iOS 5 has hidden panoramic camera, autocorrect bar

Rick

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Developers recently discovered a couple of hidden features in Apple's iOS 5. Of the new surprises, panoramic picture mode for the iOS camera app and an Android-like autocorrect bar for the on-screen keyboard make an appearance. Both items can be enabled without jailbreaking your iPad or iPhone, but not without a few initial steps.

Hidden features in iOS are an unusual find, but iOS hacker, Sonny Dickson, was responsible for unearthing an "Android-like" autocorrect bar Thursday morning. In fact, the autocorrect  bar is so "Android-like", it may explain in part Apple's reservation to include it as a production feature. Enabling this hidden gem requires a simple .plist file edit but since Apple does not allow a way to access to the file system, it requires a couple of steps (instructions below).

On Monday, another iOS developer, Conrad Kramer, stumbled upon an interesting discovery which enabled panorama mode for the iOS camera app. Because apps already exist which do this, taking panoramic photos on your iPhone or iPad is not a novel idea, but this is the first time anyone has seen this feature grace the native camera app.

To enable panorama for iOS 5, the instructions will look similar to this:

  • You must have a program able to manipulate iPhone/iPad backups, such as iBackupBot
  • Open the latest backup with your software
  • Navigate to:  /Library/Preferences/com.apple.mobileslideshow.plist  inside the backup
  • Open/edit the file to inlcude:
         EnableFirebreakYES   under the   DiskSpaceWasLow   value.
  • Export/save the file
  • Restore the backup to your phone

To enable the keyboard autocorrection feature, follow the same steps but edit a different .plist file:

  • You must have a program able to manipulate iPhone/iPad backups, such as iBackupBot
  • Open the latest backup with your software
  • Navigate to:  /Library/Preferences/com.apple.keyboard.plist   inside the backup
  • Open/edit the file to inlcude:
          KeyboardAutocorrectionListsYES
  • Export/save the file
  • Restore the backup to your phone

Image via KoolMobile

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Sooooo...nobody can make a phone that looks anything like Apple's, but Apple can make a feature that looks like Androids...yeah, that sounds fair /sarcasm
 
It doesn't really matter that they made it as long as it was made for internal use only. Its not there fault someone hacked the phone and found an "Internal Feature".
 
Guest said:
It doesn't really matter that they made it as long as it was made for internal use only. Its not there fault someone hacked the phone and found an "Internal Feature".

What exactly is the purpose of your comment? What do you mean it doesn't matter as long as it is for internal use only? The fact that's "internal use only" does not take away the fact that they still developed it.

And what do you mean it's not their "fault"? Who is blaming anybody? Did you know that imitation is the sincerest form of flaterry? Why is it so bad to admit Android has a lot of features iOS developers truly wish to add to their platform? And vice-versa?

You see, what I get from your comment is that, apparently, this is not something Apple <i>would</i> do. Don't tell me you are one of those people that acutally believe Apple invented the touchscreen phone...?

Hell, seeing with how much passion Steve Jobs hated Android, just with the notification center in iOS 5, he must be turning in his grave...
 
Wow really innovative stuff right here. Certainly haven't seen these before /s
 
Jobs thought Android was a stolen product, and yet here Apple is stealing features from Android?


In what universe does this make sense?
 
This kind of assisted input has been standard for Japanese input on many OS's for a decade or more - including the earliest iOS of course. I think Chinese uses something similar, possibly other languages too. So simply doing it for English is hardly what I'd call an innovation in the first place.
 
Taught android is open source therefore anybody can use its features anyway they like therefore apple can use anything they like that looks androidish
 
Android vs iPhone
iPhone vs Android

stfu. who cares what phones either of us like.

I like Coke, you like pepsi. Does it really matter? no..

Just because you like your phone better then my phone, does not mean that it is or is not better.
Its all a matter of personal preference. Everyone *(EVERYONE)* steals ideas from elsewhere.
At least sometimes. So both teams get off their high horses and stfu and get along!
 
this has been a feature on blackberry for as long as i can remember. I phone has a long way to go business wise.
 
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