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iOS 9 vs iOS 8: What’s New in iOS 9

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See what’s new in iOS 9 with our in depth look at the new iOS 9 features and a comparison to iOS 8. This will walk you through the latest features in iOS 9 and the new iOS 9.0.1 features.

The iOS 9 release date is coming on September 16th for users who own an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch capable of running iOS 8 at the current time.

Our iOS 9 vs iOS 8 comparison will help you discover what’s new in iOS 9 and see some of the exciting upgrades in action.

This look at what’s new in iOS 9 will help you discover the new features in the iOS 9 update that Apple did not announce on stage, but that you can expect soon. We look at the iPad and iPhone iOS 9 upgrades to see what is coming.

Update: September 23rd with what’s new in iOS 9.0.1 and how to upgrade

[contextly_sidebar id=”IXqGZZGrfaNuRCQkgfXe4xuj12zi00tO”]You will see some new iOS 9 visual changes that help round out the operating system and major new features like multitasking on the iPad. Not all features will arrive on every device this fall, but if you own an iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus or iPad Air 2 many of these will arrive soon. You can also count on an iOS 9 update to arrive on the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.

Like iOS 8, the iOS 9 update is a free download for your device. The iOS 9 downloads start on September 16th, and while Apple did not confirm the time, it will likely arrive at 10 AM Pacific, 1 PM Eastern.

While the iOS 9 update may look like a small update at first glance, there are an impressive number of new iOS 9 features and changes that make this more than just a small upgrade for iPhone and iPad users. After using the iOS 9 beta for months there are clear benefits to the iOS 9 update.

Watch the iOS 9 video above to see what’s new in iOS 9. This 13-minute video looks at the new iOS 9 features and changes on the iPhone 6 Plus and the iPad Air 2, but the majority of these new features should come to older devices as well.

Apple’s iOS 9 update runs on the iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5, iPad 2, iPad 3, iPad 4, iPad Air, iPad mini, iPad mini Retina, iPod touch 5th generation and iPod touch 6th generation.

Read our iOS 9 review for an in depth look at how well these new iOS 9 features perform on the iPhone 6 and iPad Air 2.

Click on any of the images below to jump directly to a specific iOS 9 vs iOS 8 walkthrough slide to see how that compares. The iOS 9 screenshots are on the left and the iOS 8 screenshots are on the right so you can see how the two versions compare. With some new features we will only show the iOS 9 screenshots.

iOS 9 vs iOS 8: What’s New in iOS 9

iOS 9 vs iOS 8 Walkthrough - Home Screen

iOS 9 vs iOS 8 Walkthrough - Home Screen

The image above shows that the iOS 9 home screen looks very much like the one on iOS 8. This is not surprising, but you will notice one major change to this screen. 

The new iOS 9 font on the home page carries over through settings and apps. It's surprising how much the look of the system can change with a small tweak to a new font.

From the home screen you can now swipe left to a new search screen, and you can still swipe down to Spotlight from any of the home screen pages.

When you upgrade you will also see options to add iCloud Drive to your home screen. 

Apple adds two new default iOS 9 apps that you cannot delete. Find iPhone and Find Friends apps now come with the iPhone by default. You can hide them in a folder, but you cannot delete the apps. The Find My iPhone app is a very good addition, while Find My Friends is still not as widely used. 

60 Comments

60 Comments

  1. Larry

    06/11/2015 at 1:47 pm

    I’ll make this simple ios 8 sucked and ios 9 will be just or worse .. Nuff said

    • Norm

      06/12/2015 at 5:27 am

      I disagree. This version of ios 9 seems to be bringing in some important optimization features with regards to battery life, note taking, and keyboard use. It also seems to bring in some other interesting feautures. The fact that you will likely be able to get this on an iphone 4s seems to be a gift from apple, perhaps in recognition of the ios 8 rollout issues. As usual though, I will reserve judgement until it is on all my apple devices. My iphone 6 never had issues with ios 8, but it degraded the performance of the ipad mini. As such, I would expect some speed recovery in ios 9 when installed on the ipad mini. Above all, that is what I would like to see.

