iOS 8 beta 4, released earlier today, included a new app called Tips, which is designed to offer iOS 8 users information about all of the new features in the operating system.

Tips was first hinted at during Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, shown briefly on a display that rounded up dozens of unmentioned iOS 8 features, but it was missing from the iOS 8 betas until today.

It was unclear what would be included in the Tips app, but it turns out Tips is a simple tutorial-style app that gives users a look at some of the various features in iOS 8, using text, images, and brief animations.


As detailed in the above video, the Tips app has the following sections: Quickly respond to a notification, Notify me when there's a reply (in Mail), Hey Siri (on hands-free Siri operation), Send a spoken message (in Messages), Quickly manage your mail (using gestures), and Be in the shot (camera timer mode).

Tips has a simple interface that opens directly into the first tip, using swipe gestures to navigate through available content. There's a menu button on the bottom of the screen that gives a list of all the available tips, and each tip can be shared via Message, Mail, Facebook, or Twitter using the app's share sheet. There's also a "Like" feature, which most likely gives Apple information on which tips are most popular.

tipsappss
While there are only six different tips available in the app right now, an ending page suggests that users "Check back for new tips every week," indicating the app will be updated on a weekly basis. There's also a link to Apple's iOS 8 website, and the app will send notifications to users when new tips are available.

tipsappios8
Tips probably won't be a feature that's useful for seasoned iOS users, but for users who aren't familiar with the ins and outs of the operating system, the app will provide valuable information on accessing new features. The Tips app is a default iOS 8 app and cannot be uninstalled.

Tips is only available to registered developers who have iOS 8 beta 4 installed on their devices, but it will become available to all users this fall, when iOS 8 is released to the public.

Top Rated Comments

autrefois Avatar
143 months ago
why on earth is this app not able to be uninstalled?

Hopefully the first weekly tip will explain how to put unwanted base apps into a junk folder, and give users Tim Cook's personal email address so people can email him about the ability to delete (at least some) pre-installed apps as a feature request. :D
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jayducharme Avatar
143 months ago
They could let you delete them, then download them via the settings app on-demand (as they do for Facebook, Twitter).

That's a great idea. Given how many options there now are to restore apps, there's no need for Apple to worry about users "losing" them. I have no problem with a new device coming pre-installed with apps, but once I buy an iPhone it's MY device and I should be able to set it up the way I want.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dilster3k Avatar
143 months ago
They could have implemented this differently. The amount of pre-installed applications (HealthKit, Tips, Podcasts, etc.) is rapidly increasing and it is getting bloated quickly. Android style.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
springsup Avatar
143 months ago
Hopefully the first weekly tip will explain how to put unwanted base apps into a junk folder, and give users Tim Cook's personal email address so people can email him about the ability to delete (at least some) pre-installed apps as a feature request. :D

They could let you delete them, then download them via the settings app on-demand (as they do for Facebook, Twitter).

Or they could have a setting which lets you hide them.

----------

Notifications for this seem like they'll get really annoying. Not only that, but I expect people will go there looking for general help. They should include a copy of the manual (or preinstall it into iBooks, which is now bundled, and include a link to it in the Tips app).
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sirious Avatar
143 months ago
iOS 8 has so many new default apps that I really can't care less about. Tips should be optional through settings or disappear after a quick tutorial.

Just because we can fit more apps in folders since iOS 7, doesn't mean they should throw more apps at us.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but won't my storage decrease on my device because the OS is larger now with these preinstalled apps?

I'm all Apple at the end of the day though :)

/end rant.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
IGregory Avatar
143 months ago
So now the interface has become so bloated and confusing that they have to provide a manual? What a nice way to "progress".

No, Apple is trying to attract new customers who may not be familiar with Apple's OS environment. There are many people out there who are not as smart as you. :apple:
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Monday June 30, 2025 1:08 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are less than three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max in September this year. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an...
Apple Watch Ultra Night Mode Screen

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Launching Later This Year With Two Key Upgrades

Wednesday July 2, 2025 1:13 pm PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 appears to be nearly over, and it is rumored to feature both satellite connectivity and 5G support. Apple Watch Ultra's existing Night Mode In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on track to launch this year with "significant" new features, including satellite connectivity, which would let you...
iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Magsafe

iPhone 17 Pro's New MagSafe Design Revealed in Leaked Photo

Wednesday July 2, 2025 8:37 am PDT by
The upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are rumored to have a slightly different MagSafe magnet layout compared to existing iPhone models, and a leaked photo has offered a closer look at the supposed new design. The leaker Majin Bu today shared a photo of alleged MagSafe magnet arrays for third-party iPhone 17 Pro cases. On existing iPhone models with MagSafe, the magnets form a...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Max Battery Capacity Leaked

Thursday July 3, 2025 5:40 am PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature the biggest ever battery in an iPhone, according to the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post, the leaker listed the battery capacities of the iPhone 11 Pro Max through to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and added that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a battery capacity of 5,000mAh: iPhone 11 Pro Max: 3,969mAh iPhone 12 Pro Max: 3,687mAh...
Wi Fi WiFi General Feature

iOS 26 Adds a Useful New Wi-Fi Feature to Your iPhone

Wednesday July 2, 2025 6:36 am PDT by
iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 add a smaller yet useful Wi-Fi feature to iPhones and iPads. As spotted by Creative Strategies analyst Max Weinbach, sign-in details for captive Wi-Fi networks are now synced across iPhones and iPads running iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. For example, while Weinbach was staying at a Hilton hotel, his iPhone prompted him to fill in Wi-Fi details from his iPad that was already...
iOS 18

Apple Releases Second iOS 18.6 Public Beta

Tuesday July 1, 2025 10:19 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 updates to public beta testers, with the betas coming just a day after Apple provided the betas to developers. Apple has also released a second beta of macOS Sequoia 15.6. Testers who have signed up for beta updates through Apple's beta site can download iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 from the Settings app on a compatible...
airpods pro 2

AirPods Pro 3 to Help Maintain Apple's Place in Earbud Market Amid Increasing Low-Cost Competition

Thursday July 3, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple's position as the dominant force in the global true wireless stereo (TWS) earbud market is expected to continue through 2025, according to Counterpoint Research. The forecast outlines a 3% year-over-year increase in global TWS unit shipments for 2025, signaling a transition from rapid growth to a more mature phase for the category. While Apple is set to remain the leading brand by...
apple silicon mac lineup 2024 feature purple m5

Apple's Upcoming Macs Listed in New Report

Thursday July 3, 2025 9:09 am PDT by
AppleInsider's Marko Zivkovic today shared a list of alleged identifiers for future Mac models, which should roll out over the next year or so. The report does not reveal anything too surprising, but it does serve as further evidence that Apple is seemingly working on new models of every Mac, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro. Apple is...