Apple releases iOS 13 with Dark Mode, QuickPath swipe keyboard, a redesigned Reminders app, and more

Dark mode is the big new addition — Apple's new iOS 13 update is now available to download on compatible iPhones today, with an iPhone 6S release to follow soon.

The Verge 2019-09-20 Tom Warren

Context & Ripple Effects

Today's release closes a loop that opened with April's leaks of a system-wide Dark Mode and iPad multi-window support, was formalized at WWDC in Apple's June announcement promising 2x faster app launches and 30% faster Face ID, and ran through summer as an open public beta where early adopters stress-tested the new Apple Maps, Reminders, and Photos redesigns.

First-order effects

Owners of compatible iPhones can download iOS 13 immediately, gaining Dark Mode, QuickPath swipe typing, and the rebuilt Reminders app, while iPhone 6S users wait for a later build.
Every developer shipping on the App Store now faces an immediate compatibility task: making their apps render correctly against the new system-wide dark theme and the swipe keyboard.

Second-order effects

Third-party apps that lag on Dark Mode support will stand out visually next to first-party Apple apps that ship with it day one, pressuring developers to prioritize theme work over feature additions.
Because the public beta already exposed Maps, Photos, and Reminders changes to millions of testers, Apple enters the general rollout with fewer surprise complaints than a cold launch would produce.

Third-order effects

Dark Mode has proved durable rather than cosmetic: five years on, Apple extended the same idea down to tinting individual app icons in iOS 18, suggesting system-level appearance settings keep accreting into deeper customization control.

The trend: iOS releases are shifting from annual feature drops toward cumulative design platforms, where each cycle's headline feature becomes infrastructure the next one builds on.

Discussion

@laurengoode Lauren Goode on x
Apple's iOS 13 arrives today. Upside: It will help make aging iPhones faster. Downside: It's been riddled with bugs https://www.wired.com/...
@viticci Federico Viticci on x
I've been working on this for 3 months, pouring hundreds of hours into it. And here it is: My iOS and iPadOS 13 review: https://www.macstories.net/... I covered everything: iOS 13, iPadOS, Shortcuts, and iOS 13.1. Enjoy! https://twitter.com/...
@jamesthomson James Thomson on x
I had the pleasure of reading this early, and @viticci has outdone himself again. There are a lot of small iOS 13 details that I first learned about here. He even taught me about a new API! https://twitter.com/...
@viticci Federico Viticci on x
My iOS and iPadOS 13 review is, by far, the most challenging story I've ever worked on. But it's also the one I'm most proud of for finishing. 250 hours of work. Check out the Table of Contents, and don't miss the iPadOS and Shortcuts chapters. https://www.macstories.net/... http…
@laurengoode Lauren Goode on x
Also: iOS 13.1, the next (and presumably more stable) version of the software will ship September 24, *not* September 30 as previously expected & reported.
@cgartenberg Chaim Gartenberg on x
Some tech writers use reviews to sneak in fun pictures of their pets or family members. I use mine to show off baked goods. (Also please read my iOS 13 review! https://www.theverge.com/...) https://twitter.com/...
@marcoarment Marco Arment on x
Seems pretty decisive to me: Software quality is not important enough to delay the release of the iPhone. It's not the way we may want it to be — and not the way THEY probably want it to be — but that's the way it is. https://twitter.com/...

Chronicles