iOS 8 wish-list: What we'd love to see at WWDC 2014!

By Rene Ritchie
last updated

The WWDC 2014 opening keynote is only a few short days away and that means, if Apple sticks to pattern, we should see the first preview of iOS 8. Since the big redesign was already done last year, that should mean polish and rounding out the feature set is what we get this year. Granted, getting OS X 10.10's big update out the door might mean some iOS 8 features become iOS 8.1 or even iOS 9 features. That can always happen. However, outside the walls of Cupertino we here have the luxury of just wishing for stuff. Just wanting it. And that's what this is — a list of some of the things, big, small, and in-between we'd love to see in iOS 8.

Free iCloud backup storage for each and every iOS device

iOS 8 wants: Smarter and more efficient iCloud backups

The whole point of iCloud backups is to be easy enough for anyone and everyone to use them. They're supposed to just work. However, Apple only provides 5GB of storage space for free. Granted, Apple doesn't count some things, like apps, iTunes media, and Photo Stream against that storage allotment, but 5GB is still far below most peoples' needs, and far less than what Apple's competitors have recently been offering. What's worse, even if you're willing to pay extra the highest you can go is $100 for 50GB. That's despite Apple selling devices that hold 16, 32, 64, and even 128GB of data. You literally cannot even pay to get enough storage to back up a single device much less multiple devices.

Apple should provide enough free storage to backup every device you buy. If you get a 32GB iPhone 5S, it would come with 32GB of free iCloud storage for backup. If you get a 64GB iPad Air, it would come with another 64GB of storage for backups. Most people wouldn't use the full amount, but they could absolutely use the better experience and peace of mind that would come with it.

Pervasive inter-app communications

iOS 8 wants: Pervasive inter-app communications

People want to move their photos from Camera+ to Snapseed to VSCO Cam without having to save them to and open them back up from the Camera Roll each and every step of the way. People want to have 1Password or LastPass insert their saved password into Settings, Safari, or Gmail without having to go to one app, search for the right bit of data, copy it, go back to the other app, and paste. People want to have links open in Chrome rather than Safari and locations open in Google Maps rather than Apple Maps. People just want their lives and workflows made easier. Could Apple make this a reality with iOS 8?

Interactive notifications and push interface

iOS 8 wants: Interactive notifications and push interface redux

Interactive (what some call actionable) notifications take interface from being pull — I have to go find what I want to do — to push —the system brings what I want to do right to me. Home screens, widgets, apps are all pull interface. I have to go to switch out of what I'm doing in order to go do something else. Interactive notifications are push interface. No matter what I'm doing, they come right to me. Depending on implementation and settings, that can be convenient or annoying, but it's inarguably powerful. Get a text, reply right in the banner. Have an alarm go off, reset it right in the popup. Never leave where you are or what you're doing but always be able to respond or act when and as needed. That's the dream, right?

A smarter, contextually aware Spotlight search

Imagine if, in iOS 8 or some future version of Apple's mobile operating system, Spotlight became a secondary, text-based point of access to Siri, able to parse the same type of natural language queries and commands, and retrieve the same kinds of responses, and perform the same kinds of actions? With Spotlight hooked up to Siri's action engine, "Text Georgia I'm running late" is just one example of the type of text-based quick-action that could be possible. "Tweet Guy Wow, arrow was bananas!" could instantly send your status. "Meeting with Ally at 6pm tomorrow" could add an event to your calendar.

Files.app + DocumentPicker, because file handling on iPhone and iPad has hit a brick wall

How to free up iCloud storage space by cleaning up unused documents and data

If I create a plain text file in App One there's no way to access it outside of App One. If I later switch to App Two, I have no way of getting to that file. I have to go back to the old App One, hope to hell there's an Open In... function, or copy and paste the text from the old file in the old app over to a new one in the new app. For a couple files that's annoying. For dozens or hundreds, it's crippling.

Worse, if one day I'm using App Five for my text file editing and suddenly realize I need a document from a few months or years ago, I have to try and remember which app I created it in — App One? Two? Three? Four? — re-download it, and hope my file is still there. And then deal with moving it over.

In a world with Files.app and DocumentPicker I could create that plain text file in any app. I could then go to Files.app and see it in the Text Files section, tap on it, and open it in app other app that supports plain text files. I could also go to any text editing app, tap open, have DocumentPicker slide up, see any text files supported by the app, choose the one I want, and start editing.

Customizable Control Center

iOS 8 wants: Customizable Control Center

Apple introduced Control Center in iOS 7 as a way to quickly get to the settings, controls, and basic functions most iPhone and iPad users need most of the time. That includes Airplane Mode, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Do Not Disturb, and Orientation Lock, Brightness, media scrubber, player controls, and volume, AirDrop and AirPlay, and FlashLight, Timer, Calculator, and Camera. Yet not all of those options, especially the app ones, will be useful for all people, all of the time. So, with iOS 8, it would be great if Apple made them at least partially customizable.

