouTube app, which used to be built into iOS by Apple, was removed. Apple said this was because their license had ended. But users could still watch YouTube videos using the Safari web browser. Google, which owns YouTube, later released its own YouTube app in the App Store.

Known Issues

Apple Maps Problems

When Apple Maps launched in iOS 6, it had many problems. People complained that the maps were wrong or missing information. For example, some places were shown in the wrong spot. Directions could be incorrect. Some satellite images were covered by clouds.

Apple CEO Tim Cook wrote a letter to apologize for the problems. He suggested that users download other map apps from the App Store. Scott Forstall, who was in charge of iOS at the time, left Apple after these issues.

FaceTime Certificate Issue

In April 2014, some users on iOS 6 had trouble with FaceTime calls. This was because a special certificate had expired. Apple released an update (iOS 6.1.6) for older devices to fix this. Newer devices could update to iOS 7 to solve the problem.

Supported Devices

With iOS 6, Apple stopped supporting the third-generation iPod Touch and the first-generation iPad. This was the first time an iPad was no longer supported by a new iOS version.

Version History