Apple previewed iOS 16, the next major version of its iPhone software, at its 2022 Developer Conference.
iOS 16 is coming this fall to iPhone 8 and newer models. Frequently asked tools such as the ability to customize the lock screen, the ability to edit iMessage text and “Undo send”, important utilities such as checking and limiting users and Full of the same major updates. We have access to your location and password.
At Monday’s WWDC keynote, Apple unveiled iOS 16, the next major software upgrade for iPhone. During the iOS 16 preview, there were a number of important updates to the iPhone’s lock screen, Messages app, and wallet. On paper, iOS 16 feels fresh and modern with improvements focused on making communication, personalization and privacy easier.
The iOS 16 developer beta is out now, and the public beta version is expected in July. iOS 16 will probably launch this fall alongside the much-rumored iPhone 14. The new software works on iPhone 8 and later models. Here are all the iOS 16 features you need to know.
In iOS 16, you can edit messages and ‘Do not send’.
“Embarrassing typos are a thing of the past”, said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, introducing the three most requested features for the Messages app.
First, in iOS 16, you can edit sent messages. So, if you find a typo behind the message, you can edit the message later. A small “Edited” appears in the status below the message.
You can edit previously sent messages in Messages.
Next, this might be my favorite new feature. Sent messages can be recalled immediately. If you accidentally send an unfinished message, you can use the Undo Send tool to prevent it from being read and make it look less confusing to friends and family.
Finally, you can mark messages and threads as unread. This can be a great tool if you don’t currently have time to respond to messages, but want to check back later.
Your iPhone gets a new custom lock screen.
One of the things you see the most on your iPhone is the lock screen, especially if you have an iPhone with Face ID. iOS 16 brings the most important update to your iPhone’s lock screen. Press and hold to edit the lock screen. Swipe to try different styles. Each style changes the color filter of the background picture and the font of the lock screen, so everything complements each other. This is a bit like Apple’s idea of Google’s Material You, which was released with Android 12.
You can also customize fonts for time and date and add lock screen widgets like temperature, activity ring and calendar. Widgets are similar to complications on the Apple Watch lock screen.
iOS 16 lets you customize your iPhone even more. You can choose what your lock screen looks like, even the font and color.
You can also set up multiple custom lock screens with different widgets and switch between them with an easy swipe. There is also a photo shuffle option that automatically changes the picture on the lock screen. One of the features Apple was hoping to add was the always-on display. It’s on almost every Android phone. Even the Apple Watch. Hopefully it launches with the iPhone 14.
iOS 16 adds a feature that allows developers to use a feature called Live Activity. It’s essentially a mini-view of the real-time progress of an exercise, sporting event, or Uber ride on your iPhone’s lock screen.
Notifications and live activity
Sometimes notifications can mask photos on the lock screen, so iOS 16 moves them to the bottom of the display. When you receive them, they appear like a vertical carousel instead of being edited into a list. Not only will this look better, but it will be a huge help for one-handed use of your iPhone.
iOS 16 also aims to address another notification issue. Sometimes you get a lot of notifications in a row from one app, like the score of a basketball game. A new tool called Live Activity for Developers makes it easier to see what’s happening on your lock screen in real time instead of being in a chain of distractions.
Live Activity makes it easier to track the progress of a sporting event, workout or Uber vehicle.
Wallet and Apple Pay Later
More state ID cards are available in the wallet app with more security and privacy features. With iOS 16, you can also protect your identity and age. So, instead of showing the exact date of birth, the wallet app shows your ID and you are over 21.
iOS 16 makes it easier to share keys with apps like Mail and Messages. When your friend gets the key, they can add it to the Wallet app on iPhone. Apple says shared keys are an industry standard and are working to make them available for free to others.
The Wallet app in iOS 16 has received many small but notable updates, including the Apple Pay Later payment plan.
Apple Pay supports a new type of payment and adds a new feature called Apple Pay Later. This feature is a Klarna-like service that splits the cost of an Apple Pay purchase into 4 equal payments over 6 weeks, with no interest and no fees. Upcoming payments are managed through the Wallet app, making it easy to track dates and payments.
But Apple Pay doesn’t stop there. New features allow tracking of Apple Pay orders and allow merchants to pass detailed receipts and tracking information. This makes it easy to keep up to date with the status of all your orders.
Long press on the subject of the photo to separate it from the background. You can then drag and share it to other apps like Messages.
Visual Lookup taps and drags photos.
In iOS 15, Visual Look Up can analyze photos and identify objects such as plants, landmarks and pets. iOS 16 takes this to the next level. Just like a puppy in the image above, if you touch the subject of a photo, you can lift it from the background and add it to apps like Messages. It’s basically a tap and hold tool to remove the background of a photo.
Apple sometimes abuses the word “magic,”, but this feature seems to be the case.
At the WWDC keynote, Apple’s executive Craig Federighi introduces SharePlay for the Messages app.
SharePlay is provided in the message.
SharePlay, which debuted in iOS 15, lets you connect with someone via FaceTime for a sharing experience. You can watch TV shows and listen to synced music. iOS 16 adds the ability to discover more apps that support SharePlay within FaceTime.
But perhaps one of the coolest things Apple has done for SharePlay is making it work within the Messages app. Apple says this is one of the biggest requests from app developers. Now, when you want to share a movie on Disney Plus, you can start SharePlay with your friends while chatting in Messages.
Safe verification allows you to quickly reset location sharing and password access. It is intended to help people who are in an abusive relationship.
Safety Checks are aimed at helping people in abusive relationships.
Safety Check is a new feature designed to help people in abusive relationships. You can review and reset who has access to location information, passwords, messages, and other apps on iPhone.
Focus mode update and focus filter
Focus mode gets several updates. The first applies focus behavior to widgets and lock screen appearance. So you can set a different lock screen for workouts than when Work Focus is enabled.
Apple has added a specific focus filter within the app that applies the iPhone’s focus mode. Safari, for example, allows you to limit the tabs displayed based on which focus mode is active.
Add transit fare cards to Apple Maps
The map will receive several updates. You can plan your trip to up to 15 different stops along the route. Once you’ve started planning your trip with the Maps app on your Mac, you can share that information to your iPhone.
And, similar to what Google announced for the Google Wallet on Android 13, you can view your transit fare estimates and add more to your fare card within Apple Maps.
In iOS 16, you can customize Quick Start with specific child’s iCloud parental controls and settings.
iCloud Family Checklist
iCloud has added some new features. One of the more interesting is the option to quickly set up a new device for your child. When the quickstart appears, you can select a user for the new device and use any existing parental controls previously selected and configured. But this is still not what many of us want. Ability to set up separate users for the same device.
There’s a new family checklist with tips for updating settings as your child grows, such as reminders to check location sharing settings or share an iCloud Plus subscription.
Check out everything Apple announced at WWDC 2022 for more details.