Unified AirDrop

iOS 8 wants: Unified AirDrop

AirDrop, as it is currently implemented on iPhone and iPad in iOS 7 isn't compatible with the service of the same name as it's currently implemented on the Mac in OS X Mavericks. In other words, you can't AirDrop between iOS devices and Macs, and that's both frustrating and confusing. Apple certainly knows and appreciates that. So, with the upcoming iOS 8 and OS X 10.10, it would be great if Apple could unify their AirDrop services, to keep the power of the old Mac version, keep the simplicity and security of the iPhone and iPad version, but make them work together in harmony.

Privacy Sheets to make permissions manageable

iOS 8 wants: Privacy Sheets to make permissions manageable

Right now if you download and launch a new app the amount of privacy popups that can fire off at you, one after the other, verges on the ridiculous. "[App] would like to use your current location", tap, "[App] would like to access your Twitter account", tap, "[App] would like to send you push notifications", tap, "[App] would like to access your contacts." "[App] would like to access your calendars." "[App] would like to access your reminders." After a while even savvy people get popup fatigue and just start tapping their way through to end the percussive modal pain.

Instead, whenever a newly installed (or re-installed) app is launched for the first time, a Privacy Sheet could automatically come up before anything else is allowed to happen, and provide one, unified place that describes the permissions being requested along with options to grant or deny them on a per-request basis.

Battery shaming

iOS 8 wants: Battery shaming

Battery life is one of the most important elements of a modern mobile device. That's why iMore's battery life tips are some of our most popular articles, and why our comments, social feeds, and forums are filled with battery life questions, boasts, and complaints. Apple prioritizes battery life above almost everything else, even making the iPad 3 and Retina iPad mini ever-so-slightly thicker and heavier just to maintain 10 hours of battery life. Yet some apps, especially those that use VoIP like Skype, that use GPS like Google Maps, or those that have rogue processes or other glitches can still chew through power at an alarming rate. That's where battery shaming comes in. Battery shaming was introduced on the Mac with OS X Mavericks and I'd love to see something like it on the iPhone and iPad in iOS 8.

  • Read all about how battery shaming could be implemented in iOS 8

iTunes for iCloud: All our media accessible on the web

iTunes for iCloud: Could Apple media become ubiquitous on the web?

iWork for iCloud is a a way to share, view, edit, and collaborate on Pages, Keynote, and Numbers documents on the web. It looks great, it works great, and most importantly, it allows Apple — without having to build or maintain separate native apps for each and every alternate platform on the market — to open up their productivity suite beyond iOS and OS X, to make it available to anyone and everyone who has a compatible browser. So, why not do the same thing with iTunes, and with their media suite of music, TV shows, movies, and books?

The idea of logging in from any compatible browser,, seeing all my music, movies, TV shows, and books, and being able to play them, from the beginning or from where ever I last left off, immediately, with a tap or a click, is compelling. As would being able to buy or rent more, right there.

  • Read all about the potential for iTunes for iCloud in iOS 8

Comic book reading mode for iBooks

iOS 8 wants: Comic book reading mode for iBooks

Okay, technically this is an iBooks wish rather than an iOS 8 wish but what better time to ask for something as amazing demonstrable as a comic book reading mode than when Apple's about to kick off their first Keynote of the year? And given the recent sale of comiXology to Amazon and the subsequent removal of IAP from the Comics app, when better for Apple to give their own comic book reading experience some attention?

iTunes Extras for Apple TV

Where's iTunes Extras for the Apple TV?

Back on September 9, 2009, Apple introduced iTunes Extras, an HTML5-based way for studios to include digital versions of director's commentary tracks, behind the scenes videos, and the other kinds of bonus material commonly found on DVD and Blu-Ray. The original OS X 10.4 Tiger-based Apple TV was updated to support iTunes Extras, and it's musical cousin, iTunes LP. Then, on September 1, 2010, Apple announced an all-new, all-streaming, all-iOS second generation Apple TV, and... iTunes Extras didn't survive the transition. Not only that, they didn't get added back with subsequent software updates. On March 7, 2012, Apple announced the third generation, 1080p Apple TV, and still no iTunes Extras. Now, some 4 years later, iTunes Extras on Apple TV are still MIA.

Where's Print to PDF on iPhone and iPad?

When Apple introduced AirPrint to iOS, they made it incredibly easy to send files right from your iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad to any compatible Wi-Fi printer in the vicinity. Unfortunately, what Apple didn't do was bring Print to PDF (Export as PDF) along for the ride. See something, make something, want it wrapped up nicely and neatly? Tap Share, tap Print, tap PDF, store it up on iCloud or Share it by any of the usual methods. That'd be a great bullet point for iOS 8.

What's your biggest iOS 8 wish?

iOS 8 will no doubt have 8-12 "tent-pole" features that get a lot of time and attention lavished on them at the WWDC 2014 keynote. But there will also be that slide with features set in type small and large. The one that says 100 or 200 new features right in the middle.

What do you most want those new features to be, big, small, and tent-pole?

