A Real-World Look at Proactive Suggestions on iOS 9

Apple aims to take on Google Now with the addition of several new intuitive features on iOS 9 for iPhone and iPad, including Proactive Suggestions, which provides contextually-aware recommendations for music, email, reminders, calendar events and more based on apps that you frequently open and the time of the day.

With iOS 9 currently available in beta, ahead of a public release in September, several readers have shared their real-world experiences with Proactive Suggestions within the MacRumors discussion forums, providing a closer look at the new-and-improved assistant that will be available to all users next month.

Music and Maps

Music Proactive
When you connect your iPhone to your car via Bluetooth, iOS 9 can automatically make suggestions for you based on your common tasks while driving. For example, if you often listen to music while driving, it is likely that playback controls or a suggested playlist will be displayed on the Lock screen.

Meanwhile, if you are a daily commuter focused on getting from point A to point B in the fastest manner possible, iOS 9 can also learn to display real-time traffic updates and an approximate time it will take to reach your destination through Apple Maps notifications on the Lock screen.

MacRumors forum member penajmz:

"This is when I get in my car now every day. It's really nice and it started happening after the last beta. I get traffic and music app because I usually play music as soon as the Bluetooth connects."

Netflix

netflix-proactive
MacRumors forum member VSMacOne:

"About a week and a half ago I switched from listening to Podcasts to watching Netflix during my morning run on the elliptical and this morning when I cut on my iPad I saw the Netflix icon in the lower left corner and then again in the multitask view in the same place where Handoff shows up but with the message Good Morning! This is really awesome."

Games

Clash of Clans Proactive
MacRumors forum member XTheLancerX:

"I always wake up and check Clash of Clans in the morning. iOS 9 has noticed."

iOS 9 can remember which games you play the most and when, such as Clash of Clans every morning, place the app in your multitasking view, provide Lock screen notifications and more so that you can easily pick up where you left off.

Game-Proactive
In another real-world scenario, iOS 9 recognizes that MacRumors forum member Shirasaki often plays a Japanese game called ラブライブ! after plugging in EarPods into the headphone jack, so it automatically suggests the app and places it in the multitasking view on iPhone.

Siri on iOS 9 will also feature quick connections for finding contacts, deeper search within apps, nearby places, news and other suggestions as a more intelligent assistant on iPhone and iPad. Siri can also be searched for a wider range of topics, understands what you are saying more accurately and delivers search results faster.

Related Forum: iOS 9

Popular Stories

Verizon New

Verizon is Down: iPhones Show 'SOS' Mode Due to Network Outage [Resolved]

Wednesday January 14, 2026 10:18 am PST by
Verizon is experiencing a major outage across the U.S. today, with hundreds of thousands of customers reporting issues with the network on the website Downdetector. There are also complaints across Reddit and other social media platforms. iPhone users and others with Verizon service are generally unable to make phone calls, send text messages, or use data over 5G or LTE due to the outage....
Apple Creator Studio

Apple Introduces New 'Creator Studio' Bundle of Apps for $129 Per Year

Tuesday January 13, 2026 6:11 am PST by
Apple today introduced a new Apple Creator Studio bundle that offers access to six creative apps, as well as exclusive AI features and content, as part of a single subscription. In the U.S., pricing is set at $12.99 per month or $129 per year. Here are the six apps included with an Apple Creator Studio subscription:Final Cut Pro on the Mac and iPad Logic Pro on the Mac and iPad Pixelmator...
iOS 26

Here's What's New in iOS 26.3 So Far

Monday January 12, 2026 1:15 pm PST by
Apple today seeded the second beta of iOS 26.3, nearly a month after the first beta. So far, the update includes a couple of new features for iPhones. iOS 15.3 through iOS 18.3 were all released in late January over the years, so it is thereby likely that iOS 26.3 will be released towards the end of this month as well. The update is compatible with the iPhone 11 series and newer. Below,...
maxresdefault

