iOS 10 Tidbits: Hide Stock Apps, Use Two Safari Windows on iPad, Access Voicemail Transcription and More

Apple today released iOS 10, the next major operating system designed for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. iOS 10 has been described as the biggest iOS update ever, with features ranging from an overhauled Lock screen interface to half a dozen new capabilities for the Messages app.

In addition to all the major changes, there are dozens of more minor but still significant tweaks that have been made to the operating system to make it feel entirely new, including individualized read receipts, the ability to hide stock apps, a new Wake Alarm in the Clock app, and more. Below, we've listed some of the most notable changes worth checking out.


Hide stock apps - In iOS 10, a wide range of stock apps can be hidden from the Home screen, a feature iOS users have long wanted. Stock apps that are "deleted" aren't removed from the operating system and won't free up space, but they won't be visible.

Apps that can be deleted include Calendar, Compass, Contacts, FaceTime, Find My Friends, Home, iBooks, iCloud Drive, iTunes Store, Mail, Maps, Music, News, Notes, Podcasts, Reminders, Stocks, Tips, Videos, Voice Memos, Watch, and Weather.

iOS-10-delete-stock-apps
Split-View Safari on iPad - On iPads that support full Split-View multitasking, two Safari windows are now able to be opened side by side. Side-by-side Mail composing is also available on iPads.

Safari tabs - Safari now supports an unlimited number of tabs.

Safari autoplay - In iOS 10, Apple will allow videos with no audio element to play automatically, which will be useful for viewing video-format animated GIFs. Apple also plans to automatically pause videos that do have an audio element, cutting down on pesky spam videos.

Notes collaboration - There are new collaborative features in Notes. Tapping on the new "Add People" icon in the app lets you invite other users to view and edit a note. All changes made by any user with access to the note will sync to other users.

collaborativenotes
Copy and paste - There's a new Continuity feature that allows copied content to sync across Mac and iOS devices. You can copy a link on an iPhone, for example, and paste it on a Mac running macOS Sierra.

iCloud Drive - When used in conjunction with macOS Sierra, the iCloud Drive app on iOS devices will now house all Mac files located on either the desktop or the Documents folder for quick access anywhere.

Phone - Apple has created a new "CallKit" API that allows third-party VoIP apps like Skype to behave much like a standard phone call. There's also a new caller ID extension that can be used to screen phone calls for spam.

callkitvoip
Voicemail transcription - In iOS 10, incoming voicemail messages are translated to text and can be read instead of listened to.

Bedtime Alarm - With bedtime alarm, it's possible to set a regular sleep schedule to get reminders to let you know when it's time to go to bed.

iOS 10 clock app sleep analysis
Music storage optimization - There are now options in the Settings app to optimize storage and remove songs that have not been listened to in a while. There are settings to limit music storage space to 8GB, 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB.

musicoptimization
New Keyboard Sound - Keyboard sounds have been slightly tweaked. Backspace now has a distinctive sounds unique from other key press sounds, and there's a new sound for space, return, shift, and number/emoji shift. There's also a new general sound for all other key presses that's more of a muted popping-style sound.

Individual read receipts in Messages - Read receipts in the Messages app can be toggled on or off on a per person or per conversation basis in iOS 10.

Game Center - Apple has removed the Game Center app from iOS 10, but the Game Center service continues to be available.

VPN - PPTP connections for VPNs are being eliminated in iOS 10 and macOS Sierra. Apple recommends using other, more secure VPN protocols instead.

3D Touch app downloads - When downloading app updates on an iPhone, a 3D Touch on an app icon will allow a download to be paused. When downloading multiple items, it's also possible to choose to prioritize app downloads.

ios 10 prioritize download twitter
Organ donor registration - The Medical ID section of Health app now includes integration with Donate Life America to make it easy for users to register as organ donors in the United States. The functionality was introduced in the second beta version of iOS 10.

organ_donor_signup
New emoji - There are new emoji in iOS 10, designed to promote gender equality. Many professions and activity emoji that were previously limited to just one gender are now available with both male and female gender options. Emoji also have a new texture, many existing emoji have seen slight design tweaks, and Apple has replaced the "gun" emoji with a water gun.

ios10beta4emoji
Lock sound - Apple introduced a new sound that plays when the power button on the iPhone is pressed to lock the phone. It sounds similar to a door closing.

For more information on the new features included in iOS 10, make sure to check out our full iOS 10 roundup.