Rene Ritchie
Rene Ritchie
Contributor

Rene Ritchie is one of the most respected Apple analysts in the business, reaching a combined audience of over 40 million readers a month. His YouTube channel, Vector, has over 90 thousand subscribers and 14 million views and his podcasts, including Debug, have been downloaded over 20 million times. He also regularly co-hosts MacBreak Weekly for the TWiT network and co-hosted CES Live! and Talk Mobile. Based in Montreal, Rene is a former director of product marketing, web developer, and graphic designer. He's authored several books and appeared on numerous television and radio segments to discuss Apple and the technology industry. When not working, he likes to cook, grapple, and spend time with his friends and family.

123 Comments
  • How about being able to set your own default apps? Would love to see that.
  • I second that wish. Also, how about the ability to set up multiple users (iOS is a UNIX-based computer operating system, after all)... or AT LEAST have a "Guest" user that you can boot into for when you hand your iPhone or iPad over to a friend to use.
  • Multiple users is one of my two biggest wishes. After all, they're sooo easy to pass along to someone else to use (way more so than any Mac). There may, indeed, be personal items I don't want just anyone seeing. In a family setting, the kids may want games that I don't want all over my environment. Vice versa, I could have productivity apps that the kids won't have any business getting into. The other wish, is the ONLY thing that I'm jealous of Android over: A customizable home screen. I know battery drain is an issue, but, I want my info immediately available. I don't want to have to pull down a screen to only get some small, inconsistent, tidbits of info that someone THINKS I want. I want to decide what info I get, and how it's laid out. That CAN'T be that hard of a thing to do. Especially with the larger phones on the way, screen real estate will be better, too.
  • I'm not trying to criticise your want, but multiple users on a machine that is clearly and absolutely designed for one person use just seems like a waste of time to me. The way the OS is, and with the state of the hardware, it seems unlikely to work without essentially re-booting the device and waiting literally minutes to get into the second user account. The devices also barely have enough storage for the first user. For these and other reasons the whole "multi-user" thing seems fairly silly to me. These are the cheapest, most powerful computers ever made in the history of computing. Just buy two. You would be spending the same amount as buying one "regular" PC and giving it two user accounts.
  • A bit harsh and actually incorrect. I'm guessing you don't have children - or an iPad.
  • I am also assuming that you haven't used a iPad in a business environment. At my previous position at as an Enterprise Architect for a large hospitality company I came up with over a dozen use cases where having the ability to have multiple accounts on an iPad would have made life much easier.
  • Well, if you read closely, you will see that my argument was mostly based on the inability of the devices to physically even perform this function at this stage. The idea that this also goes conceptually against the design of the device was just an afterthought. In any case, neither your reply, nor the ruder reply from "CamKids Charity" above has actually refuted either of my points. You both basically just reply with some version of "but I want it anyway." So, in that case, this isn't really a debate or a discussion at all, is it? I mean my reply could just be "elephant gravy" or "pickup sticks!" or any other random phrase and about the same level of intellectual discussion could be going on.
  • We have fast user switching on the Mac with a certain amount of core shared resources. I'm sure the same could be done in a very Apple fashion. And, these are also the most "shareable" computers ever. Respectfully, I don't feel it's a "silly" request, at all, as I've run into MANY occasions where I wish I had (at least) a Guest Account, so that MY personal items would remind just that. Edit: And, your response that we don't refute what you're saying, is kinda silly, too, isn't it? These are WANTS/WISHES. Of course the phone iOS wasn't designed for more than one user. That IS silly. But, with the advent of the iPad, this becomes much more credible as an advancement of the OS. I currently have an iPad Air, 128GB. I think that would MORE than handle Fast User Switching. And, they're just going to keep getting more and more powerful. We're just talking about a protected user space, with the rest of the recources being shared. A reboot seems excessive. Again, we already do this with OS X.
  • Brillant! On roadtrips I currently deny my kids the use of my phone for games and such because I don't want them wandering through my occasionally inappropriate texts and emails while they sit in the backseat. A quick passcode swipe to "guest mode" or another profile would be perfect!
  • +1 Sent from the iMore App
  • +1
  • Pretty much... nailed it. All I thought of was a more improved Safari that didn't bug me about a site's corresponding app and better adjustment/improvements when browsing in landscape mode. Actually, if it is even possible, I kind of want an option to lock certain apps that support landscape viewing, mainly Safari and Messages. Also, setting default apps would be great.
  • I don't know is this is the same thing you just said, but I would love the ability to be able to tell apps not to rotate the screen on an app-by-app basis. For instance the email app on the phone rotates easily and it's super annoying. I never, NEVER, EVER, want to look at my email on the iPhone in landscape. There is no point since you can't see the message and typing is slower than in portrait. Most apps on the phone would be better off not rotating IMO, but it would be cool to have control over that regardless. It's also kind of silly that Apple and the developers get to control which apps do this instead of the user. Many phone apps don't rotate at all, many do. And the user has no say.
