Dot on time, iOS7 Beta 3 brings new tricks and fixes
The third beta release of iOS7 brings a thicker system font, bigger status bar for phone vitals, added options for the lock screen, a more natural-sounding Siri, new app download animations, a Wi-Fi diagnostic mode, a dictionary and quite a few handy tricks up its sleeve. Here’s our list of 12 updates to Apple’s iOS7 in the latest beta release.
Note: If you’re downloading iOS7 Beta release, be sure to back up all your data as the software is still in beta phase and has many bugs yet to be fixed.
Make Audio Calls With FaceTime
FaceTime was Apple’s app for free video conversations between iOS devices – until now. You can now use FaceTime to make audio-only calls as well.
Launch the FaceTime app and go to your Contacts list. Select a contact and in the FaceTime section, choose whether to make a video call or an audio call. Further, on the in-call screen, you can switch to video call. You can also mute your microphone, turn the speaker on and view other contacts all from the main call screen. When done, simply hit the End button.
Accurate Timestamps for iMessages
iOS7 ditched the timestamps in iMessages and only showed the messages grouped by days. In the new beta release, you can see the accurate timestamps of each message by swiping the message thread from right to left.
Open your iMessage app and choose a message thread. Once open, slide the screen from right to left. The screen will display the exact time each message was sent or received.
App Store Wishlist
There’s a new option for adding apps to your Wishlist from the Apple’s App Store. This option doesn’t appear for apps that you already have or for the ones available for free. For every app in the store with a price tag, you can save the item to purchase later when your wallet’s slightly bulkier.
Open the Apple’s App Store and choose a favourite app you’re not yet ready to buy. Click on the Share button. Apart from options to share via AirDrop, Messages, Mail, Twitter or send as a Gift, you’ll see an added option to “Add to Wishlist”. Tap once and the app will go to a bulleted list icon at the top. Tap on the list icon to view your complete Wishlist.
See Today on your lockscreen
The lock screen is what you see when you lock your device and haven’t entered the passcode. You can now customise your lock screen to show you Summary, Traffic Conditions, Day View, Reminders, Stocks, and Tomorrow’s Summary. Go to the Notifications Center and enable Today on your lock screen from there.
Curate a music station on iTunes Radio
If you want to listen to a particular group of artists, a specific genre or a list of songs, you can now add your own custom radio station on iTunes radio. Click on the pink plus sign next to Add a Station. You can then search for artists, genres or songs and add them to your radio station.
An added bonus: tap on “Never Play This” next to songs you hate listening to.
Dynamic text size on supporting apps
In the Settings app, under General, you can now set your preferred text size for apps. If you have a hard time reading small fonts, or if some text appears too large for your 6/6 eyes, you can set the right font size in the Settings app. For apps that support dynamic text size, the font size will immediately accommodate to new changes.
Force quit apps when multitasking
With the new apps preview in iOS7, comes the functionality to force quit apps by swiping them upwards on the screen. Hit the home button twice to bring up a bar of running apps at the bottom. It now show window previews of the insides of these apps as well. Tap and hold an app and swipe it upwards on the screen to force quit it. Next time you launch the app, it will start with a clean slate.
Set preferred directions for Apple Maps
If you’re more of a running person than a driver, you can set “Walking” as your preferred method of directions for Apple Maps. Go to the Settings app and under Maps, choose between walking or driving.
Panoramic images move on your lock screen
Static images on your lock screen are so yesterday. Switch to panoramic views that move as you pan your iPhone! Go to the Settings app and tap on Brightness and Wallpaper. In “Choose Wallpaper Area”, go to your album of panoramas. Select a panorama and set it as your lock screen image, as your wallpaper or both. Now hold your iPhone up in front of you and move it as if you were taking a panorama shot. The image will pan with your phone. Cool!
Level feature in the Compass app
The compass app still provides directions as it did before but there’s a new Level feature added to the app as well. You can go to the Compass app and slide left for the new Level screen. Put your iPhone in landscape or portrait orientation on top of an object and watch as the screen tells you whether it’s tilted or levelled. If it is tilted, two circles will show you the exact angle of tilt, but when the surface is exactly horizontal, the screen will go green and display zero degrees. We think Tony Stark could make use of this feature while discovering Atum.
Safari loses.com button on keyboard
When you launch Safari on iOS7 Beta, there is no .com button on the keyboard.
Conclusion:
Apple is currently dot on schedule with its beta releases coming two weeks after the previous beta version. It looks like the new iOS7 will be launched as per schedule in September. If you’re a registered iOS developer, the third beta of iOS7 release is listed as 11A4414e which you can access “here“. If you’re not a developer, you have to pay a $99 fee to get access.
