New features we want to see at WWDC 2019

We’ll soon get our first look at the next version of iOS. Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) kicks off June 3, when we’ll get the first official peek at all the new features coming to iOS 13. 

And while there have already been a lot of rumors and speculation as to what we’ll see, there are some features we really, really hope will make the cut. Whether it’s more dark mode or a smarter camera, these are the features we’d like most in iOS 13.

1. System-wide dark mode

Yes, this was on our list last year for iOS 12, and it will stay on until Apple delivers. Luckily, rumors suggest this might be the year Apple finally comes through with a system-wide dark mode feature in the main Settings app. It’s about time.

2. Better Siri

Again, consider this a permanent fixture on any iOS wishlist. As much as Apple has tried to make Siri more powerful, with features like Siri Shortcuts, it’s still fallen behind the competition. The Shortcuts app is still confusing and unapproachable, and Siri still struggles with basic commands. While much of this is difficult to change overnight, we’d settle for some basic improvements, like the ability to set multiple timers at once. Please?

3. Searchable Emoji keyboard

Apple is notorious for “borrowing” popular features from third-party apps and bringing them to iOS. One we’d really like to see: a searchable emoji keyboard, much like Google’s Gboard app. 

4. iPhone 6 support

This may be more of a long shot, as early rumblings suggest Apple will drop iPhone 6 support with iOS 13, but it’d really be a shame. Just one year after Apple took great pains to make iOS actually run smoothly on older devices, we’d love to see the trend continue with iPhone 6 support in iOS 13. Not only would it help iPhone 6 owners keep their phones longer, it’d help Apple quash conspiracy theories that it purposely slows down old phones for good. 

5. Volume UI

Not to be overly dramatic, but this is quite possibly the most egregious aspect of iOS design. It’s been years, and yet you still can’t consistently adjust the volume of your phone without obscuring the screen with a hideous volume pop-up. Though this has been fixed in some apps, like YouTube and Instagram, it still, quite infuriatingly, appears in the Photos app. Just put us out of our misery and make it go away forever. No one will miss it, I promise.

6. Night-time shooting mode

Now that Google has proven you can take excellent night-time photos with just software improvements, it’s time for Apple to step up its game too. As good as the iPhone camera is, its night-time shooting doesn’t quite hold up. So iOS 13 would be the perfect time for Apple to introduce a quality night-time shooting mode (and flex some of its AI muscle in the process). 

7. Camera Settings

While we’re at it, let’s talk about the camera’s settings. Photographers have long hoped for Apple to open up more manual control of the native iPhone camera (yes, please). Absent that, we’d like existing camera settings to be more accessible, with access to settings in the camera itself.

8. Picture in Picture

We’ll probably never get true multi-tasking on the iPhone, but we’d settle for picture-in-picture at the very least. Android has already had this for some time, and there’s really no reason why we can’t watch YouTube while doing something else. 

9. Disappearing messages

Yes, there are plenty of apps that let you do this already. But you shouldn’t have to use another messaging app just because you don’t want your chats to stick around forever. It would also provide Apple ample opportunity to throw more shade at Facebook and its impending pivot to privacy.

10. Multiple account support on iPad

Add this to the list of “how-does-this-not-already-exist features,” especially when you consider just how many families use shared iPads. Apple rolled out the ability for separate accounts to be used in schools, but it now needs to bring that functionality to everyone.  

11. Widgets in Control Center

Widgets has always felt like one of the more underrated iOS features. You can get a ton of use out of them, but Apple hasn’t done a very good job at making that clear. A big part of that is because widgets have been buried in places you just don’t think to look that often. The ability to add widgets to the Control Center, though, would go a long way towards fixing this. Not only would you be less likely to forget about them, you could access them at any moment, even while you’re using another app.

12. iPad multi-tasking improvements

The latest generation of iPad Pros are Apple’s most powerful ever, so why not let us run three apps at a time in a split-screen view. At this point, there’s really no reason why we shouldn’t be able to do this, and it would certainly be a much better experience than the existing “slide over” method for opening up that third app.

13. Mouse support for iPad Pro

While we’re on the subject of the iPad Pro, why not finally finally add support for a mouse. With support for external monitors and other accessories, the iPad Pro is more like a laptop than ever. And, touchscreen or not, a laptop needs a mouse.