| Version of theiOS operating system | |
 | |
 iOS 6 home screen on aniPhone 5 | |
| Source model | Closed, withopen source components |
|---|---|
| Initial release | September 19, 2012; 12 years ago (2012-09-19) |
| Latest release | 6.1.6 (10B500) / February 21, 2014; 11 years ago (2014-02-21) |
| Update method | Software Update |
| Package manager | App Store |
| Platforms | |
| Kernel type | Hybrid (XNU) |
| Default user interface | Springboard |
| License | ProprietaryEULA except for open-source components |
| Preceded by | iOS 5 |
| Succeeded by | iOS 7 |
| Official website | Apple - iOS 6 at theWayback Machine (archived September 4, 2013) |
| Tagline | It takes your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch in entirely new directions. |
| Support status | |
| Obsolete, unsupported. Drops support for the iPod Touch (3rd generation), and iPad (1st generation). | |
iOS 6 is thesixth major release of theiOSmobile operating system developed byApple Inc, being the successor toiOS 5. It was announced at the company'sWorldwide Developers Conference on June 11, 2012, and was released on September 19, 2012. It was succeeded byiOS 7 on September 18, 2013.[1]
iOS 6 introduced a newApple Maps app, which replacedGoogle Maps as the default mapping service for the operating system; a dedicatedPodcasts app, as a central location forpodcasts; and aPassbook app, for managing different types of tickets, boarding passes, coupons, and loyalty cards. TheApp Store received a visual overhaul, featuring a card-based app layout and improved search algorithms.Facebook integration was added to the operating system, allowing status messages, like buttons, and contact and event synchronization with several of Apple's apps. New privacy controls gave users more fine-grained app permissions, as well as an option to prevent targeted advertising. Siri was expanded to more devices and updated with more functionality, such as the ability to make restaurant reservations, launch apps, retrieve movie reviews and sports statistics, and read items from the Notification Center. iOS 6 also addedLTE support for more carriers, the ability to purchase movie tickets through Fandango withSiri (USA only), a new button to reset the Advertising Identifier, and improvements to Maps in Japan. Additionally, iOS 6 improved the Photos and Camera apps, allowing users to share photos withiCloud Photo Stream, add filters to their camera shots, and take panoramic photos. The Phone app also received some enhancements, such as the option to reply with a message or set a callback reminder when declining a call, and the ability to enable a Do Not Disturb mode.
iOS 6 received positive reviews. Critics noted that the operating system did not offer any significant speed improvements or major redesigns, but instead focused on refinements, with a general consensus that Apple "isn't overhauling things for the sake of it." iOS 6 did not "completely change the way you use your device," but "each of the tweaks will make many daily smartphone actions easier across the board," and critics praised the refinement of "something that already works extremely well" as "something other companies would do well to emulate."
The release of Apple Maps, however, drew significant criticism, due to inaccurate or incomplete data. The issues prompted an open letter of apology fromApple CEOTim Cook.Scott Forstall, who had overseen iOS development since its inception, announced his departure from the company shortly after the release of iOS 6.
iOS 6 is the last version of iOS that supports theiPhone 3GS and thefourth-generation iPod Touch. iOS 6 is also the last iOS with theskeuomorphic design.
iOS 6 was introduced at theApple Worldwide Developers Conference on June 11, 2012.[2]
iOS 6 was officially released on September 19, 2012.[3][4]
Apple'sSiri intelligent personal assistant, introduced in iOS 5 with the release of theiPhone 4s, was updated to include the ability to make restaurant reservations, launch apps, read items from the Notification Center, dictateFacebook andTwitter updates, retrieve movie reviews, detailed sports statistics, and more.[5]
Siri received language support forItalian,Korean, andCantonese,[6] and device support for theiPhone 5,fifth-generation iPod Touch, andthird-generation iPad.[7]
In iOS 6.1,Siri was integrated withFandango, allowing users to buy film tickets by voice. The feature was only available in the United States at launch.[8]
Facebook came integrated in several of Apple's native apps with iOS 6. Facebook features could be directly accessed from within native apps such as Calendar, which could synchronize Facebook events; Contacts, which could show Facebook friend information, and the App Store andGame Center, which featured Facebook'slike button; as well as through a widget in the Notification Center, which allowed users to post status updates to the social network.[5][9]
