Apple revealed iOS 16 in June at WWDC 2022, the next operating system for iPhone and the successor to iOS 15, but the September 12 release date was confirmed during Apple’s ‘Far Out’ presentation on September 7.
It’s an update that provides enhancements to a variety of applications, including a revamped Home app for your smart appliances, improved privacy features, and an emphasis on the lock screen, with new fonts, colors, and themes to select from.
Satellite calling will also be available on the iPhone 14 models in November. The public beta was released on July 11, with the final version following the same week as the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro, for iPhone 8 and higher.
Related: Apple iPhone 14, 14 Plus Philippine Price Revealed
IOS 16 RELEASE DATE
Apple revealed at its ‘Far Out’ event on September 7, when it unveiled the iPhone 14, Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch Ultra, and AirPods Pro 2, that iOS 16 will be available on September 12 for iPhone 8 and above devices.
IOS 16 FEATURES
With iOS 16, there will be a slew of new and better features, which we’ve highlighted below.
Customizable lock screens – With iOS 16, you may change the text type and colors on your lock screen by touching any place. Complications (basic widgets) may also be activated here, which is a feature borrowed from the Apple Watch. You’ll be able to add three of them to your lock screen, while the Now Playing screen has been shifted to the bottom for faster thumb access. You will also not be restricted to a single lock screen. Similar to setting a watch face on your Apple Watch, you can swipe between several lock screens, so you may have access to different widgets based on your needs.
Focus – Focus mode is also getting some upgrades, and some of them are related to the lock screen, as the lock screen shown may be updated automatically depending on the Focus profile you have. A ‘Meeting’ focus profile, for example, may modify the background on your lock screen and provide a row of widgets with event information. To help you organize your productivity, you can also utilize ‘Focus Filters’ to block off tabs in Safari, accounts in Mail, events in Calendar, and more.
Notifications – The addition of “Live Activities,” which are essentially pinned widget-like notifications that let you check a game’s score, follow the status of food delivery, and other things, is another way that notifications are being improved. Notifications have a new appearance as well, with new animations that appear from the bottom of the lock screen, making them easy to notice at a glance while remaining out of the way. Additionally, you may see alerts in an extended list view, stacked view, or hidden view.
Messages – Apple has updated Messages with several new features. For one, ‘undo send’ has come, allowing you to remove a message for up to 15 minutes after you’ve sent it – useful if you discover you’ve sent it to the incorrect person. Similarly, messages can be edited within the first 15 minutes. However, this only applies to iPhone-to-iPhone messages. SharePlay is also coming to the app, allowing you to watch a movie in Disney Plus and then share it with someone via Messages. Dictation has also been enhanced, as it now allows users to switch seamlessly between voice and touch inputs, allowing you to write to add text or change the cursor without pausing Dictation. You may also restore messages up to 30 days after deleting them, offer an invitation to work on a project through Messages, and get notifications when someone makes a change in collaboration.
Sports – Sports are receiving a lot of attention in iOS 16, with Apple News gaining a new My Sports section that lets you check schedules, standings, and scores for your favorite teams. Live updates for sporting events may also be put on the lock screen, so even if you can’t watch the game, you’ll know what’s going on.
Accessibility – A number of new accessibility capabilities, like door detection, which enables you to find doors, read signs around them, and receive opening instructions, were hinted at by Apple in May. There’s also the ability to watch live subtitles during a FaceTime chat, operate your Apple Watch from your iPhone, and hang up phone calls using Siri, among other things. Live text is also improving; you can now copy and paste text in the video, as well as copy and translate text.
Maps – Maps will now allow you to save recent travels in the app and email them from a Mac or iPad device. You can also add several stops to a route, and while driving, you may ask Siri to add another destination hands-free in case another errand arises, while ‘Look Around,’ Apple’s version of Google Street View, is now available to third-party apps. You can also monitor transport rates and add transit cards to your Wallet without leaving Maps, replenish your card, and check low balances.
Wallet – Wallet’s privacy is improving, with third-party apps being able to use in-app ID verification. Tap to pay on iPhone is also coming to iOS 16, eliminating the requirement for POS terminals. The wallet also allows you to examine receipts and monitor orders. Apple Pay Later, which divides purchases into four interest-free installments spread over six weeks, and Order Tracking, which displays the most recent information on your Apple Pay orders, are also available.
Family Sharing – Apple’s Family Sharing function allows you and your family to share an account, for example, to see photographs and videos, and for parents to authorize minor transactions. In iOS 16, parents will find it easier to set age-appropriate content limits, and parents or guardians will be able to react to Screen Time requests in Messages.
A quick start function for iPad allows you to sync settings from your iPhone to an iPad just by bringing your phone close to the tablet, and there’s also a Family Checklist tool, which makes it easy to be certain that all of the information on an iPhone is secure and child-safe. A lot of people have asked for the option to share films and photographs through iCloud, and iCloud Shared Photo Library will let up to six individuals share a library. Users will be able to contribute photographs to the Shared Library via a new option in the Camera app, and they will receive intelligent suggestions to share photos that contain other shared library users.
Safety Check – To assist people at risk of violence or harassment by partners, a new privacy tool called Safety Check has been introduced. Users may immediately remove all access to Messages and other accounts that they’ve allowed to a partner, and an emergency reset option allows users to sign out of iCloud on all of their other devices, reset privacy rights, and limit messages to the device in their hand. Users can also choose not to share their location with this tool. It also allows you to examine and regulate who and what applications have access to your information.
Redesigned Home App – The Home app is being redesigned to make it simpler to control your smart appliances and rooms in accordance with the upcoming new Matter smart home standard. You’ll be able to see all of your rooms in a single view, as well as sections for lighting, climate, security, and other features. You may see up to four security cameras at once by tapping on a category to obtain more comprehensive status information. You can also add smart home widgets to the lock screen to quickly view the status of your home and access smart home controls.
Fitness – Apple’s Fitness app is now available to all iPhone users, even those without an Apple Watch, to help them track their fitness. The program will use your iPhone’s motion sensors, step, and distance monitoring, and exercises from third-party applications to help you meet your daily Move target and estimate your calorie burn.
Spatial Audio – For “an even more precise and immersive listening experience,” you can utilize your iPhone’s TrueDepth Camera to establish a custom-made Spatial Audio profile for your AirPods Pro or AirPods Max.
Read: Apple iPhone 14 Pro, 14 Pro Max With Dynamic Island Now Official