      • scottalias

        07/10/2015 at 12:33 pm

        iOS 8 was a big improvement for my iPhone 5. If iOS 9 works well, I will have a new battery installed, if it doesn’t, I will switch to an Android phone.

    • Joseph Kinney

      08/29/2015 at 6:24 pm

      Nope. How about posting reasons? I can see your point if you’re using a lower tier device, but I’ve never had a hiccup and it just keeps getting better for me.

  2. Abdulrahman

    06/13/2015 at 4:23 am

    This update looks badass simply because of the battery saver and the lower storage needed to download the update iOS 9 is perfect for 16gb

  3. marc

    06/19/2015 at 3:12 pm

    If i get the beta by registering my UDID and everything will my phone be restored or whipped? because i don’t want to loose all my stuff

    • Mortiferr

      07/10/2015 at 8:00 am

      No, you will not as long as you do it through Apple. If you do it through any other website it’s likely your phone will be bricked.

  4. Don Temple

    06/28/2015 at 5:57 pm

    I love my iPhone6, but would like to see 2 important changes; 1/ add a removable SIM card slot for extra & private file storage 2/ add a simple “Back” button(both like the Android devices).
    I do like the sounds of the coming changes with OS9.

    • Mortiferr

      07/09/2015 at 5:00 pm

      This has been semi-added. If you click on a link while in an app there will be a back button present to return to that app. Same with text messages.

    • Joseph Kinney

      08/29/2015 at 6:32 pm

      Also many apps support going back by swiping, left to right, edge to edge. It’s more intuitive. Also, you do have a removable SIM card tray. You mean SD card. Why not just get an iPhone with more storage? do you really want to be managing device storage and card storage and moving items back and forth all the time? If you simply need more storage for docs, pics, files, etc., why not go with a cloud solution? There’s plenty out there (aside from iCloud) that offer plenty of free/cheap storage.

      • Chris

        12/07/2015 at 4:37 pm

        With SD cards, you don’t move stuff back and forth. It’s storage.

  5. Thomas Gibeault

    06/28/2015 at 6:14 pm

    Looks great! I love my iPhone 6 plus. Better battery life and knowing what case letters you are typing sounds good to me.

  6. jswans

    07/10/2015 at 2:32 pm

    I just upgraded to iOS9 and my notes app disappeared. I have an iPhone 5s. Why?? I was really excited to use the new notes app…

  7. benjaminkenon

    08/05/2015 at 4:12 am

    Avoid the iOS 9 beta at all costs. My iPod Touch (5th Gen) has become unable to use wifi, and I can’t restore it to an earlier backup because I need wifi to turn off Find My iPhone.

  8. ryan

    08/20/2015 at 4:47 pm

    I don’t have a computer should I download ios9 for my iPhone 6

  9. mzanonymiiss

    08/24/2015 at 2:54 pm

    I have iOS 9 beta 3. I have all of my apps and capabilities. I am in love with the updated Notes, the Low Power Mode for the battery and even the maps app, which I originally dreaded (& I hate having to go into useless Yelp to find bars & restaurants nearby). The news app has virtually eliminated my need to go into Flipboard. I have not had any issues thus far with the beta. I’m excited for the full release. =)

  10. Matt

    08/31/2015 at 6:30 am

    I love it. No issues at all and it’s a big improvement on 8 but through small changes. Very happy !

  11. Ashwin kumar kura

    09/18/2015 at 2:01 am

    I ve a problem in opening the phone app …. I am not able to dial a new number … I can’t open the call logs n contacts list by phone directly…. If i need to dial a number frm contacts i need to go to search option and then dial it…. Everytime i open the phone app it stucks always…. This is happening since i ve installed ios 9 ….Please help me ….

    • Nathan

      10/23/2015 at 10:12 am

      I have a problem in opening phone app and it is a white screen . Other than that all the apps working fine .please help me out in fixing this issue in iPhone 4s

  12. Darla

    09/18/2015 at 10:59 am

    I just upgraded to OIS 9, now I can’t reply to anyone’s messages. I have to open a new message so that I can type. All I get is a grey box. Anyone else have this problem? I have an Iphone 5s

  13. Abe

    09/18/2015 at 10:21 pm

    Why do i need an IOS update again I was ok with 8. Apparently Apple wants to fix something But it end up breaking something else. Enough updates and go take ur ADHD med please.

