Apple has rolled out yet another update in its iOS Beta testing cycle. The latest among the frequent update cycle is iOS 9.3 Public Beta 1, which brings a number of new, noticeable and practical features to iOS. Three of the new additions, in particular, reflect as being useful for iPhones — Night Shift display, Password-protected Notes and Data Counter for WiFi Assist.
Night Shift Display
Post the 1.3GB update, access your Settings and go to Display, and you have a new feature called Blue Light Reduction. Apple’s aim with Blue Light Reduction is to make screens more readable and less stressful at night. After toggling the new display colour balance on, your display will automatically tone down the luminance, negating the cool aspect of the display’s white balance. You get a slider, which you can conveniently slide to the left to make the display cooler (if you do not prefer warmer displays), or slide to right to make the display look warmer (if that is what hurts your eye lesser). There is also an option to ‘Schedule’ the setting on or off. You can choose to automatically switch the Blue Light Reduction on at sunset, and turn it off at sunrise. Alternatively, you can custom-time the setting, or switch it off altogether.
Password-Protected Notes
This is yet another essential addition, if you happen to store confidential or sensitive data in your Notes. To access, go to Settings, tap on Notes, and select Password Protection. You will be offered to set up a password, and you can choose an alphanumeric combination to protect your Notes. You can also setup Touch ID protection for your Notes. After setting up, access your Notes, open a Note, go to Sharing and Options, and you will see a feature to ‘Password Protect’ your note. You can selectively restrict access to your Notes, and this can be an excellent addition for individuals looking for added privacy to their saved notes.
WiFi Assist Data Counter
Another feature that is being reported, but has somehow failed to turn on up my iPhone, is the WiFi Assist Data Counter. Essentially, WiFi Assist will get an added counter which will show the amount of cellular data used in the background, when WiFi connectivity is poor or inconsistent. This is an essential and excellent addition, which may help users keep a track of the amount of data they are being charged for. This is possibly because my cellular data was turned off, and there is no confirmed report of Apple selectively not providing this feature in this region.
All of these have come in the iOS 9.3 Beta cycle, and there is no confirmed information on when these features will trickle down to the regular users.