Your iPhone and iPad are about to get a whole lot smarter. iOS 9.3 just hit beta, meaning once developers have finished some final tinkering it will be winging its way to your latest iDevice.
An exact rollout date has yet to be confirmed, but this update is already shaping up as one of the most substantial 'point' patches in recent times.
More than a simple bug fix, Apple hope to bring a number of new features that will enhance the overall user experience. From sleeping better at night to securing your note-taking, here's what you can expect from the imminent iOS 9.3 update.
1. Night Shift will help you sleep at night
Night Shift isn't some after-hours job you're going to have to take on to afford the iPhone 7 - it's Apple's way of helping you sleep better. You know when you use your phone in bed for some late-night Facebook stalking or cat memes - and then your brain gets wired and you can't sleep? Well, that's down to over exposure to daytime-mimicking blue light. But Apple's about to fix that.
Night Shift, easily the coolest addition to iOS 9.3, will gradually alter the colour balance, warmth and brightness of your screen as the day progresses. Utilising your phone's clock and geolocation, it will adjust to the day's sunset times, gradually reducing your exposure to blue light throughout the day. Meaning by the time you get into bed, you'll be able to seamlessly slip into the land of nod.
2. Notes adds Touch ID support to keep your secrets, well, secret
Once the forgotten child of Apple's pre-installed app roster, Notes has been completely transformed over the past year. The updates continue to roll through, too, with your notes and annotations now able to be kept secure with Touch ID protection.
Transforming the simple notation app into a 1Password rival of sorts, the arrival of in-app Touch ID and password support means you can keep a localised log of passwords, banking details or secret lovers, without the risk of the information falling into the wrong hands. Or more specifically, fingers.
3. News wants to get to know you
News hasn't exactly set the world of content absorption alight since landing late last year. It's about to add a fleet of new features though, and these additions could see it quickly become your one-stop-shop for online readings.
A new 'For You' section will merge trending topics and editors' picks, bringing key content to the fore for easier content discovery, while background app improvements mean you'll be able to access more content, more regularly. Landscape view is ditching its iPad exclusivity to hit iPhone owners, and in-article video playback is set to become an ever-present addition. Did someone say 'legit Flipbook rival'?
4. Multi-user support is coming to iPad
A feature that's long been called for on Apple's slates, multi-account support is finally happening. Well, sort of. If your iPad is used in an educational environment, that is.
With textbooks increasingly going digital, Apple has finally realised that it's a little unreasonable for every parent and school board to supply every child with a tablet. Instead, the Cupertino-based company is making slate-based learning accessible to the masses with a new multi-user feature that will let students log into any pre-assigned iPad to access their centrally-stored work.
5. Apple Watch-captured data is coming to Health
With dedicated apps for every aspect of your wearable world, it's all too easy to overlook Health as the centralised location for your digital existence. iOS 9.3 is looking to change that though by improving third-party app support.
As well as removing the hassle of getting your data into Health, the update will also improve Apple Watch insights - feeding in all of your step, exercise and standing-still-breathing-heavily data.
6. CarPlay is getting into music
It might still be in its relative infancy, but CarPlay support is slowly filtering its way out to more production cars. And this expanded rollout adds some much-needed features.
iOS 9.3 will now let you improve your in-car audio experience, with 'For You' and 'New' Apple Music-based song selection shortcuts hitting the dash. The on-screen audio prompts are being joined by on-board Maps improvements too, with a 'Nearby' feature pointing the way to local services, parking spots, and places to refuel your body as well as your car.