Apple has released details of iOS 10 to developers at the company's yearly keynote address at WWDC.

The new iOS will sport a number of new features designed to enhance your iPhone even more beyond what the company launched in iOS 9 last year. Claiming to be the biggest update yet, there will be 10 main features including changes to Siri, the lock screen, and photos.

"iOS 10 is our biggest release ever, with delightful new ways to express yourself in Messages, a native app for Home automation, and beautifully redesigned apps for Music, Maps, and News that are more intuitive and more powerful, making everything you love about your iPhone and iPad even better," said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering on the news of the release. "iOS 10 adds Siri intelligence into QuickType and Photos, automates your home with the new Home app and opens up Siri, Maps, Phone and Messages to developers — while increasing security and privacy with powerful technologies like Differential Privacy."

So what new features can you look forward to when the new iOS 10 comes to your iPhone and iPad later this year? Here are the main ones, with Apple promising more features to come, presumably with new hardware later in the year ahead of the final release.

iOS 10 public beta video overview

iOS 10 public beta became available in July and we got our hands on it. The new software has a lot of new features and design elements. It's worth noting that because this version of software in the video above is a beta software, that means not everything will work perfectly, and there's a chance some of the features could change between now and when it arrives officially later this year. 

You may find that some of your third party apps stop working correctly, because they're not compatible yet, so it's worth weighing up the risk before opting to download. If you want to go ahead and try it out, check out our guide on how to get it installed on your device. 

iOS 10 new features

Apple says there are hundreds of new features in iOS 10, but here are the biggest features that the company has highlighted at its WWDC keynote in San Francisco.

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Apple

iOS 10: New lock screen

Apple has introduced a new lock screen that stops you accidentally bypassing the lock screen thanks to the performance of the TouchID sensor. Called Raised to Wake, the phone will wake up and give you details of the notifications you have without you having to press any buttons. You will also be able to get quick interaction with apps, as well as using 3D Touch to clear them in the same way you can on the Apple Watch.

Sliding from one side to the other (right to left) will give you instant access to the camera.

iOS 10: 3D Touch enhancements

You'll now be able to get widgets by pressing down on the app icon giving you quick access to details within the apps set up by the developer, whether that's how you are doing on your activity, or a football score, for example.

iOS 10: Siri

Apple has opening up Siri to developers allowing them to access the voice assistant to build it not only into their apps, but allow you to ask Siri to interact with apps on your behalf. You will be able to conduct a photo search in IM or stop and pause your runs in apps like Runkeeper, for example, all via Siri.

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Apple

iOS 10: Photos inc Memories

The Photos apps now gets Places so you can see where they were taken, but Apple says it is also adding Advanced Photo recognition to Photos so it can spot faces as well as object and scene recognition. Apple says it will also try and mine your photos to bundle photos around dates, people, and topics like being on the water or at the beach. Called Memories, users will be able to see Apple's suggestions, hopefully giving you a better way to browse your photos.

iOS 10: QuickType

Promising Siri intelligence on the keyboard, Apple says it is bringing more context to typing so either Siri can reply with suggestions for you - like your currently location - or help you share relevant contacts. Siri will also be able to pre-load some of the information for you. It will only look at locally-stored information it seems however, rather than running off to the cloud.

iOS 10: Apple Maps

Apple is continuing to bring Apple Maps up to speed with other services like Google Maps. For iOS 10, Apple says that Apple Maps will be more proactive, giving you suggestions on what you might be able to do based on where you are and what time it is. That could be suggesting seafood restaurants and then automatically giving you traffic details. The view will now automatically change based on the detail of the turn ahead, and give you the ability to add in waypoints or stops along away. Apple Maps will also get developer support so different apps can be tied into the apps. According to Apple VP Eddie Cue, you could find a restaurant, place an order, pay for it, and get there without leaving the Apple Maps itself.

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Apple

iOS 10: Apple Music

Following huge complaints on the user interface, the app has been completely redesigned saying that "perhaps it will no longer require a graduate course to operate" it. The new design will try and make the app a lot easier to use. Aside from a new look, you'll now get bigger artwork and, for those that like to sing along, lyrics. Other features include For You and Beats One as before.

iOS 10: Apple News

Like Apple Music, Apple News also gets a complete design refresh breaking out topics and areas that you either read, or might read. There is also now a featured stories area, as well as a subscriptions feature that will allow publishers to offer paid-for content within the app rather than having to support their own apps.

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Apple

iOS 10: HomeKit

HomeKit finally gets its own app called Home. The app, which has been missing since the inception of HomeKit, will hopefully give more focus to Apple users using connected devices. The app will be focused around scenes, so you to get HomeKit-enabled devices to work together. Users with an Apple TV will be able to remotely access HomeKit, but without it, iPhone users will have to be locally connected. The Apple Watch will also have Home support.

iOS 10: Phone

You'll now be able to get voicemail transcriptions, and the ability to see if callers are spam or not. While a new API for developers will allow you to see who is calling with a picture of the person or more data rather than just the number and a notification.

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Apple

iOS 10: Messages

Messages will get rich clicks that will make sharing photos and videos much more graphical, while sliding up will reveal the camera app. For those who are fed-up with squinting to see what the emoji looks like, they will be now three times bigger, while those that really like emoji can have it auto-recommend what words can be turned into emoji.

Furthermore Apple has added different "messaging bubble" styles including shouting, quiet and others including a reveal option that will mean the receiver will have to slide over the message to reveal it. You'll also be able to hand write messages and change the background wallpaper.

