In line with Apple's announced schedule calling for a release today, iOS 5 is now available to download for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch users. Users can obtain the update by connecting their devices to iTunes and clicking the "Check for Update" button. It may take a few minutes for the update to propagate to all users, however.
iOS 5 brings more than 200 new features, including Notification Center, iMessage, Newsstand, Reminders, and systemwide Twitter integration.
iOS 5 is compatible with the iPad 2, original iPad, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, and third- and fourth-generation iPod touch. It will also ship on the iPhone 4S, which launches on Friday. An iOS 5-based version of the Apple TV software, labeled software version 4.4, is also available.
This update contains over 200 new features, including the following:
Notifications ◦ Swipe from the top of any screen to view notifications in one place with Notification Center ◦ New notifications appear briefly at the top of the screen ◦ View notifications from lock screen ◦ Slide the notification app icon to the right on the lock screen to go directly to the app iMessage ◦ Send and receive unlimited text, photo, and video messages with other iOS 5 users ◦ Track messages with delivery and read receipts ◦ Group messaging and secure encryption ◦ Works over cellular network and Wi-Fi* Newsstand ◦ Automatically organizes magazine and newspaper subscriptions on Home Screen ◦ Displays the cover of the latest issue ◦ Background downloads of new issues Reminders for managing to do lists ◦ Syncs with iCloud, iCal and Outlook ◦ Location-based reminders when you leave or arrive at a location for iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 Built-in support for Twitter ◦ Sign-in once in Settings and tweet directly from Camera, Photos, Maps, Safari and YouTube ◦ Add location to any tweet ◦ View twitter profile pictures and usernames in Contacts Camera improvements for devices with cameras ◦ Double click the home button when device is asleep to bring up a camera shortcut on iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS and iPod touch (4th generation) ◦ Volume Up button to take a picture ◦ Optional grid lines to line up shots ◦ Pinch to zoom in the preview screen ◦ Swipe to camera roll from preview screen ◦ Tap and hold to lock focus and exposure, iPad 2 and iPod touch (4th generation) only support exposure lock Photo improvements for devices with cameras ◦ Crop and rotate ◦ Red eye removal ◦ One tap enhance ◦ Organize photos into albums Mail improvements ◦ Format text using bold, italic, or underlined fonts ◦ Indentation control ◦ Drag to rearrange names in address fields ◦ Flag messages ◦ Mass mark messages as flagged, read or unread ◦ Customize mail alert sounds ◦ S/MIME Calendar improvements ◦ Year view on iPad and new Week view for iPhone and iPod touch ◦ Tap to create an event ◦ View and add event attachments Game Center improvements ◦ Use personal photos for your Game Center account ◦ Compare your overall achievement scores with your friends ◦ Find new Game Center friends with friend recommendations and friends of friends ◦ Discover new games with custom game recommendations AirPlay Mirroring for iPad 2 and iPhone 4S Multitasking Gestures for iPad ◦ Use four or five fingers to pinch to the Home Screen ◦ Swipe up to reveal the multitasking bar ◦ Swipe left or right to switch between apps On-device setup, activation and configuration with Setup Assistant Software updates available over the air without tethering iCloud support ◦ iTunes in the Cloud ◦ Photo Stream ◦ Documents in the Cloud ◦ Apps and Books automatic download and purchase history ◦ Backup ◦ Contacts, Calendar, and Mail ◦ Find My iPhone Redesigned Music app for iPad Hourly weather forecast Real-time stock quotes Wireless sync to iTunes Keyboard improvements ◦ Split keyboard for iPad ◦ Improved autocorrection accuracy ◦ Improved Chinese and Japanese input ◦ New Emoji keyboard ◦ Personal dictionary for autocorrection ◦ Optionally create keyboard short cuts for frequently used words Accessibility improvements ◦ Option to light LED flash on incoming calls and alerts for iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 ◦ Custom vibration patterns for incoming calls on iPhone ◦ New interface for using iOS with mobility-impairment input devices ◦ Option to speak a selection of text ◦ Custom element labeling for VoiceOver Exchange ActiveSync improvements ◦ Wirelessly sync tasks ◦ Mark messages as flagged, read or unread ◦ Improved offline support ◦ Save a new contact from a GAL service More than 1,500 new developer APIs Bug fixes
Wednesday April 17, 2024 9:58 am PDT by Juli Clover
Game emulator apps have come and gone since Apple announced App Store support for them on April 5, but now popular game emulator Delta from developer Riley Testut is available for download. Testut is known as the developer behind GBA4iOS, an open-source emulator that was available for a brief time more than a decade ago. GBA4iOS led to Delta, an emulator that has been available outside of...
Tuesday April 16, 2024 6:54 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Last September, Apple's iPhone 15 Pro models debuted with a new customizable Action button, offering faster access to a handful of functions, as well as the ability to assign Shortcuts. Apple is poised to include the feature on all upcoming iPhone 16 models, so we asked iPhone 15 Pro users what their experience has been with the additional button so far. The Action button replaces the switch ...
