8 Facts About iOS 13.1, Which Can Turn Your iPhone into a Portable KTV

iOS updates are always welcomed, especially if they make interesting updates like iOS 13. Released on 19 September 2019, it was just five days later that the next version, iOS 13.1, was released.

iOS 13.1 is really more like a debugging update but they also threw in a few new eye-catching features.

So, what can you expect from the new OS?

Let’s dive in.

Turn your Phone into a Portable KTV

I’m not sure about you, but I know I have the tendency to randomly start singing, because why the hell not. But what are the odds that I’ll remember the lyrics to every Backstreet Boys song?

Guess what? iOS 13 has introduced real-time lyrics to Apple Music. This means Apple Music doesn’t just get you the lyrics to whatever you are listening; they show it to you karaoke style. The lyric currently playing will be highlighted in white so you’ll always know where in the song you are at. Plus, the layout is really quite aesthetic.

This is also available on tvOS, and while it’s not the same as going to a KTV, we can still hold impromptu KTV sessions at home.

Audio Sharing

People share music all the time. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of sharing earpieces, but what if you don’t have to do that? With the new Audio Sharing feature, you can now temporarily pair 2 pairs of Airpods (or other supported Bluetooth headsets) to your device. Definitely makes movie watching or listening to music a lot more enjoyable and audibly clear.

Sharing ETA in Maps

I definitely relate to this. Usually, when I say my ETA is 30 mins, my friends adjust their ETA as well, so we reach our destination at approximately the same time. That’s how ETAs work, right?

If your friends are like mine, you’ll probably like this new update. Now, you can share your estimated arrival of time with a contact. If Apple Maps detects that you’re running behind time, it will automatically send a message to the contact. No need for constant updating!

(Which means you cannot say you’re at Redhill when you’re actually at Jurong)

This is on top of iOS 13’s Maps updates, which allows you to store frequently visited places for easier access.

Faster Loading Speeds

I don’t know how they do it (the image above explains it all but only people who speak 100100101010 can understand), but all that really matters is that the new iOS can load apps up to 2x faster. Performance and efficacy boosts are definitely always welcomed because faster is better, right?

Dark mode

When you go to the cinema/theatre, the worst thing someone can do is to use their phone on 100% brightness. It’s like an assault on your eyes, the sun burning your retinas, and it completely distracts you from the movie.

Dark mode is something quite common now, but rather new to iOS. It’s no longer just the apps that use dark mode. The feature will be implemented system-wide and can even be scheduled to turn on automatically at sunset. Yes please? Save my eyes, please? I don’t need more damage to my already myopic eyeballs.

But eh, this is no reason to use your phone in the cinema, ok. Don’t be that person.

Security Updates with New Sign-in Option

Mr FBI’s gonna have a harder time tracking your internet usage now. iOS 13 introduces a new sign-in option that allows you to bypass Google and Facebook. “Sign In With Apple” enables you to log in to applications anonymously by creating a random email that forwards information to your actual email.

This means no random applications will have access to your personal email and other personal information linked to it. Seems like a really smart and handy feature considering how social media is so pervasive in everyone’s lives.

New App Designs

Inbuilt apps are getting revamps and enhancements as well! Here are some of the enhancements:

Reminders: The application has been updated with auto date and time recognition to increase efficiency.

Photos: New updates to the editing tool and new ways of browsing through your photo collection.

Siri: New text-to-speech improvements means our beloved Siri is going to sound a lot less robotic, and more human-like.

Memoji Stickers: This introduces more personalised ways of messaging, and these stickers will be integrated directly into the emoji keyboard.

Launch of iPadOS

It has never really occurred to me that iPads don’t have their own OS, but I guess it’s high time that they do. The iPadOS will feature updates that are tablet-specific, making user experience more friendly and flexible.

So, if you’re using an iPhone or iPad, have you updated yet?