iOS is a mobile operating system, developed by Apple Inc. for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. Updates for iOS are released through the iTunes software and, since iOS 5, via over-the-air software updates. With the announcement of iOS 5 on June 6, 2011, a USB connection to iTunes was no longer needed to activate iOS devices; data synchronization can happen automatically and wirelessly through Apple's iCloud service. Major new iOS releases are announced yearly during the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), and are usually released in September of the same year, usually coinciding with the release of new iPhone models. The current stable release, iOS 11.4.1, was released on July 9, 2018. The most recent iOS 12 beta, iOS 12 Developer beta 6, was released on August 6, 2018.
Video IOS version history
Overview
June 2007 saw the official release of what eventually became iOS - concurrently with the first iPhone. iOS did not have an official name until the official release of the iPhone software development kit (iPhone SDK) on March 6, 2008. Before then, Apple marketing simply stated that iPhone ran a version of Mac OS X made specifically for iPhone. When iOS was introduced, it was named iPhone OS. It was officially renamed iOS on June 7, 2010 with the announcement and introduction of iPad. The introduction of iPad, and the existence of iPod Touch, meant the iPhone was no longer the only device to run the mobile operating system. iOS 4 was the first major iOS release that reflected the name change. Apple licensed the "iOS" trademark from Cisco Systems.
Apple concurrently provides the same version of iOS for the comparable model of iPhone and iPod Touch, usually devices released in the same calendar year. iPhone users receive all software updates for free, while iPod Touch users paid for the 2.0 and 3.0 major software updates. As of iOS 4, Apple no longer charges money for iPod Touch updates.
As of 2017, two versions of iOS were never released. iPhone OS 1.2, which after the first beta was replaced by a 2.0 version number; the second beta was named 2.0 beta 2 instead of 1.2 beta 2. The other was iOS 4.2, replaced with 4.2.1 due to a Wi-Fi bug in 4.2 beta 3, causing Apple to release 2 golden masters (4.2 GM and 4.2.1 GM). One version of iOS was pulled back by Apple after being released. iOS 8.0.1 was pulled back by Apple because cellular service and Touch ID were disabled on iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
Maps IOS version history
Version history
iPhone OS 1
Apple announced iPhone OS 1 at the iPhone keynote on January 9, 2007, and it was released to the public alongside the original iPhone on June 29, 2007. No official name was given on its initial release; Apple marketing literature simply stated the iPhone runs a version of Apple's desktop operating system, OS X. The release of iPhone OS 1.1 brought support for the iPod Touch (1st generation). iPhone OS 1.1.5 was the final version of iPhone OS 1. Support of iPhone OS 1 ended in 2010.
iPhone OS 2
Apple announced iPhone OS 2 at the iPhone software roadmap keynote in March 2008, and it was released to the public on July 11, 2008 alongside the iPhone 3G. Apple did not drop support for any devices with this release. iPhone OS 2 was compatible with all devices released up to that time. The release of iPhone OS 2.1.1 brought support for the iPod Touch (2nd generation). iPhone OS 2.2.1 was the final version of iPhone OS 2. Support of iPhone OS 2 ended in 2011.
iPhone OS 3
Apple announced iPhone OS 3 in March 2009, and it was released to the public on June 17, 2009 alongside the iPhone 3GS. Apple did not drop support for any devices with this release. iPhone OS 3 was compatible with all devices released up to that time, but not all features were available on the original iPhone. The final release supported on the original iPhone and iPod Touch (1st generation) was iPhone OS 3.1.3. The first iPad was introduced along with iPhone OS 3.2. Support of iPhone OS 3 ended in 2012.
iOS 4
Apple announced iOS 4 in March 2010 and it was released to the public on June 21, 2010 alongside the iPhone 4. With this release, Apple dropped support for the original iPhone and iPod Touch (1st generation), which is the first time Apple had dropped support for any device in an iOS release. The iPhone 3G and the iPod Touch (2nd generation) were capable of running iOS 4, but had limited features. For example, both devices lack multitasking capabilities and the ability to set a home screen wallpaper. However, iOS 4 was the first major release that iPod Touch users did not have to pay any money for. The release of iOS 4.2.1 brought compatibility to the original iPad and was the final supported release on the iPhone 3G and iPod Touch (2nd generation) due to major performance issues. The release of iOS 4.3 brought iPad 2 compatibility. Support of iOS 4 ended in 2013.