There will also be support for developers in Messages apps to add payments, or stickers.

iOS 10: Other features

Enhancements

Other new featured picked out by Apple during the keynote included Conversation view so you can scroll through your mail quickly, live photo editing, Notes collaboration, and for iPad owners split view in safari on iPad so you can view two Safari windows side by side. There is also RAW camera support, although Apple has yet to detail that exactly.

Beyond that, there are several iOS 10 features Apple didn’t have time to demo. For instance, you'll soon get read receipts by conversation in iMessages. An iCloud Drive Desktop folder is coming, too, and China will have access to an Air Quality Index. Apple has also promised faster Camera launch times, a Continuity clipboard, collaboration feature in Notes, and the ability to open unlimited tabs in Safari.

Apple will also add a stabilisation feature, live filters, and editing to Live Photos, as well as a a markup tool for Messages, a side-by-side compose field in Mail for iPad, location suggestions for Calendar, a conversation in Mail, a Discover section in iBooks, a new camera interface for the iPad, improved auto-enhance tool for Photos, a split view in Safari on iPad, a rest-and-type keyboard for iPad, and Document folder for iCloud Drive.

But that's not all... FaceTime will get faster connectivity, while CarPlay will get app reordering. You'll also be able to sort favourites in News, adjust brilliance in Photos, filter messages in Mail, set bedtime alarms, use Apple Pay in Safari, avoid tolls in Maps, and send attachments faster in Messages. You'll even be able to use CarPlay on ultrawide screens with iOS 10. The list literally goes on.

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Deleting stock apps

One feature that's been one of the most complained-about features of iOS in the past is the lack of ability to delete any of Apple's preinstalled iOS apps. If you have a preferred third party calendar, weather or email app, you end up with two apps for the same function on your iPhone or iPad home screen. Soon, that will be no more.

With iOS 10, you'll be able to remove a number of the apps that come preinstalled. The list of removable apps includes Calculator, Calendar, Compass, Contacts, FaceTime, Find my Friends, Home, iBooks, iCloud Drive, iTunes Store, Mail, Maps, Music, News, Notes, Podcasts, Reminders, Stocks, Tips, Videos, Voice Memos, Watch app and Weather. According to some MacRumors commenters, it seems that apps like Apple Maps will remain the default even if you remove them. Instead of launching Google Maps - for instance - when you click on a shared location, it prompts you to re-download Apple Maps. If that's in the final release, that could quickly get very tiring. 

If you remove apps in error, or change your mind, you will be able to put them back on your your home screen again by reinstalling them from the App Store. It's worth noting that, technically, you don't actually delete the apps. Instead you're removing them and moving them back to their uninstalled state. There's still a binary file on the phone containing all the information needed to reinstall. In this state, the apps take up very little storage space, and it means even if you have no internet connection you can reinstall them. 

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MacRumors

'Wake Alarm' in clock app

Apple is revamping its clock app in iOS 10 with an added Wake Alarm feature. Alongside the usual World Clock, Alarm, Stopwatch and Timer tabs there's a new 'Bedtime' tab. Here you can set you daily bed time and wake time to help you get in to a healthy sleeping routine. When enabled you'll be reminded to go to bed, and be woken up at the same time each day. Once a cycle has been completed, you'll be able to track your routine and see what needs tweaking.  

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Widgets in Spotlight

As discovered by 9to5Mac, it looks as though widgets are being moved from the Notification Centre 'Today' view and instead taking up residence in the Spotlight search screen. You'll find this screen by swiping left to right on your first home screen. In iOS 9, this is populated by Siri app suggestions, nearby places and news. In iOS 10 you get widgets showing any relevant reminders, calendar events battery levels and so on. 

Live game streaming with ReplayKit

One developer tool in iOS 10 which Apple neglected to mention during the opening WWDC keynote (most likely due to time) is ReplayKit. In short, it's a way for games developers to build live gameplay streaming in to their apps. That means you could start seeing games land on the App Store which let you beam your play live to an audience, or to record it for publishing later. While we don't know if Twitch or YouTube Gaming will support the feature, Mobcrush - a smaller game streaming platform - has already announced support.

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Apple Insider

Maps remembers where you park

AppleInsider has discovered a nifty feature within the new Apple Maps app. Much like Google Now can do, Apple Maps in iOS 10 looks as though it's able to remember where you park automatically. After using navigation to get to a particular event, the new Apple Maps app drops a pin where you stop, and can lead you back to that location when you want to return to your car. 

Other, more minor updates

As is often the case with new software, you'll find a ton of tiny changes within iOS 10. 9to5Mac has pointed at a number of the new features they've discovered since downloading and installing the developer preview. These include slightly updated animations, new keyboard sounds, a new face gallery in the Watch app, new wallpapers and more. If you need to, you'll be able to edit that location to pinpoint it more accurately. 

iOS 10 release date: When will I get it?

Apple has confirmed that developers will get a preview of iOS 10 from today, iPhone Develop Beta Preview users from July, and those not so brave from "this fall" which basically means September when Apple are expected to launch the iPhone 7.

iOS 10: Which devices will be compatible?

Apple has said that iOS 10 will work on the iPhone 6s, 6s Plus, 6, 6 Plus, SE, 5s, 5c and iPhone 5 models. Anything beneath that like the iPhone 4S won't be getting iOS 10.

For iPad users it's the iPad Pro range, the iPad Air range. and the iPad 4, 3, and 2. All iPad minis will be able to run iOS 10.

5th and 6th generation iPod touch users will also be able to run iOS 10.