iOS 8 In More Detail

In More Detail iOS 8

Continuity

Apple's WWDC presentation focused heavily on the way OS X Yosemite and iOS 8 have been designed to work together, with several new features that increase the integration between the two operating systems.
Handoff, for example, lets a user start a task on one device and then switch to another. A person might writing an email on the iPhone, and then pick up where they left off when sitting down at a Mac. A user can browse the web on the Mac and then continue browsing the same website on the go on the iPad.
This feature is enabled automatically, so long as all devices are signed into the same iCloud account. Handoff works with apps like Mail, Safari, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, Maps, Messages, Reminders, Calendar, and Contacts, and it can be built into third-party apps.
iPads and Macs are now able to connect directly to an iPhone's personal hotspot when it is nearby using a new Instant Hotspot feature.

Phone and SMS Messages

Integration between iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite allows a Mac or an iPad to make or receive phone calls as long as it is on the same Wi-Fi network as an iPhone running iOS 8. Incoming calls on a Mac or iPad show the caller's name, number, and profile picture, allowing users to answer or ignore calls. Making a call on an iPad or Mac can be accomplished by tapping on a phone number in Contacts, Calendar, or Safari, and the feature works with an existing iPhone and phone number.
Users are also able to send and receive SMS and MMS messages from a non-Apple device on both their iPads and Macs, a feature that was previously limited only to iMessages.

Notification Center

Interactive notifications have been added, allowing users to reply to texts, emails, calendar invitations, reminders, and more right within their notification banners, without having to leave an app that is in use. This feature makes it easy to quickly reply to a message or other notification without the need to switch to a completely different app. This feature even extends to some third-party apps, like Facebook, allowing users to like or comment on a status right as a notification pops up.

Apps will be able to install widgets within the Notification Center, adding new modules similar to the existing sections for Calendars and Stocks. The "Missed" tab within the Notification Center has been removed in iOS 8.

Multitasking Interface

The app switcher, or multitasking interface, is accessed by tapping twice on the home button. While this has largely remained the same, there's a new section above open apps that lists both recent contacts and favorite contacts, making it easier to initiate a phone or FaceTime call.

Messages

Messages has finally gained a much-desired feature that allows users to leave group conversations. It's much simpler to add and remove users from group conversations, and a new Messages "Do Not Disturb" mode lets users mute group conversations whenever necessary.

In group conversations, users are also able to share their locations for a set period of time via a new "Send My Current Location" button, and a new attachments section displays all of the photos and videos that have been exchanged in a specific group conversation.
The app now supports voice recordings, which can be captured using a new microphone button and sent via a swipe. Users who receive a voice recorded message can raise the phone to their ear to hear the message. Similarly, video messages can be sent in almost the same way, and watched directly within the Messages app.
Finally, it's now possible to send multiple photos or videos in a single message instead of requiring a separate message for each photo.

QuickType & Other Keyboard Options

Described as Apple's "smartest keyboard ever," QuickType is designed to offer word suggestions while typing. As a user is typing, the keyboard will provide words and phrases that a user is likely to choose next, even taking into account the different writing styles a person might use in different apps like Mail and Messages.
According to Apple, it QuickType adjusts based on the person being communicated with, "because your choice of words is likely more laid back with your spouse than with your boss."
Apple is also planning to allow third-party keyboards to be installed on iOS for the first time, which will give users systemwide access to popular keyboards like Swipe and Fleksy.

Photos

The Photos app has been redesigned to add a new iCloud Photo Library. Every photo and video captured is uploaded to iCloud, allowing users to access and download their photo libraries from any device. It stores photos in their original formats, including RAW files, while keeping a smaller copy on iOS devices.
iCloud Photo Library will keep photos organized into Moments, Collections, and Years, much like the Photos app does now, and edits that are made on a photo will be immediately uploaded to iCloud and visible on other devices.
The iCloud Photo Library feature is designed to allow people to keep their pictures in the cloud while freeing up valuable device space. Due to the increased storage many people will need in order to upload photos to iCloud Photo Library, Apple provides users with 5GB of iCloud storage for free, with 20GB available for $0.99 per month or 200GB available for $3.99 per month.
Apple is also implementing smarter search within the Photos app, making it easier to search through thousands of photos. Searches can be conducted via date, time, location, or album name, with smart suggestions for Nearby, One Year Ago, Favorites, and more.

