Earlier this week iOS 10 launched, and without really thinking about it I clicked the update button on my phone when I saw it was available. As it was downloading and preparing to install I started seeing articles about how the installation was often failing, and people were needing to download their phone backups and start over. I was at work when I did this, and started to have a bit of trepidation about what I had just kicked off.

Thankfully, I was one of the lucky ones, and my installation went off without a hitch. The OS installed just fine despite my limited amount of space (around 500MB free), and in no time I was back up and running. The first thing I noticed was the redesigned look and feel of the notifications screens on the lock screen. The bubbles are much more stylized and less utilitarian, and from what I’ve been told, all of the OS looks a lot more like watchOS.

As far as new features, there wasn’t a ton I was looking for in this release, but there are a couple things I’ve found nice. First, my favorite new item is the redesigned lock screens. Having an easier to work with widget screen is much nicer than in iOS9 and I can see myself using that from time to time.

Additionally, I like the ability to interact with notifications right on the lock screen. I find that to be very useful instead of opening up the phone, and selecting the app I need and then waiting for it to load (I’m on a 5s) before getting to respond to a message. It only saves a couple of taps, but it feels smoother and more convenient to me.

Beyond these features, there’s not a ton I was looking forward to in iOS 10. I’m not big into stickers and weird apps in my iMessages, so those items don’t really do it for me. I do appreciate the under-the-hood enhancements to make everything run smoother though. Hopefully, everything will continue to work smoothly for months to come.