iOS 5
Apple announced iOS 5 on June 6, 2011 at its annual Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) event, and it was released to the public on October 12, 2011 alongside the iPhone 4S. Apple did not drop support for any devices with this release, only the iPhone 3G and the IPod Touch 2nd Generation as this had already been done with the release of iOS 4.3 seven months earlier. Therefore, iOS 5 was released for the iPhone 3GS onwards, iPod Touch (3rd generation) onwards, and all iPad models. The release of iOS 5.1 brought support for the iPad 3. iOS 5.1.1 was the final release supported for the iPad (1st generation) and iPod Touch (3rd generation). Support of iOS 5 ended in 2014.
iOS 6
Apple announced iOS 6 on June 11, 2012 at its annual Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) event, and it was released to the public on September 19, 2012 alongside the iPhone 5, iPod Touch (5th generation), and iPad 4. With this release, Apple dropped support for the iPod Touch (3rd generation) and the iPad (1st generation) due to hardware limitations, and offered only limited support on the iPhone 3GS, iPad 2, and iPod Touch (4th generation). The iPhone 4 onwards, the iPod Touch (5th generation), the iPad 3 onwards and the iPad Mini (1st generation) were fully supported. iOS 6.1.6 was the final release supported for the iPhone 3GS and iPod Touch (4th generation). Support of iOS 6 ended in 2015.
iOS 7
Apple announced iOS 7 on June 10, 2013 at its annual Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) event, and it was released to the public on September 18, 2013 alongside the iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S. With this release, Apple dropped support for the iPhone 3GS (due to hardware limitations) and the iPod Touch (4th generation) (due to performance issues). iOS 7 has limited support on the iPad 2 and the iPhone 4 since they do not support Siri. However, other devices from the iPhone 4S onwards, iPod Touch (5th generation) onwards, the iPad 3 onwards, and the iPad Mini (1st generation) onwards were fully supported. The release of iOS 7.0.3 brought support for the iPad Air and iPad Mini 2. iOS 7.1.2 was the final release on the iPhone 4. Support of iOS 7 ended in 2016.
iOS 8
Apple announced iOS 8 on June 2, 2014, at its annual Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) event, and it was released to the public on September 17, 2014 alongside the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. With this release, Apple dropped support for only one device, the iPhone 4. iOS 8 has limited support on the iPad 2, iPhone 4S, and the iPod Touch (5th generation), as Apple received widespread complaints of extremely poor/slow performance from owners of these devices. All other devices from the iPhone 5 onwards, iPod Touch (6th generation) onwards, the iPad 3 onwards, and the iPad Mini (1st generation) onwards were fully supported. The release of iOS 8.1 brought support for the iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3, and the release of iOS 8.4 brought support for the iPod Touch (6th generation). iOS 8.3 was the first version of iOS to have public beta testing available, where users could test the beta for upcoming releases of iOS and send feedback to Apple about bugs or glitches. The final version of iOS 8 was iOS 8.4.1. Support for iOS 8 ended in 2017.
iOS 9
Apple announced iOS 9 on June 8, 2015, at its annual Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) event, and it was released to the public on September 16, 2015 alongside the iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus and iPad Mini 4. With this release, Apple did not drop support for any iOS devices. Therefore, iOS 9 was supported on the iPhone 4S onwards, iPod Touch (5th generation) onwards, the iPad 2 onwards, and the iPad Mini (1st generation) onwards. However, iOS 9 has limited support on the iPhone 4S, iPad 2 & iPad 3, iPad Mini (1st generation), and iPod Touch (5th generation). This release made the iPad 2 the first device to support six major releases of iOS, supporting iOS 4 to 9. Despite Apple's promise of better performance on these devices, there were still widespread complaints that the issue had not been fixed. iOS 9.3.5 is the final release on the iPhone 4S, iPad 2 & 3, iPod Touch (5th generation) and iPad Mini (1st generation).
iOS 10
Apple announced iOS 10 on June 13, 2016, at its annual Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) event, and it was released to the public on September 13, 2016 alongside the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. With this release, Apple dropped support for devices using an A5 or A5X processor: the iPhone 4S, iPad 2 & iPad 3, iPad Mini (1st generation) and iPod Touch (5th generation). iOS 10 has limited support on the iPhone 5, iPhone 5C, and iPad 4 because those devices have 32-bit processors. However, the iPhone 5S onwards, iPod Touch (6th generation) onwards, and the iPad Mini 2 onwards are fully supported. The release of iOS 10.2.1 brought support for the iPad 5, and iOS 10.3.2 brought support for the iPad Pro (10.5-inch) and the iPad Pro (12.9-inch, 2nd generation) iOS 10.3.3 is the final supported release for the iPhone 5, iPhone 5C, and iPad 4 and also the last iOS version to run on 32-bit processors.
