In March of 2016 Apple held a special event at their headquarters in Cupertino, California, where they introduced the iPhone 6SE (a four-inch phone) and the 9.7-inch iPad Pro and presented several new Apple Watch bands. Apple also announced that they had updated the operating systems of their iOS devices, Mac computers, the Apple Watch, and Apple TV.

A general note: if a device is not running normally after an OS update, try restarting the device before calling tech support.

iOS 9.3

Before updating your iOS device, make sure it is backed up. An iPhone 6 was used for this article to review the new iOS 9.3 update.

The Alex VoiceOver Voice

If you are currently using the Alex voice, he will speak very slowly once the iOS is updated. Nothing is wrong. Alex now speaks at the same rate as the other VoiceOver voices such as Samantha and Karen. I used to have Alex's speaking rate set to 50%; I have changed him to 70%.

Four-Finger Flick

It is now easier to switch among open apps. Instead of going to the App Switcher, use the four-finger flick gesture. Flicking to the right will move you through previous open apps and flicking to the left will move you in the opposite direction. The app you use to perform the gesture must be open for this gesture to work.

Offline Voice Dictation

This feature is currently available on the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus. If Wi-Fi and cellular service are unavailable, such as when in Airplane mode, voice dictation is still possible.

Securing Notes

Notes can now be secured with either a password or touch ID. Open the Notes app and create a note. Next, activate the "Share Note" button and then choose "Lock Note" from the list of options.

You will be prompted to enter a password and confirm it. This password will be used for all your locked notes. The next edit box is for entering a password hint. Next is a button to choose whether to use Touch ID for unlocking notes. If your phone already uses Touch ID, this button will be enabled by default. It can be turned off without interfering with the ability to use Touch ID to unlock your phone. Activate the "Done" button when finished. There will then be a message to tap the lock icon in the toolbar or lock your screen to lock notes.

Open a locked note by locating it in the Notes app. There will be a button labeled "Locked." Activate the button and you will be prompted to enter your Notes password or, if it is enabled, to use Touch ID. The same button will toggle to "Unlocked" once you've successfully unlocked the note. Toggle back to "Locked" when you've finished editing or accessing the note.

Night Shift Mode

If you have some vision or live with people who are sighted, Night Shift mode may be a convenient feature. With this feature enabled, the device's display is shifted toward the warmer part of the color spectrum at night. This may help some people sleep better.

Access the Night Shift mode settings by going to Settings > Display & Brightness > Night Shift. By default, this feature is turned off. The first control in Night Shift's settings is a "Schedule" button. When this button is activated, there are options for when Night Shift starts and ends. There are additional controls to manually enable and to select color temperature. Night Shift can also be turned off and on through the Control Center.

3D Touch for Apple Apps

This feature only works on the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus. Some native Apple apps, including Settings, App Store, and Weather, have a new 3D Touch feature. If the 3D Touch gesture is performed on some Apple apps, new options will appear without having to open the app. Flick with one finger to review the options.

OS X 10.11.4 for Mac

According to Apple, this update will improve stability, compatibility, and security for your Mac.

Password Protection for Notes

The main change for VoiceOver users is the ability to password-protect individual notes. If your notes are set to sync with iCloud, and you have already set up a Notes password on your iOS device, the same password will work in Notes.

If your Notes are not synced with iCloud, the first time you want to password protect a note, a password must be created. After writing the note, activate the menu bar and go to the Notes menu, located between the Apple menu and the File menu. Select the Create Password option. You will be prompted to enter and then confirm a password. Next is an edit box to write a password hint. This is highly recommended. Finally, either cancel out of the dialogue or set the password.

Lock a note by selecting "Lock This Note" from the File menu or selecting the "Lock" button from the toolbar.

Open a locked note by locating it. VoiceOver will indicate that the note is locked. Tab once to the edit field to type in your password and then press the Return key.

iTunes 12.3.3

This version of iTunes provides support for the iPhone SE and the 9.7-inch iPad Pro.

When you download a playlist from Apple Music, you now have the option to automatically add those songs to My Music. The setting is found in the General tab of iTunes Preferences. There is a checkbox labeled, "Add songs to My Music when you add them to a playlist." By default, this box is checked. Uncheck it if you don't want songs automatically added.

Apple Music can be disabled through the Restrictions tab in iTunes preferences. Check the box for Apple Music.

Within the Get Info dialog for each track there is now a checkbox to show the composer in all views. The composer's name must be in the Composer edit field for it to display. If this box is left unchecked, the composer's name will appear only in the views that iTunes used prior to this All Views option.

Apple TV OS 9.2

In OS 9.2, Apple has restored the ability to use Bluetooth keyboards with Apple TV. Before using a keyboard, first pair it with the Apple TV. Go to Settings > Remotes & Devices to do so. Once the keyboard is paired, there is a new option called Disconnect Device. If you use your Bluetooth keyboard for other devices, and do not have a keyboard that can handle multiple devices, this new option only disconnects the keyboard. When you go back to the Apple TV with the keyboard, you do not need to pair it again.

Siri can now be used to dictate text into edit boxes. When dictating into an edit box for your email or password, you can spell the information. Speak normally when dictating into a search field. The first time you use dictation, you will be asked to authorize the dictation feature for your Apple TV.

You can now create folders like on your iOS device. Locate an app you want in a folder, then press and hold on the touch screen of the remote. VoiceOver will first say, "starting moving." VoiceOver will eventually prompt you to press the "Play" button for options. If you want to create a new folder, select the New Folder option. Any folders that have already been created will also be in the options list. Apple will create a name for the new folder but you can change it with dictation or with the keyboard. Move an app to a pre-existing folder by selecting the folder from the list.

Apple Watch OS 2.2

This update has some new features including the ability to pair more than one watch to an iPhone. Update the app through the Watch app on your iPhone. Go to My Watch > General > Software Update. Before beginning the update process, your watch must be near the iPhone, be on its charger, and have at least 50 percent battery power.

Paring Multiple Watches

When paring multiple watches with one iPhone, the iPhone must be updated to iOS 9.3 and each watch must be running Watch OS 2.2.

Maps

The Maps app now has an option to locate points of interest quickly. There are also buttons to quickly get directions to work and home.

Conclusion

The latest updates for iOS, Mac, Apple TV and Apple Watch are definitely worth installing. Each has convenient new features. Updates contain internal fixes that the user may not even notice.

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Author
Janet Ingber
Article Topic
Software Update Information