iOS 16: Release Date, New Features and Everything We Know

This story is a part of WWDC 2022, CNET’s full protection from and about Apple’s annual builders convention.

This 12 months at WWDC, Apple unveiled iOS 16, promising a bunch of neat, new options on your iPhone. With iOS 16, you can edit messages you already despatched within the Messages app and get new instruments to personalize your iPhone, together with the power to customise the way in which your lock display seems. Also new are privateness options for individuals in abusive relationships. iOS 16 will doubtless be launched in September alongside the closely rumored iPhone 14 and shall be out there for the iPhone 8 and later. However, builders can obtain the software program now.

The introduction of iOS 16 adopted on the heels of the May 16 launch of iOS 15.5, which included updates to Apple Cash, Photos Memories and the Podcasts app. Apple additionally lately launched a developer beta for iOS 15.6, which at the moment lacks any main new options and appears primarily to concentrate on fixing bugs.

iOS 16 helps you to edit and ‘unsend’ messages

“Embarrassing typos are a factor of the previous,” mentioned Apple Senior Vice President of Software Engineering Craig Federighi as he launched three of probably the most requested options for the Messages app.

First, in iOS 16 you can edit despatched messages. So if you happen to discover a typo after a message, you can edit the message after the actual fact. A tiny “edited” seems within the standing below the message.

Next — and this is perhaps my favourite new characteristic — you’ll be able to instantly recall a despatched message. If you unintentionally despatched an unfinished message, you should utilize the Undo Send software to stop it from being learn and hopefully look much less chaotic to your mates and household.

Lastly, you’ll be able to mark messages and threads as unread. This could possibly be a wonderful software for when you do not have time to answer a message within the second, however wish to be sure to come again to it later.

Your iPhone will get a brand new customizable lock display

One of the stuff you take a look at probably the most in your iPhone is the lock display, particularly you probably have a Face ID-equipped iPhone. iOS 16 brings probably the most substantial replace to the iPhone’s lock display but. Press and maintain to edit your lock display. You can swipe to check out a number of totally different kinds. Each fashion adjustments the colour filter for the background picture and the font on the lock display so every thing enhances one another. This feels a bit like Apple’s tackle Google’s Material You, which launched with Android 12.

You may customise the fonts for the time and date, and add lock display widgets like temperature, exercise rings and a calendar. The widgets are akin to problems on the Apple Watch lock display.

You may even arrange a number of personalized lock screens with totally different widgets and simply swipe to modify between them. There’s even a photo-shuffle choice that routinely adjustments the photographs in your lock display.

One characteristic we hoped to see Apple add was an always-on show. It’s one thing almost all Android telephones have; even the Apple Watch does. There’s hope it will come out with the iPhone 14.

Notifications and stay actions

Sometimes notifications can cowl up your lock display’s picture, so iOS 16 strikes notifications to the underside of your show. As you obtain them, as an alternative of being compiled into an inventory, they seem like a vertical carousel. This not solely seems higher however needs to be a giant assist for one-handed use of your iPhone.

iOS 16 additionally goals to unravel one other notification downside. Sometimes you get a bunch of notifications in a row from one app, just like the rating of a basketball sport. A brand new software for builders referred to as Live Activities makes it simpler to remain up to the mark taking place in actual time out of your lock display, as an alternative of getting a collection of interruptions.

Live Activities ought to make it simpler to comply with sporting occasions, exercises and even the progress of an Uber trip.

Wallet and Apple Pay Later

ID playing cards from extra states shall be out there in your Wallet app together with extra safety and privateness options. In iOS 16 it’s also possible to defend your identification and age. So moderately than exhibiting your actual beginning date, the Wallet app will show your ID and that you simply’re over 21.

iOS 16 makes sharing keys simpler with apps like Mail and Messages. When your pal receives the important thing, they’ll add it to the Wallet app on their iPhone. Apple mentioned it is working to ensure that shared keys are an trade customary and free for others.

Apple Pay will help new varieties of funds and provides a brand new characteristic referred to as Apple Pay Later, a Klarna-like service that permits you to cut up the price of an Apple Pay buy into 4 equal funds unfold over six weeks, with zero curiosity and no charges. Upcoming funds are managed by means of the Wallet app, making it simple to maintain observe of dates and funds.

But Apple Pay would not cease there. A brand new characteristic may also enable you to observe Apple Pay orders and lets retailers ship detailed receipts and monitoring data. This ought to make it simpler to remain updated on the standing of all of your orders.

Visual Lookup’s faucet and drag for pictures

In iOS 15, Visual Look Up analyzes your pictures and can determine objects like crops, landmarks and pets. iOS 16 takes this to the following degree. When you contact a photograph’s topic just like the canine within the picture above, you’ll be able to carry it away from the background and add it to apps like Messages. Essentially it is a faucet and maintain software that removes a photograph’s background.

Apple typically overuses the phrase “magic,” however this characteristic actually looks like it.

SharePlay involves Messages

SharePlay, which debuted in iOS 15, lets you have got a shared expertise whereas connecting with somebody over FaceTime. You can watch TV reveals, take heed to music in sync and different issues. iOS 16 provides the power to find extra apps that help SharePlay from inside FaceTime.

But maybe one of many coolest issues Apple did for SharePlay was to make it work inside the Messages app. Apple mentioned that this was one of many largest requests from app builders. Now while you wish to share a film on Disney Plus, you can begin SharePlay along with a pal whereas chatting in Messages.

Safety Check goals to assist individuals in abusive relationships

Safety Check is a brand new characteristic meant to be useful for individuals in abusive relationships. It helps you to evaluate and reset who has entry to location data in addition to passwords, messages and different apps on an iPhone.

Focus mode updates and Focus filters

Focus mode will get a number of updates. The first applies Focus behaviors to widgets and lock display seems. So you would have one lock display set for when your Work Focus is enabled and one other for exercises.

Apple added particular Focus filters that apply your iPhone’s Focus mode inside apps. For instance, in Safari, you’ll be able to restrict what tabs are proven relying on what Focus mode you have got lively.

Apple Maps provides transit fare playing cards

Maps will get a number of updates. You’ll be capable of plan journeys with as much as 15 totally different stops alongside the way in which. If you begin planning a visit with the Maps app in your Mac, you can share that to your iPhone.

And in one thing just like what Google introduced for Google Wallet in Android 13, you can see transit fare estimates in addition to add extra money to a fare card from inside Apple Maps.

iCloud household guidelines

iCloud will get a number of new options. One of the extra fascinating ones is the choice to shortly arrange a brand new gadget on your baby. When Quick Start seems, you have got the choice to choose a person for the brand new gadget and use all the present parental controls you’ve got beforehand chosen and configured. However, this isn’t what many people nonetheless need: the power to arrange separate customers for a similar gadget.

There’s a brand new household guidelines with suggestions for updating settings on your children as they grow old, like a reminder to verify location-sharing settings or share your iCloud Plus subscriptions.

For extra, take a look at every thing Apple introduced at WWDC 2022.