iOS 11
Apple announced iOS 11 on June 5, 2017, at its annual Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) event, and it was released to the public on September 19, 2017 alongside the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. With this release, Apple dropped support for the 32-bit iPhone 5 & iPhone 5C, and the iPad 4, making iOS a 64-bit only OS that only runs 64-bit apps. iOS 11 has limited support on devices with an A7 processor: the iPhone 5S, iPad Mini 2 & iPad Mini 3, and the iPad Air. However, all other devices from the iPhone SE onwards, iPod Touch (6th generation) onwards, iPad Air 2 onwards, and iPad Mini 4 onwards are fully supported.
iOS 12
Apple announced iOS 12 on June 4, 2018, at its annual Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) event. Apple will continue support for all devices supported by iOS 11 and will add performance enhancements across all devices served. Features announced to release for iOS 12 include, but aren't limited to: Siri Shortcuts, Group FaceTime calls with up to 32 people, Memoji, and a more organized Lock Screen that sorts multiple messages from the same person or a group of people in conversations. The first beta build of iOS 12 was released for developers only shortly after the announcement ended. Beta builds of iOS 12 started releasing to public beta testers on June 25, 2018, exactly three weeks after the keynote. iOS 12 has limited support on all devices with an A7 chip, including the iPhone 5S, iPad Air, iPad Mini 2 and iPad Mini 3. iOS 12 will be released to the public in September of 2018.
Notable software bugs and issues in iOS
iOS 4
- Alarm clock bugs
The Alarm feature of the built in Clock app in the iPhone and iPod Touch has been plagued by major bugs in all versions of iOS 4. The first bug noticed was the "DST bug" which was first seen when some countries switched to/from daylight saving time from/to standard time in October/November 2010. It caused recurring alarms to start going off an hour too early or late. Apple promised the bug would be fixed in iOS 4.2 but according to some reports it still exists even in iOS 4.3.1.
The second alarm clock bug discovered was the "New Year's Day bug" which showed up on January 1, 2011 and January 1, 2012. It caused non-recurring alarms to never work. However two days after each New Year's Day, on January 3, 2011, they "magically" started working again. This bug was seemingly fixed in iOS 4.3.
iOS 5
- Battery drain bugs
Apple confirmed that several battery life bugs were negatively affecting battery life in iOS 5. They attempted to fix these bugs with iOS 5.0.1 and 5.1 but the problem still remained. Finally, these bugs were fixed in iOS 5.1.1.
- Wi-Fi
The launch of the iOS 5 update on October 12, 2011 (including iOS 5.0.1 released on November 10, 2011), led many users to report a major bug causing the device to lose Wi-Fi access. This problem has supposedly been fixed with the release of iOS 5.1.1
- SIM card
Some users of the iPhone 4S and iPad (Wi-Fi + Cellular) reported issues with the SIM card in iOS 5.0, and even though Apple attempted to fix these issues in version 5.0.1 build 9A406 (for iPhone 4S only), they still remained.
- Echo bugs
Some users of the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S reported issues with having echo problems during phone call in the initial release of iOS 5, which causes echoes to appear randomly during phone calls made through earbuds. The other party in the call is generally unable to hear the conversation due to this problem. Apple has since released version 5.1.1 in an attempt to fix the problem.
iOS 6
- Maps
Apple has admitted that there were several bugs in the mapping app on iOS 6, with cities in the wrong location, some places being missed off altogether, some places misnamed and places of interest in the sea. Problems submitted by users have gradually been addressed with daily updates to Maps.
- Bluetooth
Many users report a problem with Bluetooth audio streaming to a range of compatible devices. The sound cuts out every now and then for no apparent reason. As of October 2012, no solution has been provided by Apple.
- Location-based Reminders
Location-based reminders do not work for iPads, even though they were promised to work on cellular enabled devices. It has later been clarified by Apple that only the 4th generation iPad and the iPad Mini 1st generation or later will be able to use this.
- Cellular Network
In iOS 6.1, users reported problems with cellular connectivity. This was addressed for the iPhone 4S in iOS 6.1.1 which "fixes an issue that could impact cellular performance and reliability for iPhone 4S."
- Do Not Disturb
Many iPhone users experienced a bug with the Do Not Disturb feature when the calendar changed from 2012 to 2013. The feature would be left on past the scheduled time set by the user, allowing texts, notifications, and alarm settings to be missed. The bug was caused by a difference in formatting in the ISO calendar system versus the Gregorian calendar system. Apple did not offer a quick software update for the bug, instead saying that the bug would fix itself on January 7, 2013.