The Settings app received multiple changes in iOS 6. The icon was revised to match the System Preferences icon used inOS X, and a "Do Not Disturb" mode was added, which allows users to disable phone sounds. Additional options for Do Not Disturb mode include being able to allow phone calls from a specific group of contacts, and allowing sound on the second call if someone calls repeatedly. A crescent moon icon will appear in the status bar when Do Not Disturb mode is enabled.[10]
New privacy settings became available to users. In addition to "Location Services," the following menus were added in iOS 6: "Contacts," "Calendars," "Reminders," and "Photos." The updated privacy menus allow users more fine-grained privacy permission controls for each app, with new notifications when apps want access to information in each of the categories.[11]
iOS 6 also came with a "Limit ad tracking" user control setting to allow users the option to preventtargeted advertising. Apple's "Advertising Identifier" was described by Apple as "a non-permanent, non-personal, device identifier, that advertising networks will use to give you more control over advertisers' ability to use tracking methods. If you choose to limit ad tracking, advertising networks using the Advertising Identifier may no longer gather information to serve you targeted ads."[12]
In iOS 6.1, a "Reset Advertising Identifier" setting was added to allow users to reset the identifier used by advertising companies.[8]
iOS 6 added aTwitter widget in the Notification Center, where users could tweet without going into the app. This saved resources.[13]
The Share Sheet interface was updated to display a grid of icons, as opposed to a list, of different apps to which users could share content.[14]
A newApple Maps app replacedGoogle Maps as the default mapping app on the operating system. Apple Maps used Apple's vector-based engine, making for smootherzooming. New to Maps wasturn-by-turn navigation with spoken directions and 3D views in certain countries, "Flyover" views in some major cities, and real-time traffic.[5]
At launch, turn-by-turn navigation was only available for theiPhone 4s and later, andiPad 2 (cellular capability required) and later, while "Flyover" view was only available for iPhone 4s and later,fifth-generation iPod Touch, and iPad 2 and later.[7]
A new Passbook app was added, to retrieve documents such asboarding passes,admission tickets,coupons andloyalty cards.[5][15][16]
An iOS device with Passbook can replace a physical card when scanned to process amobile payment at participating locations. The app has context-aware features such as notifications for relevant coupons when in the immediate vicinity of a given store, and automatic visibility of boarding passes when the user is at an airport, with notifications for gate changes.[5]
The Camera app was updated to include a newPanorama mode that allowed users to take 240-degree panoramic photos.[17][18]
The Photos app received updates to the Photo Stream functionality, letting users remove images, as well as share custom Photo Streams with other people or the public.[5][10]
The App Store on iOS 6 had a brand new user interface that removed the "Categories" tab and replaced it with "Genius," Apple's search and recommendation engine. It also made use of cards rather than lists to present apps. There were also tweaks to the App Store's search algorithm, resulting in a "trend to favor newer companies," which sparked both developer concerns and praise.[19][20]
The App Store also updated apps without requiring theiTunes password, and when installing or updating an app, users were no longer automatically returned to the home screen.[21]
Upon receiving calls, iOS 6 enabled users to swipe up the lock screen to reveal "Reply with message" or "Remind me later." The "Reply with message" feature shows several pre-determined messages with an option for a custom message, while the "Remind me later" feature offers several options (such as an hour later, when the user gets home, or when the user leaves the current location) to enable a reminder.[22]
Podcast functionality was separated from the iTunes app and received its own Podcasts app in iOS 6, in order to "centralize and promote podcast listening and downloading for users."[23][24]
TheSafari web browser was updated with a full-screen landscape view for iPhone and iPod Touch users.[25]
Reading List, a feature introduced iniOS 5, received offline support, in which text, images, and layout from saved articles get stored on the user's device.[26]
FaceTime video calling was updated to work over acellular connection, in addition toWi-Fi.[27]
TheClock app, which had been on iPhone and iPod Touch since their original release, became available oniPad.[28] The clock design looked similar to aSwiss railway clock, and Apple formed an agreement with theSwiss Federal Railways to license the design for its own use.[29]
TheMusic app was redesigned for iPhone and iPod Touch users. The interface was now completely white, while the Now Playing UI was now equipped with motion sensitive scrubber bars similar to theiPod Nano 7th generation.
