Hidden Features in iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Hidden Features in iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan

iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan have been available to developers for two weeks now, giving us time to discover all of the little features in both operating systems that weren't discussed during the keynote event. We've created two videos that highlight some of the small but neat additions to iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan, which you can watch below.

Apple's introduced a wide range of feature additions and minor tweaks in iOS 9 that make some very useful improvements to iOS. For example, there's now a Notification Center widget that displays the battery life of connected devices like the Apple Watch, and there's a search bar in the Settings app that lets you find a specific setting very quickly.

A "Back to App" feature lets you swap between apps quickly when you click a notification or a link, and some keyboard changes on the iPad make editing documents a whole lot easier.


OS X 10.11 El Capitan has fewer small feature additions, but there are some improvements worth pointing out. The famous rainbow wheel pointer or "beachball," which spins when a program is loading has brighter, more defined colors, and the cursor is now easier to find when waking a Mac from sleep. There's also a revamped Disk Utility window and a dedicated Find My Friends widget for the Notification Center.


If you want to see an overview of all of the features in the new operating systems, make sure to check out our roundups: iOS 9 and OS X 10.11 El Capitan. Our dedicated iOS 9 and El Capitan forums are also an excellent resource for learning more about the software we'll all be using in the fall.

Related Forums: iOS 9, OS X El Capitan

Popular Stories

macworld iphone 18 pro colors

iPhone 18 Pro's Four Rumored Colors Revealed, Including 'Dark Cherry'

Friday April 17, 2026 3:50 am PDT by
A source said to be familiar with Apple's supply chain today revealed the color options Apple is planning for the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the upcoming foldable iPhone. Image via Macworld. The information comes from Macworld, which says the signature new color for this year's Pro models will be Dark Cherry, a deep wine-like red. While other sources had previously reported on a...
macOS 27 on MacBook Pro

macOS 27 Will Mark the End of an Era

Saturday April 18, 2026 6:45 am PDT by
During its Platforms State of the Union segment at WWDC 2025, Apple revealed that macOS 26 Tahoe is the final major macOS version for Intel-based Macs. The upcoming macOS 27 release will be compatible with Apple silicon Macs only, meaning that you will need a Mac with an M-series chip or a MacBook Neo with an A18 Pro chip in order to install the software update. macOS 27 should be available...
Aston Martin CarPlay Ultra Screen

Apple Says CarPlay Ultra is Coming to These Vehicle Brands

Saturday April 18, 2026 5:59 am PDT by
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly a year later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon. In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. CarPlay Ultra...

Top Rated Comments

sniffies Avatar
141 months ago
I didn't see a single hidden feature.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheIguana Avatar
141 months ago
Where is the darn F.lux (https://justgetflux.com) support... come on Apple!
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
roland.g Avatar
141 months ago
In iOS they need to make the letters at the right side in a contact or iTunes list bigger. They are so hard to tap and if you miss you tap the contact for the row you are on. Even if they aren't bigger, the phone should know you are trying to jump to a letter and not that contact by how far right you tap.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
141 months ago
Where is the darn F.lux (https://justgetflux.com) support... come on Apple!
Not this again.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
141 months ago
The new OS X theme is great, for puking rainbows. Why did Apple turn OS X into the visual train wreck that was iOS 7 ?

I can't agree with shifting keyboard uppercase/lowercase characters, I'm supposed to be typing, not adjusting to a different interface at each keypress !! Bring back Scott Forstall fast, to keep the boat afloat.

Everything else seems great tho.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Benjamin Frost Avatar
141 months ago
Where is the darn F.lux (https://justgetflux.com) support... come on Apple!
Oh the joy it would be to have F.lux on iOS!
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)