Apple announces iOS 14 with an app drawer, widgets on the home screen, and more

Today, Apple held its WWDC 2020 keynote, where it announced all of its next major software updates. First up was iOS 14, the OS for iPhones and iPod Touch devices. As you"d expect, there"s a whole lot that"s new.

First up, there"s a new App Library, similar to the app drawer that we"ve seen on other platforms for years. It"s going to be the last page on your home screen, and it"s meant to declutter your pages and pages of apps. You"ll be able to find apps with the search field, there"s a recently added option, and there are intelligent suggestions. It also shows your most used apps at the top.

Moreover, you"ll be able to hide entire pages of apps. That"s right. You can finally have apps hidden from the home screen.

Next up is widgets. They now come in different shapes and sizes, but that"s not the biggest change. You can finally add widgets to the home screen, something that Android fans have had for a long time, and have mocked iOS users for.

Another thing that"s new is picture-in-picture, a feature that iPad users have enjoyed for a while, but now it"s coming to iPhone. As usual, you can move it around, resize it, and so on.

Apple is introducing a new Translator app, and it"s meant to be used for actual conversations. This is all part of intelligence improvements, which include a smarter Siri. In fact, the Siri UI is getting an overhaul too.

As usual, there are a ton of Messages improvements. You can now pin conversations to the top, so things like 2FA notifications won"t send the messages you care about to the bottom. There are threads in group texts now, and Apple is adding mentions. That means you can only be notified when someone mentions you if you want.

There"s also a new animation when you"re getting a message.

Memojis are getting support for face coverings, and more age options.

Next up is Maps, which is getting a new cycling option, and you can now make EV routes. For the latter, iOS will be conscious of your car"s charge, and will place charging stations on your route. Also, Apple"s new map is rolling out in the UK, Ireland, and Canada.

CarPlay is getting a few new features, such as new wallpapers. Also, more app categories support it, like parking, EV charging, and quick food ordering. Apple also talked about rethinking car keys my letting you unlock cars with your iPhone, starting with BMW.

Finally, Apple announced App Clips. These bring up parts of an app by tapping your phone against something. App Clips can be anywhere, such as at stores, on products, and so on. You can use sign in with Apple and you can use Apple Pay, so you won"t have to enter any personal details.

As usual, iOS 14 should ship this fall.