The latest update to Apple’s latest mobile operating system, iOS 10.3, just came out a few days ago and what has been intriguing users, though in a positive way, is the fact that the American tech giant never bothered to include in the official release note at least two major secret features.
Apparently, the Apple iOS 10.3 has brought in exciting new features and it had major ones that were left unannounced. Whether it’s intentional or not on the part of Apple, the secret features still made iOS device users very happy.
It turns out that the Apple iOS 10.3 has ushered an upgraded Wi-Fi calling, which was a welcome surprise to many users.
The hidden feature lies in the Apple iOS 10.3 settings that enable Verizon customers to do Wi-Fi calls without the iPhone.
From Settings, users can just choose Phone, then select and turn on ‘calls on other devices.’ The process lets users see all of their available devices for connecting and toggling them on and off individually with the Apple iOS 10.3.
The secret feature explains why Verizon subscribers are able to pair with iPhone owners on T-Mobile, Sprint, and AT&T, reports the Latin Post.
Superior functionalities for Wi-Fi calling
It should be noted however that Verizon already possesses Wi-Fi calling feature even before the powerful iOS 10.3 release happened. However, Apple iOS 10.3 offers superior functionalities that it was considered as the upgraded Wi-Fi calling feature.
The Apple iOS 10.3 Wi-Fi calling enables iPhone users to receive or make calls on all of their devices that are connected to iCloud whether it is an iPod, Mac, Apple Watch, or iPad.
The main difference is that even if a user’s Apple device is switched off or on another WiFi network, he can still have incoming or outgoing WiFi calls without even routing through his iPhone the classic way.
Another great secret feature is the floating keyboard designed for iPad inside the iOS 10.3. The new one-handed keyboard feature supports all 9.7 inches or smaller Apple iPads. There’s also a trackpad mode available to compliment the new keyboard feature.
The gestural keyboard of the Apple iOS 10.3 is another great keyboard feature. It has the capability to input a single space or backspace without even using the space bar. Anyone can do it by simply swiping on the keyboard in either left or right direction.
It was actually developer Steven Troughton-Smith who discovered and took to Twitter to reveal the hidden code in the Apple iOS 10.3 which introduces the two entirely new iPad keyboards.
Showing off his discoveries using Simulator, he showed the gesture-based and compact floating keyboards. Whether some of the keyboard functionalities could come to iPhones is unknown but for now, the keyboards only work on iPads which are 9.7-inches or smaller.
Have been in development for quite some time
Troughton-Smith also throws in another interesting curveball by saying that the new keyboards appear to have been in development for some time. He says code for the two can be traced back to iOS 10.0 which was launched in September 2016.
Reports have it the release of the iOS 10.3 is timely as Apple is widely expected to launch new iPads next month.
Apple has never been on the cutting edge of touchscreen keyboard development, so it would be nice to see progress toward such end.
The release of the Apple iOS 10.3 was also a redemption of sort for the American tech giant as the iOS 10.2.1 was considered by many iOS device users as a menace.