iOS 13: Speed, Privacy, and System-Wide Dark Mode

Announced on 3 June, 2019, iOS 13 appeared at Apple’s WWDC 2019 and came to everyone on September 19. In contrast, iOS 13 included support the iPhone and iPod touch only like previous versions while Apple introducing the new iPadOS for iPads. This was a strategic move to provide software experience suiting the available form factors categorically.

Apple introduced major performance improvements to iOS 13 along with system-wide dark mode, enhanced privacy tools and a smarter more personal experience. But it discontinued some older hardware, such as the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and iPhone 5s.

Performance: Faster and More Responsive

Apple: The company improved performance across the board. Two big changes stand out:

Up to 2x faster app launch.

Face ID unlock 30% faster

The size of app downloads decreased by ~50% and updates were apparently 60% smaller.

These optimizations were aimed at making even the supported older devices more fluid and snappy.

Dark Mode — One of the most awaited system wide feature

Dark Mode — by far, one of the most fewamoed features from iOS 13 :

Users were able globalize the system interface to dark colors which will help in reducing eye strain for prolonged viewing and helped in battery saving if on an OLED display.

Dark Mode across all system apps and most third-party apps via a developer API.

There would be an option to automatically set Dark Mode at sunset/sunrise or user-set times.

But it was a huge facelift and the most immediately obvious departure since iOS 7.

Photos & Camera: More Intelligent and Persistent

Redesigned Photos app with;

A fresh gallery view to browse photos by day, month, or year with smart curation designed to throw away clutter including duplicates and screenshots.

Extensive image and video editing tools, capable of adjusting brightness, contrast, sharpness, white balance among others without leaving the app;

Portrait Lighting saw an update in the Camera app as well with changes to intensity and new monochromatic effects, like “High-Key Mono”.

Apple Tightens His Grip On Privacy And Security

PrivacyKudos to Apple: iOS 13 was a game-changer that vaulted user privacy and transparency constraints with unmatched ferocity.

New Sign in with Apple, a secure login system that allowed users to sign into apps and websites with their Apple ID without revealing any personal information

Users would be also presented with the ability to cover their email address and utilize a randomized Apple-created address.

You could ask for background location tracking and the user would see page after page of details before agreeing, but it could work.

Privacy was the biggest concern in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi tracking, so there were limitations for those two.

These updates were all about how Apple is working to protect user data in a world of heightened digital surveillance.

Reimagined Maps

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Look Around, a new feature that rivals Google Street View and provides high-resolution, 3D street-level imaging.

Found in Collections & Favorites and offer the ability to save locations for organizing.

The fresh rebuilt map has been hitting the U. S., complete with accurate roads, buildings, and natural features.

Messages, Memoji, and Keyboard Enhancements

There were expanded Memoji stickers supported on all A9 chip and later devices except for those with Face ID.

AirPods and newer customization options such as makeup, accessories.

Messages — This is where users could set a profile picture and display name like other messaging systems.

This function allows you to type faster with one hand using the swipe-to-type keyboard called QuickPath.

Reminders: Completely Redesigned

An all new Reminders app with

Modern design, intelligent lists, and task groups

Natural Language Input (e.g., “Remind me to call Mom at 6 pm”) which detected dates, times, locations.

Tagging, subtasks and attachments made it a competent productivity tool.

Other Notable Features

A new app called Find My that merges the Find My iPhone and ‌Find My‌ Friends features, supports offline tracking via encrypted bluetooth signals.

Support for conversational triggers and shortcuts suggestions made Siri Shortcuts more robust.

The Home App with HomeKit Secure Video and router-level security

It added download management, per-site settings and tabs that don’t control your life for Safari.

iOS 13. x Updates: Quick Fixes and Cheeky Tweaks

A few more updates than usual were needed to fix some of the its iOS 13 bugs (Image credit: James Peckham / TechRadar)

It also brought back features pushed off from iOS 13, like Automations in Shortcuts, AirDrop with U1 chip (on the iPhone 11) and Share ETA in Maps.

