iPhone OS 3 (stylized as iPhone OS 3.0) is the third major release of the iOS mobile operating system developed by Apple Inc., succeeding iPhone OS 2. It was announced on March 17, 2009, and was released on June 17, 2009. It was succeeded by iOS 4 on June 21, 2010, dropping the "iPhone OS" naming convention.
iPhone OS 3 added a system-wide "cut, copy, and paste" feature, allowing users to move content more easily. It also introduced Spotlight, a search indexing feature designed to help users locate specific information on their device, such as contacts, email messages, or apps. The home screen was expanded to let users add up to 11 pages, showcasing a total of 180 apps. The Messages app received support for MMS, the Camera app received video recording support on the iPhone 3GS, and a new "Voice Memos" app let users record their voice. In-app purchase capability was added to third-party applications in the App Store as well. Apple also added the accessibility screen reader option VoiceOver to iOS devices with this release.
iPhone OS 3 is the last version of iOS that supports the first-generation iPhone and first-generation iPod Touch as its successor, iOS 4, drops support for both models.
iPhone OS 3.2 is the first iPhone OS version to support the first generation iPad.
iPhone OS 3 introduced a "cut, copy, and paste" bubble dialog when users press and hold text. The "paste" button would incorporate anything stored in the device's clipboard into the marked area.
Spotlight is a system-wide indexing and search feature that helps users search their device for specific contacts, email messages, calendar appointments, multimedia files, apps, and more. It is accessed by swiping to the right from the home screen.
VoiceOver is a screen reader accessibility feature for blind or low-vision users that reads the text on the screen. This feature was first introduced with OS X 10.4 Tiger in 2005.
iPhone OS 3 increased the maximum number of home screen pages to 11, for a total of 180 apps.
Users with MobileMe subscriptions could remotely track, lock, and erase their iPhones if they were lost.
The Messages app received native support for the Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), allowing users to send and receive messages that include pictures, contacts, locations, voice recordings, and video.
The Camera app introduced video recording for the iPhone 3GS.
The Photos app featured a new copy button and the ability to delete multiple photos at once.
Upgrading to iPhone OS 3 was free for iPhone users. Upgrading to iPhone OS 3 originally cost iPod Touch users $9.95; updating to 3.1.x from 2.x cost only $4.95.
iPhone OS 3 was the last major version of iOS for which iPod Touch users had to pay to upgrade. Starting with iOS 4, iOS upgrades became free for all users, including users of the iPod Touch, as the SarbanesâÂÂOxley Act was revised to allow software upgrades for free with hardware that is not subscription-based.
All devices that supported iPhone OS 1 and 2 support iPhone OS 3; however, only the iPhone 3GS supports video recording.
Reception for iPhone OS 3 was overwhelmingly positive, as it addressed nearly all the major functional features that critics had highlighted since the iPhone's debut. However, it was criticized for being slower on older hardware, adding an upgrade fee for iPod touch users, lacking multitasking, and having terrible carrier dependencies.