iOS 16 just dropped and the changes are massive.
Following three months of beta testing, the update is now available to the general public and includes an extensive list of new features, including a completely customizable Lock Screen.
Lock Screen: You can now add widgets to your Lock Screen, choose custom fonts and colors, and apply different filters. You can also create multiple different Lock Screens and easily switch between them. The different Lock Screens can also be tied to Focus Modes, such that they change automatically as you set Focus Modes.
Third-party apps can also integrate with Lock Screen widgets, in a way that’s very similar to putting widgets on your Home screen. The Lock Screen can also be customized with widgets, fonts, photos, wallpapers, and more.
Interestingly, iOS 16 lets you create wallpapers using emoji characters, photo shuffle, and custom color gradients. There’s also the return of the iconic clownfish wallpaper from the original iPhone.
iMessage: New additions to this feature include the ability to unsend a message as well as to edit a message. Apple has made some changes to these features throughout the beta testing process in response to concerns over abuse.
To edit or unsend an iMessage in iOS 16, you simply long-press on the message in question after you’ve sent it. You can unsend an iMessage for up to two minutes after it has been sent. Other iMessage users will be able to see that you unsent a message, but they won’t be able to see what that message said.
An iMessage can be edited up to five different times.
Each of those edits is logged and visible to both the sender and receiver of the iMessage.
Other changes to Messages:
Mark as unread
Recover recently deleted messages
SharePlay via Messages
SMS Tapbacks on Android
Audio message playback: fast-forward or rewind audio messages as you listen
Focus modes
Focus Mode in iOS 16: Following its debut with iOS 15 last year, Focus Mode is seeing some hefty improvements under iOS 16. Apple has streamlined the setup process to make it easier to allow or block notifications from specific apps and contacts.
Focus filters now allow you to manage notifications from Apple applications like Calendar, Mail, Messages, and Safari.
Focus modes can be tied to Lock Screens and Home Screens as well, automatically showing specific pages and screens depending on the Focus that’s currently enabled.
Privacy and security in iOS 16: New privacy and security features in iOS 16 include Safety Check, which is a new section in the Settings app that helps people domestic or intimate partner violence situations quickly reset the access they’ve granted to others.
Per Apple:
“If circumstances or trust levels change, Safety Check allows you to disconnect from people, apps, and devices you no longer want to be connected to,” Apple says. This allows you to immediately reset access for all people and apps and help you review your account security. You can also customize which people and apps can access your information.
iPhone Lockdown Mode: iOS 16 adds Lockdown Mode. This “provides extreme protection for the very small number of users who face grave, targeted threats to their digital security.” Lockdown Mode will strictly limit certain functionality to “reduce the attack surface that could potentially be exploited by highly targeted mercenary spyware.”
Lockdown Mode disables features in applications like Messages, Safari, FaceTime, Photos, and much more.
Notifications in iOS 16: Under iOS 16, Notifications now come in from the bottom of the screen. In the Settings app, you’ll find three notification options: counts tack, and list. Count shows you the number of notifications you have in total, stack organizes your notifications into a single stack per app, and list its the notification system that iOS has used for years.
Passkeys: These work to transition away from passwords, and function as unique digital keys designed to replace the need for passwords altogether with streamlined sign-in across your devices, websites, and apps. Using them will be similar to using iCloud Keychain, Face ID, or Touch ID and passkeys are synced across your devices using iCloud Keychain with end-to-end encryption, so even Apple can’t view the information.
Siri and dictation upgrades: The new Dictation feature in iOS 16 allows you to easily transition between voice and touch. While dictating, you can type with the keyboard, tap in the text field, move the cursor, and insert QuickType suggestions.Dictation also now supports auto-punctuation, automatically inserting commas, periods, and question marks for you as you dictate.
Other Siri upgrades:
Insert emoji when sending messages with Siri.
Skip the confirmation step when sending messages.
Siri can run shortcuts from your apps without any setup required.
Completely redesigned Home app
iOS 16 HomeKit
One of my favorite features in iOS 16 is the completely redesigned Home app. After several years of minor changes, the Home app has gotten a huge upgrade with iOS 16.
The new Home app is designed to make it easier to navigate, organize, view, and control all your accessories. You can customize the main tab by choosing favorite accessories for each room, viewing things by categories, adjusting the size of different tiles, and much more.
Apple is also working to adopt the Matter standard, which is set to launch later this year. This will make it possible to use compatible accessories seamlessly across multiple different platforms. It should also increase the number of accessories that support HomeKit and Siri control.
Accessibility Options: As first announced by Apple way back in May, there are a host of new Accessibility features in iOS 16. First and foremost, a new Apple Watch mirroring feature allows you to fully control Apple Watch from your iPhone and use assistive features such as Switch Control and Voice Control.
Door Detection allows you to use your iPhone’s camera to locate a door, read signs and labels, and get instructions on how to open the door. There’s also a new Detection Mode in the Magnifier app. Apple explains that this feature gives you “rich descriptions of your surroundings” including People Detection and Image Descriptions.
Live Captions provide automatically generated captions in real time for users who are deaf or hard of hearing. The feature also shows automatically transcribed dialogue with speaker attribution in FaceTime.
Additional new changes:
- Apple Maps supports multi-stop routing, allowing you to play a route with multiple stops along the way.
- Health app adds medication tracking: Create a medications list to keep track of medications, vitamins, and supplements you take.
- Fitness app now available for all iPhone users, even if you don’t have an Apple Watch.
- Face ID now works in landscape on supported iPhone models.
- FaceTime now supports Handoff: Move FaceTime calls seamlessly from your iPhone to your Mac or iPad, and vice versa.
- Notes app now allows you to lock notes behind your iPhone passcode.
- The Music app now supports favoriting different artists and bands as well as new playlist sorting options.
- Live Text now supports videos: Text is completely interactive in paused video frames, so you can use functions like copy and paste, lookup, and translate.
- iOS 16 can instantly remove the background from any image, allowing you to effortlessly lift the subject from the background of an image. Here’s how it works.
- The Mail app now supports scheduled send and undo send for the first time.
As always, the update can be located, downloaded, and installed by going to the Settings app on your iPhone, choosing “General,” and then choosing “Software Update” to begin the installation process.
If you’ve tried the iOS 16 update, please let us know about your experience in the comments.
Via 9to5Mac