TheYouTube app, which had been a default app on iOS developed by Apple, was removed.[30][31] Apple toldThe Verge that the reason for the removal was due to an expired license, but that YouTube users could still view videos through the Safari web browser. The company also confirmed thatGoogle, which owns YouTube, was developing its own app, with a then-upcoming release through the App Store.[32] The Apple-developed YouTube app remained on iOS 5 and previous iOS versions.[33] In June 2017, former YouTube employee Hunter Walktweeted that Apple contacted YouTube to make it a default app on theoriginal iPhone to ensure mass market mobile launch for the video-sharing service, but required handling development efforts itself. In 2012, YouTube made the "gutsy move" to discontinue the license in an effort to "take back control of our app" by developing it themselves.[34][35]
The reception of iOS 6 was positive. Dan Seifert ofThe Verge wrote that "iOS 6 looks nearly identical to iOS 5. There are a few subtle tweaks here and there. But for every small change to the look of iOS details, there are ten things that remain the same." While praising the iPhone 4s for being a "snappy performer," he noted that "When it comes to speed, iOS 6 doesn't feel terribly different from iOS 5".[36] Craig Grannell ofTechRadar wrote that "iOS 6 is rather like theiPhone 5 orOS X Mountain Lion - the refinement of something that already works extremely well. Apple isn't overhauling things for the sake of it but, in the main, making the iOS experience gradually better. That in itself is something other companies would do well to emulate."[10] Jason Parker ofCNET wrote that "iOS 6 is a welcome upgrade for any iOS user, but it's not going to completely change the way you use your device. Instead, each of the tweaks here will make many daily smartphone actions easier across the board and offer some relief to those waiting for certain features (sending images from email and call controls, for example)."[37]
In iOS 6, Apple replaced Google Maps with its own Apple Maps as the default mapping service for the operating system, and immediately faced criticism for inaccurate or incomplete data, including a museum in a river, missing towns, very inaccurate directions, satellite images obscured by clouds, missing local places, and more.[38][39][40]
Apple CEO Tim Cook issued a letter on Apple's website apologizing for the "frustration caused by the Maps application,"[41] and recommended downloading alternative map apps from the App Store.[42][43]Scott Forstall, the then-VP of iOS software engineering, was involuntarily dismissed from his role at Apple in October 2012 after he "refused to sign his name to a letter apologizing for shortcomings in Apple's new mapping service."[44]
In September 2012, Sarah Downey, a "privacy expert" with the software company Abine expressed her concern that in spite of the new "Advertising Identifier," Apple didn't disclose details on what the identifier was actually based on. She stated: "I need them to tell me why it's not identifying because as we've seen from a lot other "non-identifying" pieces of data, they can identify you quite easily," and that "If you're using the opt-out, [Apple] may no longer gather information to serve you targeted ads. To me, that says they may still collect your information to do things other than serve you targeted ads, like build databases about you to send you marketing or to sell to third parties."[12]
Many users reported a higher-than-normal data usage after upgrading to iOS 6, causing some to be heavily billed for data largely exceeding their data plan. Steve Rosenbaum ofThe Huffington Post wrote that "The bug is the result of an iOS 6 problem that connects the phone to the cellular data network whenever the phone is connected to a WiFi signal," and also stated that Apple had released apatch.[45][46]
In April 2014, users who were still running iOS 6 could not connect to FaceTime due to the expiration of a certificate. Apple released a support document explaining the problem, adding that devices capable of upgrading to iOS 7 must do so to fix the issue, while devices stuck on iOS 6 would receive an iOS 6.1.6 update.[47]
With this release, Apple dropped support for thethird-generation iPod Touch and thefirst-generation iPad.[48] iOS 6 is the first version of iOS to drop support for aniPad.
| Version | Build | Codename | Release date | Notes | Update type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.0 | 10A402 | Sundance | August 27, 2012 September 19, 2012September 21, 2012October 11, 2012November 2, 2012 | Initial release on iPhone 5, iPod touch (5th generation), iPad mini (1st generation), and iPad (4th generation)
| Initial Release |
| 6.0.1 | 10A523 10A525[a] 10A8426[d] | October 29, 2012 | Bug Fixes | ||
| 6.0.2 | 10A550[e] 10A551[a] 10A8500[f] | December 13, 2012 | iPhone 5 andiPad mini (1st generation) only | Bug Fixes | |
| 6.1 | 10B137 | Brighton | January 7, 2013 January 28, 2013 |
| Feature Update |
| 6.1.1 | 10B145 | February 11, 2013 | iPhone 4S only, improves cellular reliability for iPhone 4S.[55][56] | Bug Fixes | |
| 6.1.2 | 10B146 10B147[f] | February 19, 2013 | Bug Fixes | ||
| 6.1.3 | 10B329 | BrightonMaps | March 13, 2013 | Bug Fixes | |
| Exclusive toiPhone 5 | |||||
| 6.1.4 | 10B350 | BrightonMaps | April 27, 2013 | Fixes a speakerphone bug for iPhone 5[61][62] | Bug Fixes |
| Exclusive toiPod touch (4th generation) | |||||
| 6.1.5 | 10B400 | BrightonMaps | November 14, 2013 | Fixes a bug for iPod Touch 4 that caused FaceTime calls to fail.[63][64] | Bug Fixes |
| Exclusive toiPhone 3GS andiPod touch (4th generation) | |||||
| 6.1.6 | 10B500 | BrightonMaps | February 21, 2014 | Fixes the infamousgoto fail;SSL verification bug.[65][66] | Bug Fixes |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)| Preceded by | iOS 6 2012 | Succeeded by |
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