- Microsoft Exchange
Another bug causes issues when iOS devices connect to a Microsoft Exchange server to retrieve email, resulting in message "mailbox server resources are consumed, log growth becomes excessive, memory and CPU use may increase significantly, and server performance is affected". Microsoft have suggested several workarounds, and Apple responded with a KnowledgeBase article describing the cause of the bug and a suggested temporary workaround, promising a fix in the near future, which was then fixed with release of iOS 6.1.2.
- Lockscreen bypass code
On iPhones, another bug found in 6.1 allowing bypassing the lock screen's passcode to temporarily gain full access to the Phone app, by performing a specific sequence of actions on the phone that remained unfixed, with Apple acknowledging the bug and then addressed with release of iOS 6.1.3.
- Audio profile speakerphone
iPhone 5 users experienced dropped calls during the release of iOS 6.1.3 when there was an issue with the audio microphone profile. This also caused issues with many voice-over commands, including Siri, to get different results than expected or to fail easily. Apple fixed this bug with the release of iOS 6.1.4, which updated the audio speaker profile so users would get better results.
- FaceTime
Shortly when Apple released iOS 7, users running iOS 6 were said to have problems using FaceTime. Apple later released a support document stating that this was due to an expired device certificate and that devices that support iOS 7 should update to it in order to resolve these issues. Devices that are unable to run iOS 7, such as the fourth-generation iPod Touch, should upgrade to iOS 6.1.6.
- Data security
An attacker can collect or modify data in sessions protected by SSL/TLS protocols. This same bug was also reported on iOS 7.0.4 and iOS 7.0.5 for the iPhone 5C and 5S. For the iPhone 3GS and the iPod Touch 4th generation, iOS 6.1.6 was released to fix this issue since iOS 7 is not compatible with these devices (see iOS 7.x).
iOS 7
- Passcode screen bypass bugs
People are able to bypass the "Enter Passcode" screen. This flaw was discovered within hours of it becoming publicly available. This is only able to be done on iPhone 5 and earlier while the iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S are safe from this bug. This is caused by the ability to use the control center via the lock screen and tapping on the camera or timer buttons. This feature can be turned off in the Settings app. This was fixed in iOS 7.0.2.
- Motion Sickness
Users complained about dizziness and vertigo-like symptoms when using this operating system because of parallax motion effects. In iOS 7.1, a new function in the Settings app named "Reduce Motion" was introduced to reduce the motion of the user interface and disable the parallax effects.
- Creation of CardDAV Accounts not working
Creating a CardDAV Account contains a bug that needs manual fixing of the CardDAV-Server-URL.
- Battery drain problems
In iOS 7.1, users have reported seeing significant drain on their batteries after installing the new update.
- FaceTime
Issues with video-calling and connection errors. This was fixed in iOS 7.0.4. (See iOS 6.x)
- Safari ignores local domain
Local domain names can no longer be resolved in Safari. This breaks short names on the local network, e.g. 'nas' for nas.<ourdomain>.
- Home screen crashes
Users have reported various crashes of the home screen, the core service that renders the home screen icons, Notification Center, Control Center, Siri and the lockscreen. This was fixed in iOS 7.1.
- Data security
Secure transport failed to validate the authenticity of connection. This issue was addressed by restoring missing validation steps. This may cause an attacker with a privileged network position to capture or modify data in sessions protected by SSL/TLS. This issue was addressed by the release of iOS 7.0.6.
- Battery Indicator stuck until restart
iPhone 4S users report experiencing problems with the battery indicator; the indicator will freeze at the same value until the iPhone is restarted again.
- Touch ID
In iOS 7.1, Touch ID was not functioning on the iPhone 5S. The problem cannot be resolved by turning Touch ID on and off in the "Fingerprint and Passcode" menu, restarting, resetting, or restoring the device using iTunes. This problem was similar to the iOS 8.0.1 release, which crippled iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus of both cellular and Touch ID. This was fixed in iOS 7.1.1.
iOS 8
- HealthKit
Shortly after the release of iOS 8, Apple released a statement pointing out that a bug had been found in the operating system which prevented HealthKit-compatible apps from being released alongside iOS 8. Apps already released that included Healthkit functionality were withdrawn from the App Store. iOS 8.0.1/8.0.2 included a fix for this issue.
