iOS 9.1 is a controversial update. Arguably deserving on its iOS 9.x status primarily through the sheer number of bug fixes it brings to the highly troubled iOS 9.0.2 release, iOS 9.1 nevertheless contains three nice surprises Apple chose not to reveal in its official release notes…
Surprise #1: New Wallpapers
Apple takes great pride in adding to the official collection of iOS wallpapers, so it is somewhat surprising it chose not to mention that if you go to Settings > Wallpaper > Choose New Wallpaper > Stills in iOS 9.1 you’ll find four new options: the planets of Jupiter, Mars and Neptune as well as a desert landscape.
Like all iOS wallpapers, these can be set to appear on your lockscreen, homescreen or both.
Surprise #2: Contact Photo Control
Since the launch of the iPhone 6 and iOS 8 photos for contacts have always been shown by default in Apple’s Messages app. But this changes with iOS 9.1 which gives you a little more privacy and allows you to disable the thumbnails beside each conversation thread.
Simply go to Settings > Messages > Show Contact Photos and toggle it to ‘Off’ if you’d prefer your chats not to have your contact’s eyes staring back at you.
Surprise #3: International News App
Apple made the announcement of ‘News’ one of the tentpoles of its iOS 9 launch, so it seems odd that the first stage of its international rollout with iOS 9.1 was not something Apple deemed worthy of a mention.
Australia and the UK are the countries to benefit first with 14 partner publications bringing access to numerous newspapers and magazines. These include the BBC, Telegraph, Guardian, Sun, Times, Financial Times, Economist, Vanity Fair, Marie Claire and more.
There is one downside. Those not interested in the News app will find they have yet another non-removable icon to join the likes of Watch, Stocks, Tips, Game Center, Health and many more.
Consequently, while iOS 9.1 may not deliver the big features associated with iOS X.X releases, Apple has maintained its playful reputation for sneaking in little easter eggs for users to find.
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