  14. Jan

    09/19/2015 at 11:23 am

    I upgraded to iOS 9 on my iPad air2 now I ca no longer save my photos. Any ideas?

  15. puja

    09/19/2015 at 5:44 pm

    i instalked ios 9 in my iphone 6+ and after a while i am not able to unlock my phone and my phone touch screen is not working

  16. Aimee Oni

    09/20/2015 at 3:40 am

    I usually don’t use my data so I use wifi. But when do use it I switch the green toggle button on when I’m not under wifi. Ever since I did this update I switch turn on the green toggle button next to my app in the cellular settings go back to the app and then it doesn’t work?!!! Someone help me. I don’t want to have to reset/restart my phone :( all I want is for my apps to work.

  17. Dale Lee Yardlry

    09/20/2015 at 6:23 am

    My email does not work no one seems to have a fix. What’s ip?

  18. Heather

    09/20/2015 at 5:44 pm

    I uploaded the ISO9 & I so wished I hadn’t I’ve lost at least 2000 pictures my I cloud has only given me the last 30 days photos cus my pc is rubbish so I couldn’t back my phone up I’m beyond gutted

  19. Carolyn

    09/20/2015 at 11:08 pm

    After uploading the ISO9 I am not getting access to my notes for longer than a minute. I would appreciate any help you can give me.

  20. Jocelyn King

    09/20/2015 at 11:59 pm

    My photoes that where clear are now all blury.Not Impressed.Sllde show has also changed an not s good

  21. Celia

    09/22/2015 at 2:48 pm

    Hi – Just received Iphone 6 Plus – trying to download IOS 9 – started at 7 hours now at 2 hours remaining – anything I can do to speed it up – Thanks

  22. LargeMarge

    09/23/2015 at 7:53 am

    Oh wow, ios9 is blessing us with features that have been available on android for years. As one who owns and uses both iPad Air and google nexus, I can honestly say the only perk I’ve seen to the iPad is the battery life. Otherwise, I am less than impressed.

  23. Jessica

    09/23/2015 at 1:27 pm

    Every time I try to use Siri all I see is what she is saying and I can’t hear her anymore

  24. kk

    09/24/2015 at 7:12 pm

    no new emoji for my iphone5.lol

  25. Abby

    09/25/2015 at 7:27 am

    So after I updated to 9.0 some of my apps won’t work unless connected to wifi and my cellular data keeps turning off by itself. What to do?

  26. forevershea37

    09/25/2015 at 10:24 am

    Apparently I am the only one with a split keyboard, half on lower right and the other half on lower left, and have no idea how to fix it! Absolutely hate it! Does no one else have this problem or am I doing something wrong?

    • b

      09/27/2015 at 9:50 am

      you can put the keyboard back by using one finger on each side to slide it back together or you can hold the button in the bottom right corner and press dock and merge

  27. Gail

    09/26/2015 at 4:49 am

    To forevershea37
    Go to Setttings/general/toggle down to Keyboard/switch on then off again. This should do it. It happened to me a few times but seems ok now.

  28. Vicki

    09/27/2015 at 12:31 am

    If everyone really gets disgusted with Apple’s Microsoft Impression, call them and make their day! Take up their time! Make them back you up, and re-do you, over and over until they get their act together

  29. Charlene Parker

    09/27/2015 at 12:29 pm

    I need to know how I get my phone app back. It disappeared after installing 9.0.1

  30. Holly Paige

    09/27/2015 at 2:03 pm

    I need to know how to get my contacts back

  31. Dreads

    09/27/2015 at 2:15 pm

    I can’t use google chrome or YouTube any more on my 5s after getting ios9 … I get a blank screen on google that freezes and if I click a video on YouTube it freezes and resets after 30 seconds but I can’t watch anything

  32. Joe Carrion

    09/27/2015 at 11:59 pm

    It’s still not letting me install the update, you didn’t specify if you hold down the power button when the error pops up or when. Either way I tried it when the error popped up and before pressing install now and even when it said verifying update, but it’s still not working so yeah I need some help.