  • Unified airdrop definitely, interactive notifications i like to see it too, but most important its iCloud space, dropbox, and other companies offer more for less... Rene's idea of giving you the amount of space you buy in a single product they should give it to you its a good one... liked it...
  • Multiuser support. Sent from the iMore App
  • Actionable notifications and interapp communications would be my top two!
  • Free iCloud Backup PER devices will be my biggest wish. As i have been wishing for it since iCloud Launch. The biggest problem is HDD capacity didn't get any improvement. Their DC are not quite ready and the Maths behind it doesn't work out well just yet. Unless Apple is willing to take a dim in their Profit Margin. Although I would love to be proven wrong. And if this is done it will be the biggest difference between iPhone and Android. Erh: Just did the Maths again. Not going to Happen. Sigh.
  • Following on the heels of the recent acquisition... How about a Stock Beats Music app (not the streaming one) but a native music player found on most Beats branded devices. I'd like to see that. Also curious about seeing the 'b' logo on the iPhone 6. Sent from the iMore App
  • "b" logo on an iPhone? I spilled my coffee laughing so hard....
  • I would like Siri to have the ability to give us a "Morning Report" each morning. We would be able to select the fields in which Siri accumulates the data to issue the report from. For example Siri could give the report out loud to me as I fix breakfast. I would like the headlines from BBC & CNN, weather for where I'm currently at, sports scores of teams that I choose, events on my calendar for the day and if I choose tomorrow and other types of information. You could access this by simply asking Siri to give me a report.
  • I like it.
  • Or turn on the tv.. Lol
  • Like it Sent from the iMore App
  • Yup, you nailed it. The first three on your list alone would make my iOS devices that much more useful!
  • A good list. If I could only pick one of the above, I would go with pervasive inter-app communications. The other thing on my list would be an end to head shudder. Why does my phone need to notify me (vibrate) when I am on a call?
  • The head shutter is a good one. That is very annoying.
  • Would it be too much to ask to get control of our wallpaper back? I hate the way iOS takes the pictures I WANT to use and stretches them. Even turning off perspective zoom doesn't make my wallpaper choices safe.
  • Yes! Please.
  • You already have full control over this. You may find it awkward, you may not be able to work it, but it's already there.
  • Nice cheap shot there gazoobee. I just find that the experience is not consistent with all photos on both types of devices. It's like apple just wants us to use their wallpapers!
  • Your reading emotion ("cheap shot") into things when it isn't there. I was just pointing out that you can already do this. Personally, I agree that it's overly awkward which is why I included that other statement, but they do provide the functionality AFAIK.
  • no prob - we're cool. I just find that on iPad especially, I still can't shrink a photo to the size I need for wallpaper with Perspective Zoom off. PZ and parallax just don't add anything to the iOS experience IMO
  • +1 Sent from the iMore App
  • +1 Sent from the iMore App
  • +1 Sent from the iMore App
  • Rene, I think you're spot on with iCloud storage to match, at least, the size of the device bought, communication between apps and interactive notifications. BUT the two things that I think are critical (and glaring omissions for something as established as iOS is now) are swype-like keyboard entry and some way of shifting between apps more logically/smoothly. At the moment, if I open a link while reading something in Safari, I can't hop back to the original page, but have to close the secondary app in order to re-open the original one from the Home screen. It feels a little bit like having to go back to my front door each time I want to move from one room to the another. Maybe this is what pervasive inter-app communication is?
  • "At the moment, if I open a link while reading something in Safari, I can't hop back to the original page, but have to close the secondary app in order to re-open the original one from the Home screen." This already exists, and has for years. Try double pressing your home button sometime.
    In fact, since the home screen now exists on the app switcher, I want it to come up with a single press, rather than a double press. I literally almost never single press anymore, and it just doubles the wear on my button. At least give me an option for it.
  • I think the original poster was perhaps referring to the fact that the multi-tasking behaviour changed in iOS 7. Personally after a year of getting used to the "new" way multi-tasking works, I still prefer the old way. I get surprised every time I use it still because it was COMPLETELY CHANGED with the iOS 7.0. Maybe you should keep up with the way it works yourself if you believe it's "always" worked that way. It hasn't.
  • You give me more credit than is due! I'm quite new to iPhones and iOS and so am learning my way around, so never know iOS 6, but am familiar with the Home Button functions. My original comments came from my use of Windows Phones where there is a back button and when double tapped, took the user to app switcher. Also, swyping keyboard would be so useful to me on the iPhone having used this before on Android. With large fingers and thumbs, I still make basic errors, despite using Apple's clever auto-correct/prediction and even personalised shortcuts (another big thanks to Rene for teaching me that one too!) I live in home that someone in California will see these and add to the list of things to include now, or at a latter upgrade....
  • Thanks for passing this on. I have come across this recently (I'm quite new to Apple/iPhones), but having come from Windows, found that the back button was useful for exactly this reason, or double tapping it brought up the app switcher. I'm just surprised that iOS seems to lack - what I consider to be - a few navigational and data entry basics that other platforms have, or will be adding soon.
  • Some kind of FLASH (Adobe) to make our internet use I little more useable Sent from the iMore App
  • Puffin browser..
  • Amen.