Apple Confirms Google Gemini Will Power Next-Generation Siri This Year

Monday January 12, 2026 7:38 am PST by
In a statement shared with CNBC today, Apple confirmed that Google Gemini will power the next-generation version of Siri that is slated to launch later this year. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. "After careful evaluation, we determined that Google's technology provides the most capable foundation for Apple Foundation Models and we're excited about the innovative...
airpods pro 3 design

Apple Releases New AirPods Pro 3 Firmware Update

Tuesday January 13, 2026 11:29 am PST by
Apple today released a firmware update for the AirPods Pro 3. The latest firmware has a version number of 8B34, up from the previous version 8B30. Apple has a support document for AirPods firmware updates, and it indicates that the 8B34 update contains unspecified "bug fixes and other improvements." No other AirPods models received firmware updates today. How to install AirPods Pro...
Low Cost MacBook Feature A18 Pro

Apple Is Expected to Launch These Four MacBooks in 2026

Friday January 9, 2026 8:17 am PST by
2026 could be a bumper year for Apple's Mac lineup, with the company expected to announce as many as four separate MacBook launches. Rumors suggest Apple will court both ends of the consumer spectrum, with more affordable options for students and feature-rich premium lines for users that seek the highest specifications from a laptop. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. ...
maxresdefault

Google Gemini-Powered Siri Will Reportedly Have These 7 New Features

Tuesday January 13, 2026 7:52 pm PST by
Apple and Google this week announced that Gemini will help power a more personalized Siri, and The Information has provided more details. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. As soon as this spring, the report said the revamped version of Siri will be able to… Answer more factual/world knowledge questions in a conversational manner Tell more stories Provide...
fcp pcp iwork creator studio

Some Apple Apps Will No Longer Receive Every New Feature Without a Subscription

Tuesday January 13, 2026 10:50 am PST by
If you are not interested in subscribing to the new Apple Creator Studio bundle introduced today, you will officially start to miss out on some new features. Apple said some "exciting new intelligent features and premium content" in Pixelmator Pro, Keynote, Numbers, Pages, and Freeform will only be accessible with a Creator Studio subscription. In the U.S., a subscription costs $12.99 per...
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

10 Reasons to Wait for This Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Thursday January 8, 2026 2:56 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
iOS 18 Siri Personal Context

Elon Musk Reacts to Apple and Google Teaming on Gemini-Powered Siri

Monday January 12, 2026 11:38 am PST by
Elon Musk today expressed concern about Apple and Google partnering on a more personalized version of Siri powered by Google's generative AI platform Gemini. "This seems like an unreasonable concentration of power for Google, given that [they] also have Android and Chrome," wrote Musk, in a post on X. Musk serves as CEO of xAI, the company behind Gemini competitor Grok. It is unlikely...

Top Rated Comments

BeefCake 15 Avatar
136 months ago
Can it detect when I go to the restroom?
"I noticed you've taken longer to pee than usual, here is a list of urologists in your area" Siri
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Popeye206 Avatar
136 months ago
Quit trying to make Apple Maps happen.
???? In my world they have "happened". I use Apple Maps all the time and it performs just as good as Google Maps from what I can see.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rogifan Avatar
136 months ago
Google does this best. Apple please focus on removing the endless bugs in iOS.
Google does this best on an iPhone?

Quit trying to make Apple Maps happen.
Right, Google should be the only one allowed to do these things forever and we should all suck it up and like it. That will really drive competition!
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nazaar Avatar
136 months ago
Google does this best. Apple please focus on removing the endless bugs in iOS.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
FightTheFuture Avatar
136 months ago
Google does this best. Apple please focus on removing the endless bugs in iOS.
So they should just give up and not develop new software to improve the user experience on their own platform? By your logic, there would be no Apple Maps, Apple Music or even Siri integration.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cariacou Avatar
136 months ago
Can it detect when I go to the restroom?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)