iOS 4: Multitasking, Folders, and a New Name

It was announced on April 8, 2010, and released on June 21, 2010. This was the OS that finally got a name with a lowercase letter and an official trademarked registered name when the original, iPhone-only set of policies completed its transformation into iOS as Apple began to see itself using it on devices beyond just phones (the iPod touch and eventually iPad).

With the addition of iOS 4, some of the most demanded and basic features were introduced to the device IE: multitasking support, creation of app folders and a combined Mail inbox which made it better to use and enhanced productivity. This was a huge step forward and indicative of the quick rate at which iOS would develop as a mobile operating system.

Rebranding to iOS

iPhone OS was actually what the operating system of iOS 4. With this release:

Apple and rebranded it “iOS”, as the iPod touch got bigger, and eventually iPad (which received iOS 4.2.1 later in 2010).

It also felt more consistent with Apple focusing on cross-device experiences and one unified platform.

This has since been a pivotal change in the strategy of Apple’s ecosystem.

Multitasking: Finally, Real App Switching

The most anticipated feature, multitasking, was finally added in iOS 4–though only for devices with the A4 chip or better (such as the iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS):

Permitted multitasking by enabling users to switch between apps without a restart, and added an app switcher with card-like views that was activated when double-pressing the Home button.

The multitasking support and other background functionality offered by APIs, including:

Audio playback (e.g., Pandora, Spotify).

VoIP (e.g., Skype).

Background location (e.g., Maps).

Background operation finishes (e.g download/upload).

So Apple it only allowed ‘specific’ background services to be kept alive — purely on battery life and performance grounds.

That small addition suddenly made iOS feel less like a simple, single-task environment and more like an actual computing platform.

Home Screen Folders — Bringing Order to the App Chaos

IOS 4 Series – Introduced app folders for the Home Screen, as more and more apps started ending up people’s devices:

That would result in the two apps you dragged together being combined into a folder iOS would auto-name using the category of app.

At first, each folder could contain up to 12 icons (120 on iPhone 5 and newer), although this number was expanded to 16 in iOS 7.

This was a major step in limiting the Home Screen chaos and added more clarity and customization.

It was all of a sudden folders joined the iOS experience and now you could nestle your most-used project management apps into a single directory.

Mail Inbox and Unified & Productivity Folders

MailiOS 4 got a complete Mail revamp, and with it came enhanced multi-account management:

Unified inbox (consolidating all email messages in one place)

Enabled conversation threading (emails are grouped by topic)

Bearbeiten Verbesserte Funktionen für Exchange, einschließlich der Unterstützung mehrerer Exchange-Accounts

These improvements contributed to making iPhones more suitable for business use and for advanced users.

iBooks & Apple’s iReading Campaign

iBooks (only available on iPad previously) — iOS 4 introduced iBooks which is Apple’s e-reader platform.

The app could be used to download books and PDFs directly from the iBookstore, then stored on a virtual bookshelf where they could be highlighted or annotated.

It also allowed users to import PDFs into the iBooks app for reading and archiving.

This hinted at a renewed focus on digital content and services by Apple.

FaceTime: Video Calling Over Wi-Fi

Introduced on iPhone 4 in iOS 4 FaceTime

Enabled FaceTime video calls over Wi-Fi between compatible Apple devices.

Built into the Phone and Contacts apps.

Introduced Apple Video Communication and later included on iPad, iPod touch, Mac.

FaceTime, in a way was the start of Apple’s apparent strict no-nonsense policy when it comes to secure, private and user-friendly communication from this day forward.

Custom Wallpapers and Visual Tweaks

iOS 4 was the first time that customers could set their own wallpaper on the Home Screen, not just on the Lock Screen;

This put in a more human element to the phone and was something that customers wanted from day one of the original iPhone.

The more refined and prettier icons, less reliance of shadows, and smoother animations are some minor UI enhancements in the entire system.

This indicated a strong trend towards user customization.

Performance and Device Compatibility

The first version of iOS 4 was compatible with the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and iPod touch (3rd and 4th generations).

Although the 3G could technically run iOS 4, multitasking was disabled on it and the performance was terrible.

There are no updates for original iPhone (2G) and iPod touch (1st gen) devices, which cannot run iOS 4.

This was Apple’s first version of Mac OS X that placed limitations on what a specific piece of hardware could do — something the company would later make a trend for new versions.

Game Center (iOS 4.1)

Apple came up with a social gaming platform by the name of Game CenterWith iOS 4.1

When I was Dom, I could look at my achievements, compare them to his (he beat Horde mode in GoW3 before me), and if he had Xbox Live friends that also owned the game, invite them to multiplayer games.