- iOS 8.0.1
iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users who updated to iOS 8.0.1 wirelessly had cellular service and Touch ID disabled due to a software issue. Over-the-Air downloads of iOS 8.0.1 were stopped within an hour of the release of the software, but many early adopters had been affected. These issues were fixed with the release of iOS 8.0.2 a day later.
- Touch ID
Users who updated phones with Touch ID enabled to iOS 8.3 found out that they could not use Touch ID to make App Store purchases. A workaround has been devised by users to repair this issue.
- Performance
Many users of older generation devices such as the iPhone 4s and the iPad 2 reported performance issues with iOS 8. Apple has since released iOS 8.1.1 in attempt to fix the problem.
- Keyboard
Several issues with the new Keyboard API in iOS 8 were reported, including problems with custom keyboards crashing or not appearing, or being replaced with the default keyboard. Apple has since released iOS 8.3 in attempt to fix the problem.
- iMessage
When a specific set of Arabic, Unicode, and English characters are sent through iMessage to an iOS device running iOS 8.0 or later, it causes the device to crash. This bug was discovered by a Reddit user in May 2015. Apple has since released a software update (iOS 8.4) to fix this issue.
iOS 9
- Game Center
Many users of all generation devices experience some issues with Game Center loading times causes long freezes in apps that require Game Center logins. This was fixed in iOS 9.1.
January 1, 1970
On 64-bit iOS devices, setting the date to January 1, 1970 and restarting the iPhone would brick the device until the battery died or was uninstalled. This was fixed with the release of iOS 9.3.
Error 53
Updating an iPhone 6 with a replaced Touch ID sensor to a new version of iOS would cause the update to fail and the device's date to be lost due to "Error 53." This was fixed with an iTunes re-release of iOS 9.2.1 with build number 13D20.
- Bluetooth
Many users who own the iPhone SE have experienced various issues relating to phone calls via Bluetooth connectivity. The quality of incoming calls via Bluetooth devices was reported to be very low. This issue was fixed in the iOS 9.3.2 update.
- Security
Users' security was threatened with the release of 9.3.3 through an exploit in the WebKit rendering component which allowed hackers to access the infected phone's sensors by getting the user to open a link from an SMS. This was quickly fixed with the release of 9.3.5.
iOS 10
- "30% battery bug"
Many users, especially iPhone 6s devices owners reported that their phones would die with 30% battery left. This issue was fixed with the release of iOS 10.3.
As of the iOS 10.2.1 release, iOS throttles CPU performance on iPhones with batteries in poor health. This eventually led to Batterygate shortly after the iOS 11 release. As a result, Apple announced battery replacements would be $29 instead of $79. They also announced that iOS 11.3 would show battery health in the Settings > Battery menu and let the user decide if they wanted the previous 30% shutdown behavior or the throttled CPU.
iOS 11
- Battery
Many users reported much worse battery life on iOS 11 than on iOS 10.3.3. This issue has been resolved with the release of iOS 11.1.
- Calculator
Quickly typing in an equation causes the built-in Calculator app to display incorrect answers. This has been fixed in iOS 11.2.
Users with Outlook.com, Office 365, and certain Exchange accounts were unable to send email. This has been resolved with the release of iOS 11.0.1.
- AutoCorrect
Users complained of a bug in the built-in keyboard in iOS 11 that changed the letter "I" to "A [?]". This has been fixed with the release of iOS 11.1.1.
- December 2 respring
A bug in iOS 11 was present that causes the device to constantly respring and crash if an app sends local notifications on or after 00:15 on December 2, 2017. Apple responded by releasing iOS 11.2 early, which fixed the bug.
- Telugu Character Bug
A bug was present in iOS 10 and 11 that would cause an app to crash when a certain Indian character was pasted into it, or for the phone to respring if pasted into Spotlight. The bug was fixed with iOS 11.2.6.
- iPhone 8 touchscreen issues after third party repair
A bug with iOS 11.3 caused some iPhone 8 devices, which had their screens repaired by a third party repair shop, had devices essentially bricked where the touch screen would not work. Apple corrected this issue by releasing iOS 11.3.1.
Notes
See also
- Version histories and information for various other operating systems and software by Apple Inc.
- watchOS
- tvOS
- macOS
- macOS version history
- iTunes version history
- Safari version history
- Various other platforms' version histories
- Android version history
- Windows 10 Mobile version history
- Windows 10 version history
References
Further reading
- Bohn, Dieter (December 13, 2011). "iOS: A visual history". The Verge. Vox Media. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
External links
- iOS - official site
Source of article : Wikipedia
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