If you want to use iOS 16, you will have to wait a few more months before it is released on the iPhone, as this is currently the first beta for developers. However, iOS 16 is much fuller than iOS 15 and comes with new customizations, features and changes that further enrich the operating system. Here is everything we have managed to locate so far. About this Hands-on: This article contains information from XDA Senior Editor Adam Conway.
Redesigned lock screen
Since Apple opened the iOS part of the keynote talk about the lock screen, it’s a big deal. It’s the first thing you see on your phone every time you turn it on and it’s the first thing you see on your phone notifications. It hasn’t really changed on the iPhone in years, but it is quite drastic. It is a complete remodel of your phone lock screen and you can edit almost everything that appears. My favorite wallpaper is the Astronomy wallpaper, as it enlarges your country and shows clouds from above. You can add an air quality indicator, sunrise / sunset hours, another clock for another hour in the world and the condition of the fitness rings. It also completes the same watch face on the Apple Watch in watchOS 9 (Dev Beta 1). Apple will provide developers with a lock screen widget API, allowing them to create their own widgets that can be added. You will not be limited to using only protocols and you can really customize it to suit you as a result. You can also create multiple lock screens and swipe through them quickly and easily. What is also interesting is that it seems that Apple has removed a page from Google’s book, as it is a lot of material that inspired you. The text on the lock screen will change based on the colors on the lock screen and will even hide things like the time on the lock screen behind the subject of your photo to create a sense of depth. But one thing we have found is that Apple killed the live wallpaper on the lock screen. It is not clear if this is a feature that will return in the future and has just been forgotten or if it has been permanently lost. We will have to wait for future updates to see.
Catering alerts and enhancements
Alerts have been the scourge of most people on the iPhone for years. They are simply not well made and there are many problems with them. Although they have not yet been fixed (in my opinion, anyway), there have been some significant changes that improve them in terms of usability. They start at the bottom of the screen now so that they are easily accessible, and now there are also “live” alerts – called Live Activities – that can be updated over time. Also, on some lock screens the focus function may be applied, although I do not think it is active yet. Focus will also integrate better into applications – even third-party applications. Users will be able to hide certain items or filter out content they do not want to see inside an application when using a specific focus function.
Hybrid Dictation
Voice dictation is very popular recently and Apple implemented its own version for iPhone many years ago. For the first time I experienced a really good voice dictation on the Google Pixel 6 Pro and it’s something that changed the way I send text. Apple’s is not as good as the one I found on the Pixel 6 Pro, but it is good enough that I will probably use it a lot. IOS 16 takes Dictation to the next level and allows users to type while talking – a hybrid input, basically. Prior to that, users were restricted to any type of login at a time. In addition, Dictation now has the ability to import emojis and automatically mark your entry.
iMessage: Unread, edit, and mark as unread
IMessage is a fairly basic messaging service compared to competitors and always lags behind in terms of features. However, Apple has added some new quality changes and improvements that were much needed and have been available on competing platforms such as Telegram for years. First and foremost, users with the latest version of iMessage can edit or not send iMessage messages within 15 minutes of sending the message. These features do not currently work when you are sending messages to someone using an older version of the application, and iMessage will warn you that any changes you make or cancel sending a message may not be made for the other person. In addition, they can also mark a conversation as unread to add it to bookmarks to return to it later. Finally, Messages meets other Apple applications and inserts a trash can. Those with iOS 16 can recover deleted messages within 30 days of their commitment. Also, users can now use SharePlay through iMessage – not just FaceTime. This allows you to consume digital goods with others without having to join an audio / video call.
Social Safari
Safari has added a huge social networking feature that will help you make things a lot easier when you plan something with friends. You can create a shared tab group that anyone can contribute to and navigate to, so you can plan things efficiently. Above, I created a group of tabs called “Holidays” and shared it with my colleague Aamir. I was able to add links to what is related to a Dublin vacation and share them with iMessage. When I made changes to the tab group, it even appeared in iMessage with a notification at the top of our conversation saying I had made changes. I could also see which tab Aamir was watching live.
Modifications to multimedia controls
As detected by / u / SkyGuy182 on Reddit, the media controls will now display an icon in the upper right corner to tell you which device is currently playing. You can see it in the screenshots above, where the transmission will appear both on the Apple TV and via a speaker or Bluetooth headset. Before iOS 16, it only showed one generic AirPlay icon.
Photo Upgrades
As found by / u / alias3800 on Reddit, you can now copy and paste edits between images in the Photos app to make the same adjustments to multiple photos quickly and easily. Additionally, you can lock Hidden and Recently deleted folders using Face ID or Touch ID. Additionally, users can now select items in a photo and drag or copy them to a different application. This removes background and other issues – making it easy to create creative photos. Finally, the Photos app can now visually detect similar photos and mark them as duplicates for easy merging.
Contact lists
As found by / u / SkyGuy182 on Reddit, you can now create contact groups on the device. Previously, the only way to do this was to do it on the iCloud website or on a Mac. Contacts can also detect duplicate cards and give you the option to merge them.
Apple Music Modifications
We’ve been hoping for Spotify Connect on Apple Music for years – and iOS 16 still fails to offer this basic continuity feature. However, Apple has made some minor changes to its streaming service. These include an option for favorite artists for more accurate suggestions, a more rounded album art in the listings, and a new “Play Now” user interface on the lock screen that uses the latest Live Activities API.
Operation for developers
There is a new Developer Mode switch in the privacy settings that allows developers to launch their side-by-side applications for deployment purposes. The specifics of this feature remain unclear at this time.
List of Wi-Fi passwords
Apple FINALLY brings a feature requested by macOS to iOS. We can now view a list of saved networks, delete them, and view their passwords without the need for a Mac. It only took the company over twelve generations of this operating system to figure it out. But hey – better late than never.
Share library photos
Ever wished you could have your phone automatically send group shots to people after a meeting? Well, iOS 16 supports it. There are now new rules that allow you to specify who your photo library will share with. These rules could include walking nearby and locating your friends or family.
Quick Note
Quick Note was released last year on iPadOS 15 and macOS Monterey. Apple is introducing this feature to iOS with this year’s release. This allows you to create Quick Notes by sharing specific content with the Notes application. Prior to this implementation, users could only edit Quick Notes created on their iPad or Mac via their iPhone. Speaking of Notes, you can now lock your own using your device password – instead of creating a custom one just for this app.
More Apple Books topics
Apple Books gets some new themes in iOS 16. This makes it easy for users in general (and visually impaired people in particular) to find a combination of fonts, sizes and background colors to suit their reading preferences. The Books app also brings some design changes and moves the table of contents to a new button in the bottom corner.
Drug monitoring
Medication monitoring is ideal for those who take a lot of pills and often feel overwhelmed by the monitoring. This new feature lets you create a to-do list and set reminders when to take it. It will also alert you if you should not consume one of these with alcohol, for example. And to make it easier for you to track your loved ones’ medications, iOS 16 also lets you share your list with people …