  • Totally ridiculous. What is this, 2008?
  • Haven't missed flash at all. Besides that technology just needs to go away. Talk about bloat code. Only thing worse is iTunes. Yes I said it. iTunes is a PIG!!!
  • A real keyboard it plain sucks since inception... The iPhone has the worst keyboard on the market period and have never fixed it. They're to scared to change it now. So we're stuck with this junk..
  • Would you mind elaborating? I don't feel it's junk.
  • Agree. That and work on better autocorrect/suggestions Sent from the iMore App
  • I disagree with that comment. I have had iPhones personally and Androids for work and the default keyboard on every Android phone has been terrible. I can tell when someone texts me from an Android phone. There are periods (.) where the spaces should be.
  • The only change I would make to the iOS keyboard is to have the letters show the proper case when typing. It irks me no end that the iOS keyboard displays letters that are ALL CAPS ALL THE TIME. In this day and age there is absolutely no excuse for a software keyboard to not display lower case characters when typing in lower case.
  • Is it bad that I didn't even know iOS did this. I've been using iOS for 4 years. Completely blocked out that it shows caps all the time. I guess they do it because that's what people are used to from keyboards. Sent from the iMore App
  • Rene, Your want of more iCloud storage space is something that is certainly needed. However, the amount that you would like (matching device size) and your reasoning behind it makes absolutely no sense. I have a 32GB iPhone currently and I've used 25GB of it. Most of it is Music, Movies, and Apps, items that are included for free in iCloud storage (iTunes Match). So that leaves about 4GB that is actually being used for my iCloud backup. No where near 32GB is needed. Now, if I had 25GB worth of media in my camera roll, sure, then that is only case where I could agree with your reasoning to match device size. However, that is not the case for most users. And I would like to assume that if you're using your device for mainly photos, you would be someone smart enough to offload those to your computer every once in a while. Like I said, I totally agree that Apple should provide more iCloud storage space, especially if they encourage utilizing more devices (iPhone, iPad, Mac) as well as iWork and iLife apps that (can) use iCloud storage space. 5GB is nowhere near enough. Possible solution? 5GB (minimum) for each device connected to the iCloud account, rather than 5GB across the board.
  • Part of his reasoning was that it would be EASY for people (which includes being EASY for people to understand). Try telling the average person (AKA my mom) that they have a 32GB iPhone and only 25GB of storage. They don't know that's all they need. 32GB iPhone = 32GB iCloud storage is easier for people to understand and assures them there will be enough to cover everything they need. Plus Apple looks like the good guy by offering it even though they know that people can't/won't actually use the "full" amount. I do agree it needs to be more and I think we'll see that at some point but I don't think it will be based on your device. As for my wants... Increasing iCloud storage would save me some money, I pay for more. Also want to see quick reply to texts. Not too excited for Healthbook but we'll see. I had high hopes for Passbook and I never even use it.
  • A redesigned Music App.
    The Remote app is actually fairly cool, especially on iPad. And it features the "Play next" and On-The-Go playlist options.
    The Music app on iPad is stretched to hell, and I can't choose what to play next...
  • +1 - the music app has gotten worse with every new version of iOS
  • An optional night/dark theme mode to activate with two finger swipe-shortcut, please, for iMessage, Safari...and what more? And that fast-iMessage shortcut. Maybe some simple app icon-animations?!
    And like you say: customize app in control center Sent from the iMore App
  • An optional night/dark theme mode to activate with two finger swipe-shortcut, please, for iMessage, Safari...and what more? And that fast-iMessage shortcut. Maybe some simple app icon-animations?!
    And like you say: customize app in control center Sent from the iMore App
  • Great list...my adds would be a "better" music app...for the company that made it's mark on the world with the iPod, the iOS music app is pretty bad in my opinion. Unstable and lacking features, and generally just clunky all around. I'm hoping the Beats infusion moves this piece but I doubt it'll be in place by next week...I'm on Spotify until things get better. The other missing piece is iPhoto in the Cloud. I would gladly pay for a completely integrated Apple solution that inverts the last 1000 in iCloud but all on the device mentality. I use Photo Stream to move my phone pictures to iPhoto on my always on Mac, but it's not nearly as elegant as it could be and it doesn't help the iOS only users that I know and love. And it would solve the whole iCloud backup problem too..... Sure it'd be nice if it were free, but a price tag ala iTunes Match would be very tolerable....
  • The biggest thing that I want is better photo management.
    -I absolutely love iPhoto for the Mac for organizing photos and would love to be able to have the exact same functions on my iDevices. This would need to include iCloud syncing. Example: Let me create a new event on my iDevice that syncs to all my other devices automatically when on wi fi, with the option to turn on for 3G/LTE (like photostream).
    -Now that iOS iPhoto is free, get rid of the photos app and make it all one within iPhoto.
    -Get rid of camera roll and have one photostream. I take a pic on my iPhone, it goes into my photostream directly and shows up on my other devices like it does already. Increase the maximum number of pictures allowed in the photostream cloud and also and have a method to categorize pictures as "offline" when the max is reached; which means the pic is stored only on the device used to take the pic. Pictures automatically move out of "offline" when cloud storage is made available and then become visible on all devices. If my first noted wish is available, then you could move pix from your photostream to existing/new events on any device and all devices are updated - pic gone from stream and now in applicable event. Sent from the iMore App
  • I'd love to be able to manipulate folders directly on my device that were originally created on a computer. Also, if I pull a photo from the general camera roll folder into a designated folder, remove it from the general folder on the device. Until that happens, computer synching remains necessary.
  • Unified Photos and iPhoto. They're separate, redundant, and confusing as is.
  • +1 Sent from the iMore App
  • A solid list. I would add on-board voice processing - 3 years on, it is disgraceful that in bad data coverage areas an iPhone 5s with Siri is still much worse for "call x" or "play y" commands than pre-Siri iPhone 4s and 3g.
  • My biggest wish too as I am mainly using Siri in the car and it is a biggest problem when you are moving fast on the mobile network. I hope they will realise that with CarPlay.
  • Siri seems to be getting worse not better.
  • Text wrap. It reformats the text to fit the screen if the screen is zoomed. This would end side to side scrolling. This feature has been on Android for many years.
  • 1. Full screen caller image! like in IOS 7
    2. AirDrop between Apple Device
    3. Option to select default map
    4. Include more Sports integration in SIRI
    5. Itunes Radio World Wide
  • Multiuser support on iPad is all I need or else I'll go with Android.
  • Swype...man I got a bit jealous of the Windows Phone 8.1 users. :) I've never been jealous of Android users. But Windows Phone is starting to shape up. I want Swype and would be willing to pay more per device if some agreement had to be reached in order to get it.
  • I think swipe is a love/hate thing. Those who like it, love it. If they don't they hate it. I personally am a hater.
  • The 3 things I would LOVE in iOS 8: 1. Actionable notifications: because it's such a pain in the a** to get an email or text/iMessage, get out of what you're doing, fire up Messages/Mail/etc. , answer, and then get back to what you were already doing! 2. Change App Defaults: not all of us use/like the native apps! I'm a Mailbox, and Fanstasical fan on my iPhone and would love to be able to set those as my defaults, as are those who may use another web browser like Chrome, etc. 3. Memory/RAM diagnostic tools: for the simple reason that many folks like to make sure that their devices are running in tip top shape, and there is no real way to clear out all the junk caches, that always annoying and elusive "OTHER" and temp files with out a jailbreak or outside software. Sent from the iMore App
  • The 3 things I would LOVE in iOS 8: 1. Actionable notifications: because it's such a pain in the a** to get an email or text/iMessage, get out of what you're doing, fire up Messages/Mail/etc. , answer, and then get back to what you were already doing! 2. Change App Defaults: not all of us use/like the native apps! I'm a Mailbox, and Fanstasical fan on my iPhone and would love to be able to set those as my defaults, as are those who may use another web browser like Chrome, etc. 3. Memory/RAM diagnostic tools: for the simple reason that many folks like to make sure that their devices are running in tip top shape, and there is no real way to clear out all the junk caches, that always annoying and elusive "OTHER" and temp files with out a jailbreak or outside software. Sent from the iMore App
  • Yes, when an email banner notification pops up it should tell me if there is something attached to the email...just sayin.....when someone texts me a photo and the banner comes down, I know there's a photo so why not use something to indicate mail attachments?
  • I agree with everything except the comic book reader for iBooks thing. This sounds awful to me. One of the current drawbacks for iBooks (IMO of course) is that it's also the default app for PDFs. Therefore it's constantly cluttered up with receipts, and the equivalent of a million pieces of paper. It should be books, and just books. PDFs are not books, and Comics are not books. I prefer a dedicated app for each thanks.
  • A better phone app. Unlimited call history. iOS is ridiculous in how it chooses to save one call log, yet delete another.
    More customization to the look of the home screen. Ability to hide the dock background.
    Full screen contact pics.
  • I am with you on the phone app. The redesign for iOS 7 was terrible. There were a couple things I liked but the Usability is ridiculous. Putting the delete/back button in the upper right corner made it extremely hard to use for the iPhone(s) users. Might be OK on the smaller iPhone 4(s). If they go to a 4.7" and or a 5.5" screen it will be completely unusable.
  • I really like the smart dial feature that HTC uses. Very intuitive.
    Yeah, the phone app just seems a bit fisher price in its style. Do not dig the look of it much.
  • Most of the core apps look as if they were designed by Fisher Price and implemented by Mattel. Although some of the skins Android uses look no better but at least they're more functional.
  • What's annoying is the contact pics are so small that they are practically unusable. Also, no contact pics next to your contact in the contacts app? No contact pics in messaging? But yet they're there in favorites? Crazy.
  • Set own default apps, also allow me to share my photos videos from my camera roll to any app I've downloaded which support those files. Allow me to deal with notifications from the notification pull down menu like Android. Then I will be a very happy iOS
    user. Sent from the iMore App
  • +1.987
  • Going down this wish list, I must have sounded like I was impassioned and in throws. "Yes! Yes! Yes!"
  • Multi-tasking!? Multi-something!!! Sent from the iMore App
  • I have to say Rene, this article hits it on the head, when a nail won't budge, get a bigger hammer. Apple should be reading your comments here and putting them into action. I often wonder who the "geniuses" are at Apple that cannot figure out what users want until they see what the Cydia market has to offer then they simply copy and paste those features into the phone. Yes Apple has, does and will continue to take from everyone else. Still I want a real battery and battery life, I can't replace when I need to and running for a wall charger is a joke in 2014. Love my iPad mini Retina, can't wait to get a bigger and better iPhone 6.
  • I wish the jurors in the lawsuits saw it like you do. It would put an end to the ridiculous patent wars because you're right about the copying and pasting. If Apple were to start listening to it's customers and adding those features, that would mean they actually care. But all I've seen is that they want you to have want they give you.
  • More options in the camera UI, not the plain jane like currently on IOS. Sent from the iMore App
  • I would love to see a swype style keyboard. Even windows phone added one, why can't we have one too. Sent from the iMore App
  • Quick reply for imessages!!
  • Setting a song as a ringtone. Without going through iTunes
  • I'm sure many many folk out there jailbreak their iPhone to get a few most needed tweaks.
    I for sure jailbroke all my devices for lockinfo and realSMS.
    Customizable control centre and actionable notifications or atleast quick reply to SMS iMessages is my most important want. Sent from the iMore App
  • Clear all button for multi tasking Sent from the iMore App
  • Clear all button for multi tasking Sent from the iMore App
  • Can we just have Apple hire Rene please?
  • Interactive notifications? That's so japanese, putting their entire home screen on the notification bar. What you want is subtle, simple, and useful controls that comes together with its respectful notifications, just like android's notifications, not doing everything on the notification bar itself.
  • I would like to have the ability to customize Control Center. In all honesty though I wish they would fix some of the problems though. One thing I have a problem with on my iPhone 5 is that the Recently Played music list will lose songs off the list and I have to do a hard rest for them all to come back.
  • No hands free Siri? Or a better way to access the tap to type feature?
  • This. "Hey siri, it's going to be nice today right?" Sent from the iMore App
  • This. "Hey siri, it's going to be nice today right?" Sent from the iMore App
  • This. "Hey siri, it's going to be nice today right?" Sent from the iMore App
  • Damn triple comment. Sorry Mann. Update your app iMore. For the love of god. Makes me look like a f****** idiot. Sent from the iMore App
  • Better variety of usage stats. What apps etc are using battery most.
    A default battery app? Posted via iMore App
  • 1.File system or files app and ability to transfer to that app by just plugging into a pc not through itunes
    2.setting default apps
    3.customize action center i don't want do not disturb mode on there i want to replace it with GPS so i can toggle that easily.
    4. folders that display more icons at once,i have all of this unsused real estate with the folders it could easily be 4x4 or at the least 3x4 or 3x5.
    5.I like rene's idea for icloud backup sizes and granted while most people wont need the full size it is good to offer and there is no fear in offering as they know most people wont use that much.
    6. Folder transparency adjustment, During one of the betas for iOS 7 last summer i think it was beta 3 that had very transparent folders so the option would be nice so i could enjoy my wallpaper a little
  • I just want to see true multitask since the bigger phone is supposedly coming out. Sent from the iMore App
  • I just want to see true multitask since the bigger phone is supposedly coming out. Sent from the iMore App
  • I just want to see true multitask since the bigger phone is supposedly coming out. Sent from the iMore App
  • +1 Posted via iMore App
  • Redesign the Music app, please. I'm mostly referring to the Artists tab and how terrible it is if you have an artist with multiple albums, as you are scrolling through multiple, multiple tracks rather than having the tab simply display the album art of a particular selected artist. And maybe I'm just being lazy here, but if I'm browsing the Albums tab, I'd rather just tap a letter that then lists all the albums that begin with said letter as opposed to more scrolling -- though I understand that is already sort of there with the alphabet being on the right of the screen.
  • There are some truly great suggestions in this Blog post. If only half of them are implemented I would be a very happy chap indeed.
  • I want to be able to use Swype ... everywhere. That's the only reason why I still have an Android device.
  • All I want is quick reply to messages/alerts. Sent from the iMore App
  • I want a customizable home screen where we can put a weather widget and like 2 rows of icons if needed otherwise just look at the wallpaper ! :P
  • I want some level of customization. Period. How hard is it to make the clock icon bigger and ad it to the home screen so people can actually see it?!? Maybe even the weather with it. This would eliminate two worthless icons and make it/them useful. Also, why can't I make 4 folders and place them down near the bottom? They always snap to the top which is asinine. Simple...SIMPLE...little customizations like that would make iOS so much better. I'm an android guy but I do own a 5s because I wanted something I can put into my pocket easily at work. My Note 3 is just to big. With that said, my Note 3 runs rings around the iPhone in just about every aspect...screen size, customization, features, and actual usability watching vids, podcasts, etc. Not saying the iPhone is horrible by any means BUT Apple could pull their finger out their ass and give us something that makes the iPhone ours. As it is, they are ALL the same with no individuality except for the color of our cases.....if you use one.... The keyboard? Sucks. Add swipe. Period. With swipe functionality, I can pump out paragraphs faster than any kid in skinny jeans using the stock keyboard. Sure it's not accurate in punctuality all the time, but hell, it's text messaging.....not a thesis paper for a nobel prize. Stock Email? This day in age in 2014, there's no reason for the stock mail app to exist in it's current form. No functionality except basic reading and writing of email....some of us want to ad a photo without going through umpteen steps... I'm sorry. People say Touch Wiz looks cartoonish on Android but iOS is about the same. Jony Ive added some cool things but a genius he is not. He made the icons flatter but no better functionality to go with it. And one last thing.....Stop the sandboxing Apple. STOP. Period. Let apps communicate with other apps when appropriate. I know. You're the dictator of this universe but sometimes you have to act as if it's 2014 in America.....not 1942 in Germany....
  • I would like to see a lot of great changes especially battery life on the iPhone and iPad.
    I would also like to see automatic messaging when you cannot answer your phone, for example when somebody calls you and you can't answer it it automatically sends out a message to that person
  • What about a scheduled text and e-mail? Type a text or an e-mail, schedule it to be sent at a certain time, in the middle of the night for example, you dont have to get up! Sent from the iMore App
  • What about a scheduled text and e-mail? Type a text or an e-mail, schedule it to be sent at a certain time, in the middle of the night for example, you dont have to get up! Sent from the iMore App
  • Nobody's up for multi windowing here ?
    If there is one absolute wish I had, it would be this ! Nothing else !
    Maybe except for ...
    1) BitTorrent
    2) photo sorting by file names and not by date (so annoying !)
    3) how can I add new music to my iPad when I'm away from my main computer, and left my iTunes library behind, and when I don't bring any other laptop with a duplicate of my library with me since my iPad is supposed to replace the use of a laptop ? I just can't ! I have to buy it on itunes ! But I have never bought anything on iTunes and don't want to !
    4) not possible to use the camera as a webcam on webcam sites... So sad... I don't understand what's the deal here...
    5) I don't understand how to properly manage my photos between iPhone roll, iPad roll, iPhone stream, iPad stream, PC stream. All those different but somewhat linked streams added to bad sorting (by date and not by file names !) is just a terrible mess. What were you thinking, apple people ??? I had to find solutions, and finally found myself making tons of operations on photo files, like removing exif metadata, and finding some apps that set all pictures dates to the same date and time ! I then had to rename all files with an incremental file name ! what the heck !!
    At last, flickr auto sync feature that didn't work well until recently seems to have been fixed in some recent update, so my hope is that I might be able to turn off photo stream in the future and use flickr autosync instead. This way I don't have to think about managing photo streams and rolls every month, and I have 1 Tb free storage, far more than needed. If Flickr autosync works well, I won't need more iCloud storage space for pictures at all ever again. Regarding other people's requests : 1) I haven't been disturbed by sandboxing yet, but maybe some time soon...
    2) I don't need multi user management, but a guest account feature would certainly be nice.
    3) I don't see the point for a lot of iCloud space. What's the point of hosting the same app or music or movie bought on iTunes on several iCloud accounts ? That would be a tremendous waste of resources !! Apple has gone the smart way there. The Users' iCloud just store a list of apps, of music sand movies, and if someone needs to restore, it will just read the list of apps or music or movies, and download those items from only one storage space that is common to everybody instead of personal clouds, I think it's very smart to avoid useless storage of duplicate files...
    The only need for bigger iCloud storage would be for people who take a loooooooooot of pictures. And even so, it is possible to store pictures on iCloud without using phot stream and without using iCloud storage space : make share streams, people ! Just don't share the shared streams with anybody else but you ! And as of today, anybody can have 1 tb of free storage on Flickr...
    The only case where equivalent storage between device and iCloud would be interesting would be in trying to use the iPad without connecting to a computer ever again. This would even require bigger iCloud storage space, for backup and for strong files that aren't needed locally at the time. This would just be awesome !
    But personally, this would mean I'd have to have BitTorrent on the iPad... Or to have the possibility to connect to any source of data, like my friend's PC, without need g iTunes,just like an android tablet...
    Also in this case, possibility of memory extension would be great, so as to store more,locally, like movies, music and ebooks downloaded through BitTorrent and backed up via iCloud. But this will never happen any time soon, Apple is not android, so, as of today, 5 gb is more than enough, when there is a computer on the side that is a source of content and storage space and backup device...
  • Inner app communication
    iCloud back up.. To be true all of them + Multi user support at least on iPad
  • It would be cool to have mac mini like the new mac pro but in a mini size. And rename it mac pro mini .
  • I would love to see customized control center. The thing I want most is a pop up similar to what you get for wifi, used for bluetooth connectivity. I have multiple bluetooth devices and have to go to settings to choose which one I want to connect to. This would save me time! Also quick reply texting from the lock screen or in apps. Leaving an app to text back is annoying and causes me to forget to text back if I am in the middle of something when a text comes through.
  • to set unread msg in messaging
  • I want better control of when my apps and podcasts automatically update. I want to control which wifi network is used for automatic updates.
  • At the risk of seeming moronically simple in my wants, how about being able to attach Word dox, appointments, and contacts, while in the middle of a text, rather than merely pictures and videos, allowing texting to be more work-oriented when needed.
  • Oh, here's another simple iOS 8 suggestion for help: within the calendar app, add a hyperlink to the iOS contacts so that you can open a contact directly from the calendar app, a feature present in numerous third-party calendar apps