Related Forum: iOS 10

Popular Stories

iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Coming Next Week With These New Features for Your iPhone

Friday February 14, 2025 6:18 am PST by
The first iOS 18.4 beta for iPhones should be just around the corner, and the update is expected to include many new features and changes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the iOS 18.4 beta to be released by next week. Below, we outline what to expect from iOS 18.4 so far. Apple Intelligence for Siri Siri is expected to get several enhancements powered by Apple Intelligence on iOS...
iPhone 17 Roundup Feature 2

iPhone Design to Change 'Significantly' This Year

Monday February 17, 2025 7:09 am PST by
Apple is set to "significantly change" the iPhone's design language later this year, according to a Weibo leaker. In a new post, the user known "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone's design is "starting to change significantly" this year. The "iPhone 17 Air" reportedly features a "horizontal, bar-shaped" design on the rear, likely referring to an elongated camera bump. On the other...
Apple Maps 2024

Apple Maps Might Start Showing Ads

Sunday February 16, 2025 7:22 am PST by
Apple is "exploring" the idea of showing search ads in the Apple Maps app, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Back in 2022, Gurman said software engineering was "already underway" to display ads in the Apple Maps app, but Apple did not move forward with the idea at the time. Today, he said Apple is "giving this notion more thought" again. This time around, he said Apple has yet to...
apple launch feb 2025 alt

What to Expect From the 'Apple Launch' Next Week

Thursday February 13, 2025 11:48 am PST by
Apple has yet to announce any new devices this year, but that could change starting next week. Apple CEO Tim Cook today said to "get ready" for a "launch" on Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," said Cook, in a social media post. The post includes an #AppleLaunch hashtag, along with a short video featuring an animated Apple logo inside of a circle....
m2 pro mac mini

Apple is Now Selling a Refurbished Mac Mini for Just $319 (!)

Saturday February 15, 2025 9:58 am PST by
A few days ago, we reported that Apple's refurbished Mac mini pricing had a problem, and it appears that Apple has taken note. Apple was offering a refurbished Mac mini with the M2 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage for $559, which was $50 more than a refurbished Mac mini with the M4 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. All other key specifications were equal. That's no longer...
iPhone 17 Pro Render Front Page Tech

iPhone 17 Pro With All-New Camera Bar Design Allegedly Revealed

Thursday February 13, 2025 5:49 pm PST by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro will feature three rear cameras arranged in a familiar triangular layout, but the cameras will be housed in an all-new rectangular camera bar with rounded corners, according to YouTube channel Front Page Tech. iPhone 17 Pro camera design render created by Asher for Front Page Tech In a video uploaded today, Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser said the camera ...
Tim Cook Apple Park

10+ Announcements Apple Could Have Rolled Into a February Event

Saturday February 15, 2025 8:00 am PST by
Apple appears to have enough upcoming product announcements to justify a full event this month, yet all signs indicate these reveals will be handled through a series of press releases instead. There are a multitude of rumors from reliable sources about specific announcements in the coming weeks, so here's everything that Apple could have feasibly included in a hypothetical February event: ...
iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

Apple's Next iPhone SE Launching on Wednesday - Here's What We Know

Friday February 14, 2025 4:04 pm PST by
Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an Apple announcement that's coming on Wednesday, February 19, and it's looking like that mystery announcement will be the next-generation iPhone SE. We've been hearing about the iPhone SE 4 for quite some time now, and we essentially know everything to expect. If you want a sneak peek at what's coming, read on. Naming Apple first introduced the iPhone SE in...

Top Rated Comments

Squidish Avatar
110 months ago
Thank goodness they took away the gun. I feel so much safer using my phone now.....
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
countryside Avatar
110 months ago
Why can we only have on "bedtime"? I want one for specific weekdays and for specific days on weekend.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cesko Avatar
110 months ago
Not getting the logic behind the 2 step when unlocking with Touch ID. You have to press the Home button once your print is recognized. The text indicating this is so small and at the top some folks will miss it.
Fortunately it can be reversed to pre-10 behaviour in Accessibility settings.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
steve knight Avatar
110 months ago
cool thing no more pause on audio when I open up the camera now thats cool get tired of that.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ConnYoungy Avatar
110 months ago
Are voicemail transcriptions still USA only?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Carlanga Avatar
110 months ago
umm a beta video (jun 17) for a gm release post (sept 13), hope everything stayed exactly the same or else you are going to confuse people....
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)