IOS 13.2: Deep Fusion for iPhone 11 cameras and Announce Messages with Siri added

iOS 13.3 – 13.7: Introduced Communication Limits for Screen Time, mouse and trackpad support and COVID-19 Exposure Notifications API from Google

In Summary

With iOS 13, the company aimed to turnaround its fragmentation woes by focusing on speed, privacy and modern design. Dark Mode — Sign in with Apple — Powerful new tools in apps like Photos, Messages and Reminders: From a bold design refresh to advanced capabilities within apps, this vision set the bar for the modern app experience. It moved fast and broke things, sure—premature versions of Siri would have been totally unattainable in the iOS 14 era—but it paved the way for the kind of substantive system intelligence and personalization debuted in iOS 14.

1. When was iOS 13 released?

Apple announced iOS 13 at WWDC on June 3, 2019, and officially released it to the public on September 19, 2019. It launched alongside the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max. Unlike iOS 12, which focused on performance, iOS 13 emphasized new features, especially the highly anticipated Dark Mode.

2. Which devices supported iOS 13?

iOS 13 dropped support for older devices like the iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus. It was available for the iPhone 6s and later models, the iPhone SE (1st generation), and the 7th generation iPod touch. For iPads, Apple introduced iPadOS 13 as a separate operating system, meaning iOS 13 ran only on iPhones and iPod touch.

3. What was the biggest new feature in iOS 13?

The most talked-about feature of iOS 13 was the introduction of Dark Mode, which applied a system-wide dark color scheme across apps and menus. It was designed to be easier on the eyes in low-light environments and also helped save battery life on OLED iPhones. Users could enable it manually or schedule it to turn on automatically at night.

4. How did iOS 13 improve performance?

Although iOS 12 already boosted speed, Apple claimed iOS 13 made Face ID unlock 30% faster, apps launch twice as fast, and app download sizes up to 50% smaller. Updates from the App Store were also optimized to be 60% smaller. These improvements made iPhones feel quicker and more efficient, even when running more demanding apps.

5. What changes were made to Photos and the Camera app?

The Photos app in iOS 13 was redesigned with new organization tools, including automatic curation by days, months, and years. Editing tools were expanded with more precise adjustments for brightness, contrast, and color. The Camera app on newer iPhones introduced Portrait Lighting adjustments, allowing users to change the intensity of lighting effects, giving more professional results.

6. How did privacy improve in iOS 13?

Apple emphasized privacy with features like “Sign in with Apple”, a secure alternative to signing in with Google or Facebook. This feature let users log into apps and websites using their Apple ID, with the option to hide their email address. Location privacy was also improved, giving users more control over how often apps could access their location.

7. What improvements came to Siri and Maps?

Siri gained a more natural-sounding voice and deeper integration with apps through Siri Shortcuts. Apple Maps received a complete overhaul with improved detail, 3D Look Around (similar to Google Street View), and better navigation. These updates made Maps more competitive with Google Maps, especially in supported regions.

8. What changes came to Messages and Memoji?

In iOS 13, Apple expanded Memoji customization with new hairstyles, makeup, and accessories. Memoji could also be turned into Memoji Stickers, which were automatically generated and usable across apps like WhatsApp and Mail. Messages became more personalized, allowing users to share their names and photos (or Memojis) when starting conversations.

9. Were there any new system apps or features?

Yes, iOS 13 introduced the brand-new Find My app, which combined Find My iPhone and Find My Friends into one. The Reminders app was completely redesigned with smart lists, natural language input, and improved organization. A system-wide swipe keyboard called QuickPath was also added, allowing faster typing by swiping across keys.

10. How was iOS 13 received overall?

iOS 13 received mixed reviews. On one hand, it introduced popular features like Dark Mode, Sign in with Apple, and major app redesigns. On the other hand, the initial release was criticized for being buggy, with Apple pushing multiple updates within weeks to fix issues. Despite this rocky start, by later versions (like iOS 13.4), it became a stable and feature-rich update that set the stage for iOS 14.