Apple Seeds Second iOS 9.3 Beta to Developers With Night Shift Toggle in Control Center

ios93Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming iOS 9.3 update to developers for testing purposes, two weeks after seeding the first iOS 9.3 beta and more than a month since the public release of iOS 9.2.

The second iOS 9.3 beta is available as an over-the-air update and through the Apple Developer Center.

As a major .1 update to the iOS 9 operating system, iOS 9.3 introduces quite a few new features. There's a new Night Shift mode that cuts down on the amount of blue light iOS users are exposed to in the evening hours by automatically shifting the iPhone or iPad display to a warmer (yellower) color spectrum, and there are several new features designed to improve the iPad for Education program.


Several apps and features are also being updated. In-line video and a landscape view for the iPhone are available in the News app, which now offers more personalized recommendations and faster updates. Health includes a new Apple Watch-style "Activity" view that displays activity and goals, while Notes now has an option to password protect individual entries.

Apple Music on CarPlay now includes New and For You sections for better music discovery, and a Nearby feature in CarPlay Maps offers improved access to information about what's close by. Paired with watchOS 2.2, an iPhone running iOS 9.3 is able to support multiple Apple Watches, and for iPhone 6s users, there are new Quick Actions for the Weather, Settings, Compass, Health, App Store, and iTunes Store apps, along with new Peek and Pop gestures for the App Store.

What's new in iOS 9.3 beta 2:

Control Center Night Shift Toggle - As hinted at in the iOS 9.3 preview page provided to Canadian users, iOS 9.2 beta 2 introduces Night Shift controls in the iOS Control Center, accessible by swiping up from the bottom of an iOS device. Night Shift is denoted by a new eye-shaped icon in between the icons for the timer and the calculator on the iPhone. Tapping on the icon brings up options to turn the feature on or disable it until the next day.

nightshiftcontrolcenter
Night Shift is denoted by a new eye-shaped icon in between the icons for the timer and the calculator on the iPhone. Tapping on the icon brings up options to turn the feature on or disable it until the next day. In the video below, you can see Night Shift's Control Center toggle in action.


Night Shift Settings - In the Settings app under Display & Brightness, Night Shift has been moved to its own submenu. Tapping on "Night Shift" now opens up a menu that features all of the Night Shift controls. In the first beta, Night Shift was not in its own section.

nightshiftbeta2settings
Apple Music Playlists - In the Apple Music section of the Settings app, there's a new feature that lets users choose whether Apple Music songs added to playlists will also be added to iCloud Music Library. With this new toggle turned off, songs can be added to playlists without being added to a user's library.

applemusicplaylists
Quick Actions - The 3D Touch Quick Action for the Settings app no longer offers an option to change the wallpaper.

iOS 9.3's features will be released to the public this spring following the conclusion of the beta testing period.

Tag: iOS 9.3
Related Forum: iOS 9

Top Rated Comments

secDJ Avatar
94 months ago
Hopefully they fix the Bluetooth car problem. Annoying as hell...
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Gudi Avatar
94 months ago
I don't like the new icon. Bring back the bedside lamp!





Probably someone at Apple thought, users would be confused, because an actual bedside lamp doesn't filter blue light. So that's why we can't have nice things. :(
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacMartyr Avatar
94 months ago
Battery life? I know it's a beta with 9.3 I was getting about 4-6 hours with moderate usage.
I just installed this second beta an hour ago, and so far I've been getting about 8 hours of mixed usage. Battery life has definitely improved.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jakexb Avatar
94 months ago
I don't want to jinx it, but it's almost like Apple is getting its software mojo back. Latest few things we've seen (tvOS, beta 3, fixes to Apple Music, Music Memos, Apple News updates) are looking really good. Hope they keep it up!
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
KPOM Avatar
94 months ago
The first person who tests this, please let us know if this fixes the Apple Pencil scrolling issue.

