iOS 8 is out right now. It's not as visually different as iOS 7, but it's still packed with all kinds of new stuff. Here's a list of all the new stuff that really matters.


Interactive Notifications


You can now interact with notifications right when they happen. So, if you receive a message, you can swipe down on it to reply right there without leaving the app you're in. Likewise, you can interact with third-party app notifications the same way. You can do the same actions from the Notification Center.

New Message Features

Group messages gets some big enhancements, including the ability to add and remove people. You can now also leave a thread or turn on do not disturb on a thread. You'll also get a new attachment view to get a view of everything in a thread. iOS 8 also now lets you send voice and video messages right in iMessages. These messages self-destruct after a set amount of time. You can also now share your current location with anyone for a set duration of time. You can check out our guide to all the new messaging features here.


A New Predictive Typing Keyboard


Apple's added a new predictive typing system that suggests upcoming words that you might want to type. So, if you type something out, it'll offer suggestions on what the next word could be so you can select it and type faster. It's context sensitive to differentiate between content, and is personalized and changes depending on who you're talking with. It's a little clunky at first, but hopefully will learn as it goes. If not, you can always turn it off.


Third-Party Keyboards


iOS 8 lets you install third-party keyboards. This includes keyboards like Swype, SwiftKey, Fleksy, and whatever else supports it. You can download these from the App Store, and set them up under Settings > General > Keyboards. We'll have a roundup of the best once they're available.

Recents Menu for Contacts


Your Favorites menu is now on your multi-tasking screen. When you double-tap the home button you'll get access to everyone in your favorites as well as recent contacts so you can send them a message, call them, or access their contact screen.

New Mail Gestures


Mail gets some new gestures so you can instantly flag, delete, mark as read, and more. Swipe left to get the Archive/Delete/Flag/More menu, and swipe right to mark as read/unread. You can also swipe down on a new message to hide it away temporarily and access it later.

Spotlight Enhancements


Spotlight gets a number of the features from OS X Yosemite. From Spotlight, you can now search online for information online, movies in iTunes, apps from the store, music, and more.

Widgets In Notification Center


Notification Center now supports widgets. Any app in the App Store can add a widget into Notification Center. For example, you could get access to sports scores, eBay listings, and whatever else. We'll have to wait and see what developers do with this, as there isn't much in the store yet. You can access your widgets by pulling down the Notifications Center, scrolling to the bottom, and tapping "Edit."

Extensions in Safari


Safari now supports browser extensions. For example, you can install a translation extension to automatically translate a web page, automatically login to your 1Passwords accounts (shown above) or post a picture to your Pinterest instantly.

Family Sharing Shares Apps and Content with Family Members


You can now set up a "family" in iOS 8 that includes the ability to share photo streams, reminders, Find my Friends information, calendars, and all of your media from the iTunes store. This includes iBooks, music, shows, and more for up to six family members. To set it up, just head to Settings > iCloud > Set Up Family Sharing.

Photos Get Better iCloud Integration


Photos are now integrated better with iCloud so all the edits you make are synced across devices. This also means all your photos are stored in iCloud so they're easy to find. The Photos apps gets an overhaul too, including new ways to edit photos, search for photos, and more.

Health Integrates All Your Health Info in One App


iOS 8 now includes a new app called Health that gives you instant access to all your health information. You can also integrate third-party apps so you can track all your health information in one place. This includes any apps you have that are tracking sleep, steps, and more. You can then integrate all this information with Mayo Clinic so your doctor has access to this information.

New 3D Graphics Engine

iOS 8 includes a new 3D graphics system called Metal. This makes it so iOS 8 can render better 3D graphics and better integration with desktop development kits.


Touch ID Works In Any App


Touch ID is now accessible by any app. This means an app like Day One can be password protected by your fingerprint.

iCloud Drive Works Better Between Apps


iCloud Drive gives you access to all your documents on iOS, but more interestingly, it allows for apps to easily share content. So, you can edit a file in one app, save it, and then edit it in another app easier. This isn't ready on Yosemite yet, so it's hard to say how it'll work in the long term. For now Do not enable iCloud Drive unless you're ready to lose everything you already have stored there.

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Siri Improvements


Siri gets a few new features, including "Hey, Siri" car control, Shazam song recognition, and a bunch of new languages.

Home Automation Control


Homekit is a new app for iOS 8 that gives you control over your home automation systems in your house. This includes any app that works with Homekit and is connected to Wi-Fi. Essentially, it works similar to the Health app, but for your home automation systems.

Handoff Makes Your Mac and iPhone Work Together Seamlessly


If you're using OS X Yosemite, iOS 8 will now sync up with your phone in new ways. You can now sync messages between your Mac and iOS device (including SMS), immediately send pages between your Mac and phone, send phone calls from your phone to your Mac, and more. It's pretty useless right now at launch, but once Yosemite is released we'll have a better idea of how it works. You can read about how it'll work on your Mac here.


Enterprise Enhancements

iOS 8 comes with a bunch of new enterprise features, including automatic setups, new security options, free/busy support in calendar, document providers, and a more.

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