Apple’s mobile operating system, iOS, runs on the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Originally known as iPhone OS, the name was changed to iOS with the introduction of the iPad. Since 2019, the iPad has had a separate operating system, called iPadOS.

Apple iOS uses a multi-touch interface in which simple gestures control compatible devices, such as swiping your finger across the screen to go to the next page or pinching your fingers to zoom out. Millions of iOS apps are available for download from the Apple App Store, the most popular app store for all mobile devices.

A lot has changed since iOS was first released on the iPhone in 2007.

Simply put, an operating system is what sits between you and the physical device. The operating system interprets commands from software applications (apps) and gives those apps access to the device’s hardware features, such as the multi-touch screen, memory, or storage.