Update: Apparently it does not.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Corrode Avatar
94 months ago
Updated Control Center http://twitter.com/viticci/status/691729987754401792
Wish they'd let you customize those shortcuts, but this is still nice as I find myself manually toggling Night Shift a couple times a day.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 17 on Phone Feature

Gurman: iOS 17 to Provide Several 'Most Requested Features'

Sunday March 26, 2023 6:05 am PDT by
Apple changed the strategy for iOS 17 later in its development process to add several new features, suggesting that the update may be more significant than previously thought, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. In January, Gurman said that iOS 17 could be a less significant update than iPhone updates in previous years due to the company's intense focus on its long-awaited mixed-reality...
dynamic island

iPhone 15 Dynamic Island to Include New Integrated Proximity Sensor

Friday March 24, 2023 12:27 am PDT by
This year, all iPhone 15 models will include Apple's Dynamic Island that unifies the pill and hole cutouts at the top of the display, but there will also be a material change to the feature that wasn't included in the iPhone 14 Pro models. According to a new tweet by Apple industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the proximity sensor on the iPhone 15 series will be integrated inside the Dynamic Island ...
top stories 25mar2023

Top Stories: iPhone 15 Pro Design Leak, iOS 16.4 Coming Soon, and More

Saturday March 25, 2023 6:00 am PDT by
We're still almost six months away from the official unveiling of the iPhone 15 lineup, but it seems like every day we're learning more about what to expect from the next-generation models. Notably, this week gave us our clearest look yet at what appear to be some changes for the volume and mute control hardware. iOS 16.4 and associated releases are also right around the corner with some new ...
Hero0009

Best Apple Deals of the Week: Samsung's Smart Monitor M8 Gets Massive $250 Discount, Along With Year's Best AirPods Prices

Friday March 24, 2023 10:23 am PDT by
We saw a lot of great deals on Apple products and related accessories this week, including Samsung's iMac-like Smart Monitor M8 for $250 off, a 30 percent off spring sale at Anker, and the year's best prices on numerous AirPods models. All of these deals are still available to purchase right now, so we're recapping them and more below. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these ...
Steve Jobs Theater dusk

Apple Reportedly Demoed Mixed-Reality Headset to Executives in the Steve Jobs Theater Last Week

Sunday March 26, 2023 5:53 am PDT by
Apple showcased its mixed-reality headset to the company's top 100 executives in the Steve Jobs Theater last week, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman explained that the "momentous gathering" is a "key milestone" ahead of the headset's public announcement planned for June. The event was intended to rally Apple's top members of...
apple mixed reality headset concept by david lewis and marcus kane

Some Apple Employees Seriously Concerned About Mixed-Reality Headset as Announcement Draws Closer

Sunday March 26, 2023 8:25 am PDT by
Some Apple employees are concerned about the usefulness and price point of the company's upcoming mixed-reality headset, The New York Times reports. Apple headset concept by David Lewis and Marcus Kane Initial enthusiasm around the device at the company has apparently become skepticism, according to eight current and former Apple employees speaking to The New York Times. The change of tone...
iphone 14 pro max deep purple feature purple

iPhone 15 Pro Rumor Recap: 10 New Features and Changes to Expect

Thursday March 23, 2023 6:42 am PDT by
While the iPhone 15 series is still around six months away from launching, there have already been plenty of rumors about the devices. Many new features and changes have been rumored for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max in particular. Below, we have recapped 10 changes rumored for iPhone 15 Pro models that are not expected to be available on the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus:A1...
iOS 16

iOS 16.4 Will Add These 8 New Features to Your iPhone

Sunday March 26, 2023 8:06 am PDT by
Following nearly six weeks of beta testing, iOS 16.4 is expected to be released to the public as soon as this week. The software update includes a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone 8 and newer. To install an iOS update, open the Settings app on the iPhone, tap General → Software Update, and follow the on-screen instructions. Below, we have recapped eight new features and...