The editing tools within the Camera app have also been revamped. With new Smart Composition tools, it's easier than ever to straighten crooked photos and create the perfect cropped image. There new Smart Adjustment tools that allow users to quickly improve lighting conditions by grouping brightness, contrast, exposure, highlights, and shadows into one quick adjustment slider. There's also a similar color adjustment tool, along with built-in filters and new access to third-party filters.

Camera

The Camera app has gained a new time-lapse video mode, which takes photos at dynamically selected intervals and then creates video depicting an accelerated sequence of the photos.
Panoramic mode was introduced for the iPhone awhile ago, but with iOS 8, it's available on the iPad. Both the iPhone and the iPad have gained a new timer mode, which lets users set a delay of three or 10 seconds before capturing an image.

Mail

iOS 8's Mail app includes new swipe gestures that let users swipe to mark an email as read or flag it for a follow up. There's also a new swipe down gesture that minimizes an email being composed to let a user view the rest of the Mail inbox, and Mail is now smarter, recognizing information like dining reservations, flight confirmations, and phone numbers, allowing it to be add to Calendar, Contacts, and other relevant apps.

Safari

The tab view that was first introduced on Safari for iPhone has been added to the iPad, displaying menu bar items in a tiled grid. A separate view accessible via a button on the top right of the bar allows users to see a view of all open tabs, both on the current device and on other nearby devices. A new sidebar displays bookmarks, Reading List, and Shared Links.

Health

Apple has introduced a new "Health" app, which functions as a dashboard that aggregates data collected from various health and fitness apps. It includes sections for Diagnostics, Fitness, Lab Results, Medications, Nutrition, Sleep, Vitals, and more, along with an Emergency Card displaying medical conditions and allergies. The Emergency Card is accessible directly on the lock screen.
Health is designed to put all of a user's heath and fitness data in one easy-to-access spot, creating a clear overview of a person's current health. It will likely integrate with several existing apps and devices, as well as the company's much-rumored iWatch, expected to be released later in the year.

Siri

Siri can now be activated with the voice command "Hey Siri," and the voice assistant also features integration with Shazam, identifying songs upon request. It also supports streaming voice recognition, is able to purchase iTunes content, and features 22 new dictation languages.

Spotlight

Spotlight has been revamped on both iOS and OS X, and it is now able to show suggestions from the Internet, iTunes, App Store, locations nearby, and more. For example, when searching for a movie using Spotlight, it the search results will include both movie showtimes and relevant iTunes links.

Searching for a term like "Cats" will display results that include options from Wikipedia and nearby cat-related locations.

Family Sharing

iOS 8 introduces a new feature for families called "Family Sharing," which lets families of up to six people with iTunes accounts that use the same credit card share content like apps, iBooks, movies, and music.
This feature allows family purchases to be bought with the same credit card and it allows children to initiate purchases that must be confirmed by a parental device.
Family Sharing also lets families share photos, videos, a calendar, reminders, and more to keep everyone in the family connected. The feature can automatically share location between family members, letting parents keep an eye on kids, and it lets family members find lost devices.

iCloud Drive

iCloud Drive lets users store presentations, spreadsheets, PDFs, images, or any other kind of document within iCloud, making them accessible on any Mac or iOS device. It functions similarly to Dropbox, with a dedicated folder within Finder on OS X Yosemite that users can drag files to.
Edits made to a file within iCloud Drive will appear on app devices and because iCloud Drive now allows apps to share files, a file can be accessed in one app and then manipulated in another. For example, a sketch might be started within one sketching app and then opened in a second.