  33. Derek

    09/28/2015 at 2:55 am

    Why do I get my texts from group or certain people a day or two late?

  34. Tee

    09/29/2015 at 4:41 am

    Since updating to iOS 9 people I FaceTime can no longer see me on screen only hear me. I have iPad 4 with Retina display. I can however see and hear them..weird bug

  35. Hollo Kalmi

    10/03/2015 at 3:27 am

    I updated the ios to 9.0.1 and i have also problems

  36. Greg

    10/05/2015 at 11:48 am

    Since I did the most recent update my playlist in music plays the same song over and over how can I fix this?

  37. Hunter

    10/05/2015 at 4:36 pm

    Problems I’ve had since downloading new IOS9 on my IPhone 5s

    Old apps not deleting from device even though it shows they are which takes up space and still does updates to same.

    Devices running slower

    Apps not loading as fast as they use too

    Adding find friends when I don’t use it

    Having to change the cellular service due to charging without wi-fi

    Since downloading IOS 9 1&2, There is a delay with the words I type in search engines

    The message text box disappears at times when responding to a text message and just the recording part shows up I have to close out the text message app and sometimes restart the device before it comes back.

    Many apps flick off in middle of something

  38. Nita leader

    10/06/2015 at 10:48 pm

    Omg worst thing I have ever done , unable post and like on Facebook , text very small and blurry and lots of delays

  39. ritapalma

    10/12/2015 at 5:43 am

    Photos taken with os 7 lost the original filters and quality… they appear to have the filter on the roll, and when I open them, they show up without the filter that was used when taking them (not applied later).
    Does anyone else have this problem? Any ideas on how to solve this?? i want my photos as I took them!!!
    Also, I use a specific filter when taking photos, and it used to be set by default on the camera, now I have to chose the filter every single time I take a photo… annoying! HELP!

  40. Joelene price

    10/12/2015 at 9:27 pm

    I updated my sons iPhone 5s and the motherboard died two days after the update can I have and help with this

  41. Linda Jennings

    10/14/2015 at 3:22 pm

    ISO 9 has totally locked me out of my IPad, did not recognize my password, so had to reset it and then it did not recognize the new passcode. disgusted with the whole password mess. and with ISO

  42. Vidya

    10/15/2015 at 5:06 am

    I’m unable to back up on iCloud even though there is 4GB of space left this has happened ever since I upgraded to iOS 9.1. I’ve tried deleting unwanted apps but no use. Can someone help me please?

  43. Carrie

    10/15/2015 at 10:06 pm

    I lost all my vacation photos after updating to 9.0.2. Phone didn’t recognize my passcode and became disabled. I had to erase the whole phone! So disgusted! I can’t text without a grey box showing up in the text box

  44. Marlene

    10/20/2015 at 7:41 am

    I updated to ios9 on my iPad 2 and it’s draining my battery life faster,it’s supposed to give me longer battery life,but it’s the opposite.

  45. pamkbc

    10/20/2015 at 8:19 pm

    I have just updated to ios9.0.2 on iPad. Now it will not accept new passcode. totally locked out.

  46. Patti

    10/21/2015 at 11:30 pm

    Just received my new ipad 2, and after going through setup, it went to install update. It has been “verifying update” for 3 hours now! My first iOS product, being an avid Android fan…and the size of the font to read the agreements?! I could have been agreeing to give away my first born for all I know! TOO TINY!

  47. Paulette Waller

    10/25/2015 at 12:14 pm

    I just upgraded the Iso 9 and now my notes app crashes as soon as I open it. Can’t Apple fix there mess?

  48. Opal Roberts

    11/01/2015 at 6:04 pm

    Emails that have been deleted and I can not see still show on my screen. It says I have 1 unread and 28 junk as well as 20 some trash. There is nothing there!!! Driving me insane.

  49. Cherno

    11/01/2015 at 10:51 pm

    Contacts contacts contacts. I am unable to search any specific per on in the search bar as before since IOS 9.0.1 and I am afraid to upgrade.

  50. Vivanflusk

    11/06/2015 at 5:06 pm

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