While Game Center came to serve as the saucer of iOS gaming soup bowl, it was eventually deprecated along with its brethren in several future OS redesigns.

It was the blueprint for Apple’s investment in gaming going forward.

Near Future : AirPrint, AirPlay (iOS 4.2 / 4.2.1)

Released November 2010, iOS 4.2 unified Apple’s mobile devices with the tablet running the same OS for the fist time: New features included:

AirPrint – allows you to print wirelessly from your iOS device with supported printers.

AirPlay- Stream audio, video and photos Wirelessly to Apple TV or Wireless-enable speakers

Features Multitasking, and Folders to iOS for iPad

Called a major update, this took the iPad from the software side to part of the family.

iOS 4.x Updates

iOS 4.1 — Boosts iPhone 3G performance, adds HDR photography, launches Game Center

4.2.1: Only one unified iOS, with new features including AirPlay/AirPrint.

Debut of Personal Hotspot, Safari including the Nitro JavaScript engine and photo streams.

In Summary

It was a game changer for the usage of iPhones and iPads i.e., iOS 4. Apple similarly moved the iPhone from smartphone to mobile computing platform, bringing multitasking, folders, iBooks and iMessage support (over Wi-Fi with FaceTime), wireless printing and streaming to the formerly branded-with-an-iPhone-version-of-OS-X newly iOS-named device. This was the era of user comfort, cloudless media sharing, real freedom of choice in devices and it laid foundation for ever more developed updates to come over the next few years.

1. When was iOS 4 released?

Apple announced iOS 4 at WWDC on June 7, 2010, and released it to the public on June 21, 2010, just before the launch of the iPhone 4. This was the first version to drop the “iPhone OS” name and adopt the new “iOS” branding, reflecting Apple’s growing ecosystem beyond just the iPhone.

2. Which devices supported iOS 4?

iOS 4 supported the iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, and iPhone 4, as well as the second and third-generation iPod touch. The original iPhone and iPod touch were no longer supported. However, not all features were available on older models — for example, multitasking was only available on the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4.

3. What was the most important new feature in iOS 4?

The headline feature was multitasking. For the first time, users could quickly switch between apps without losing their place. Apple designed a unique form of multitasking that allowed apps to run certain background tasks (like music playback or GPS) while preserving battery life, which set it apart from other smartphones at the time.

4. How did iOS 4 improve home screen organization?

iOS 4 introduced folders, allowing users to group apps together on the home screen for the first time. Each folder could hold up to 12 apps (later expanded in future updates). This was a major improvement because iPhones were now supporting many more apps, and folders helped keep the home screen organized.

5. What new features came to messaging and mail?

Apple added a unified inbox in the Mail app, letting users see emails from multiple accounts in one place. Messaging also improved with support for character count in SMS/MMS, making it easier to track long texts. These refinements were small but made communication smoother.

6. What role did iBooks play in iOS 4?

Apple introduced the iBooks app with iOS 4, expanding the iPhone and iPod touch into e-readers. Users could buy and read e-books from the iBookstore, sync their library across devices, and enjoy features like adjustable fonts and bookmarks. This was Apple’s answer to Amazon’s Kindle ecosystem.

7. What was the Game Center in iOS 4?

Apple launched Game Center, a social gaming platform that allowed players to track achievements, compare high scores, and play multiplayer games with friends. While not as popular as Xbox Live or PlayStation Network, it showed Apple’s intent to make the iPhone and iPod touch major gaming devices.

8. What improvements came to the camera and photos?

iOS 4 introduced tap-to-focus video recording on supported devices and 5x digital zoom for photos. It also brought the ability to create photo albums directly on the device, something users had long requested. Combined with the iPhone 4’s new camera, these changes helped establish the iPhone as a serious camera phone.

9. How did iOS 4 improve enterprise and productivity features?

For businesses, iOS 4 brought features like mobile device management (MDM), wireless app distribution, and stronger data protection APIs. This made the iPhone more appealing to enterprises, competing more directly with BlackBerry and other business-focused smartphones.

10. How was iOS 4 received overall?

iOS 4 was praised as one of the most significant updates to the iPhone at the time. Multitasking, folders, Game Center, and iBooks made the iPhone far more powerful and user-friendly. The only major criticism was that performance on the iPhone 3G was sluggish, leading Apple to release patches to improve stability. Overall, it cemented the iPhone’s reputation as the leading smartphone of its era.