The lead developer of the multi-emulator app Provenance has told iMore that his team is working towards releasing the app on the App Store, but he did not provide a timeframe. Provenance is a frontend for many existing emulators, and it would allow iPhone and Apple TV users to emulate games released for a wide variety of classic game consoles, including the original PlayStation, GameCube, Wii,...
Wednesday April 17, 2024 12:19 pm PDT by Juli Clover
A decade ago, developer Riley Testut released the GBA4iOS emulator for iOS, and since it was against the rules at the time, Apple put a stop to downloads. Emulators have been a violation of the App Store rules for years, but that changed on April 5 when Apple suddenly reversed course and said that it was allowing retro game emulators on the App Store. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel ...
Tuesday April 16, 2024 11:33 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
The first approved Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) emulator for the iPhone and iPad was made available on the App Store today following Apple's rule change. The emulator is called Bimmy, and it was developed by Tom Salvo. On the App Store, Bimmy is described as a tool for testing and playing public domain/"homebrew" games created for the NES, but the app allows you to load ROMs for any...
Top Rated Comments
This update contains over 200 new features, including the following:
Notifications
◦ Swipe from the top of any screen to view notifications in one place with Notification Center
◦ New notifications appear briefly at the top of the screen
◦ View notifications from lock screen
◦ Slide the notification app icon to the right on the lock screen to go directly to the app
iMessage
◦ Send and receive unlimited text, photo, and video messages with other iOS 5 users
◦ Track messages with delivery and read receipts
◦ Group messaging and secure encryption
◦ Works over cellular network and Wi-Fi*
Newsstand
◦ Automatically organizes magazine and newspaper subscriptions on Home Screen
◦ Displays the cover of the latest issue
◦ Background downloads of new issues
Reminders for managing to do lists
◦ Syncs with iCloud, iCal and Outlook
◦ Location-based reminders when you leave or arrive at a location for iPhone 4S and iPhone 4
Built-in support for Twitter
◦ Sign-in once in Settings and tweet directly from Camera, Photos, Maps, Safari and YouTube
◦ Add location to any tweet
◦ View twitter profile pictures and usernames in Contacts
Camera improvements for devices with cameras
◦ Double click the home button when device is asleep to bring up a camera shortcut on iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS and iPod touch (4th generation)
◦ Volume Up button to take a picture
◦ Optional grid lines to line up shots
◦ Pinch to zoom in the preview screen
◦ Swipe to camera roll from preview screen
◦ Tap and hold to lock focus and exposure, iPad 2 and iPod touch (4th generation) only support exposure lock
Photo improvements for devices with cameras
◦ Crop and rotate
◦ Red eye removal
◦ One tap enhance
◦ Organize photos into albums
Mail improvements
◦ Format text using bold, italic, or underlined fonts
◦ Indentation control
◦ Drag to rearrange names in address fields
◦ Flag messages
◦ Mass mark messages as flagged, read or unread
◦ Customize mail alert sounds
◦ S/MIME
Calendar improvements
◦ Year view on iPad and new Week view for iPhone and iPod touch
◦ Tap to create an event
◦ View and add event attachments
Game Center improvements
◦ Use personal photos for your Game Center account
◦ Compare your overall achievement scores with your friends
◦ Find new Game Center friends with friend recommendations and friends of friends
◦ Discover new games with custom game recommendations
AirPlay Mirroring for iPad 2 and iPhone 4S
Multitasking Gestures for iPad
◦ Use four or five fingers to pinch to the Home Screen
◦ Swipe up to reveal the multitasking bar
◦ Swipe left or right to switch between apps
On-device setup, activation and configuration with Setup Assistant
Software updates available over the air without tethering
iCloud support
◦ iTunes in the Cloud
◦ Photo Stream
◦ Documents in the Cloud
◦ Apps and Books automatic download and purchase history
◦ Backup
◦ Contacts, Calendar, and Mail
◦ Find My iPhone
Redesigned Music app for iPad
Hourly weather forecast
Real-time stock quotes
Wireless sync to iTunes
Keyboard improvements
◦ Split keyboard for iPad
◦ Improved autocorrection accuracy
◦ Improved Chinese and Japanese input
◦ New Emoji keyboard
◦ Personal dictionary for autocorrection
◦ Optionally create keyboard short cuts for frequently used words
Accessibility improvements
◦ Option to light LED flash on incoming calls and alerts for iPhone 4S and iPhone 4
◦ Custom vibration patterns for incoming calls on iPhone
◦ New interface for using iOS with mobility-impairment input devices
◦ Option to speak a selection of text
◦ Custom element labeling for VoiceOver
Exchange ActiveSync improvements
◦ Wirelessly sync tasks
◦ Mark messages as flagged, read or unread
◦ Improved offline support
◦ Save a new contact from a GAL service
More than 1,500 new developer APIs
Bug fixes
Products compatible with this software update:
iPhone 4S
iPhone 4
iPhone 3GS
iPad 2
iPad
iPod touch (4th generation)
iPod touch (3rd generation)
* Normal carrier data rates may apply. Messages will be sent as SMS when iMessage is unavailable, carrier messaging fees apply.
For information on the security content of this update, please visit this website:
<http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222>
Go to work! :rolleyes: