| Version of the iOS operating system | |
 | |
 iOS 9 home screen, running on the iPhone 6s | |
| Developer | Apple Inc. |
|---|---|
| Source model | Closed, with open source components |
| Initial release | September 16, 2015 |
| Latest release | 9.3.6 (13G37)[1] / July 22, 2019 |
| Update method | Software Update |
| Package manager | App Store |
| Platforms | iPhone
iPod Touch iPad |
| Kernel type | Hybrid (XNU) |
| License | Proprietary EULA except for open-source components |
| Preceded by | iOS 8 |
| Succeeded by | iOS 10 |
| Official website | iOS 9 – Apple at the Wayback Machine (archived September 6, 2016) |
| Tagline | The most advanced mobile experience. Now even more so. |
| Support status | |
| Obsolete, unsupported | |
iOS 9 is the ninth major release of the iOS mobile operating system developed by Apple Inc., being the successor to iOS 8. It was announced at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference on June 8, 2015, and was released on September 16, 2015. It was succeeded by iOS 10 on September 13, 2016.[2]
iOS 9 incorporated many feature updates to built-in apps. Most notably, Notes received the ability to draw sketches with different tools, image insertion, prominent visual appearance for website links and map locations, and advanced list formatting; an all-new Apple News app aggregates articles from different sources; and Apple Maps received mass transit support, although in a limited number of locations at launch. Major new system updates include proactivity, where Siri and advanced search are combined to make the operating system more contextually aware of information (such as time and location), and can provide the user with information ahead of time. For searching, the proactive intelligence can display instant results in a widget-like format, including weather, sports, news, and more. iOS 9 also added multiple forms of multitasking to the iPad. In iOS 9.3, Apple added a Night Shift mode that changes the color of the device's display to a warmer, less "blue light" containing shade, to reduce any negative eye health effects on users' circadian rhythms. Additionally, iOS 9 brought new user experience functions, including Quick Actions, and Peek and Pop, based on the touch-sensitive display technology in the iPhone 6s. Quick Actions are shortcuts on home screen app icons. Users can preview ("Peek") at content without moving away from the current screen before they enter ("Pop") the previewed content into full view.
Reception of iOS 9 was positive. Critics praised proactivity and Siri for making the Notification Center a central location for all information, and the potential for future updates to improve the functionality. The new multitasking features for the iPad were complimented, as were drawing and photo insertion in the Notes app. However, Apple News was criticized for a low number of decent-looking articles, and Apple Maps was criticized for the limited geographical availability of mass transit support.
Five days after release, Apple announced that iOS 9 had been installed on more than 50% of "active" iOS devices, which Apple described as the "fastest adoption rate ever for a new operating system".
iOS 9 is the final version of iOS to feature the classic slide-to-unlock gesture. With the release of iOS 10, Apple introduced the Today view, which was accessed on the lock screen by swiping to the right. Apple removed slide-to-unlock in iOS 10 because it would create confusion when users were trying to unlock their phone by sliding the screen, but instead of unlocking the phone, it took them to the new Today view.[3] iOS 9 is the final version of iOS compatible with devices with the 30-pin dock connector, including the iPhone 4s, iPad 2, and iPad (3rd generation). It is also the final version of iOS that supports the iPad Mini (1st generation) and the last 32-bit iPod Touch, the iPod Touch (5th generation). iOS 9's successor, iOS 10, drops support for devices with A5 or A5X chips.
- ^ Clover, Juli (July 22, 2019). "Apple Releases iOS 9.3.6 and iOS 10.3.4 With GPS Bug Fix for Older iPhones and iPads". www.macrumors.com. Archived from the original on July 22, 2019. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
- ^ Clover, Juli (September 13, 2016). "Apple Releases iOS 10 With Redesigned Lock Screen, New Messages Features, Third-Party Siri, and More". MacRumors. Archived from the original on December 28, 2016. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
- ^ Smith, Chris (June 14, 2016). "Apple has replaced 'slide to unlock' with something really dumb". BGR. Archived from the original on October 17, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2022.