iOS 16: New Features! Everything You Need to Know

No platform is more or more crucial in the eyes of Apple or its consumers than the iPhone. Consequently, no OS upgrade is any more crucial than iOS in the mobile app development industry. Apple announced its annual major operating system upgrades in its WWDC keynote speech on June 6. After a resounding reception for iOS 15 in 2021, iOS 16 was expected to bring various new features. It did not let us down.   The best part about the iOS 16 features is that they'll not just benefit those who are looking to purchase the next iPhone 14, but they can also be used on older iPhones. It will be a while until Mid-September when it will launch. However, the new features will change your device for the better.   The new features weren't limited to the phone, however. The new features extend from the iOS to Smart Home and the car as an amazing new-generation Car Play, coming in 2023.    

What is the Current State of iOS 16 Beta Version?

The iOS 16 developer beta and iOS 16 public beta are in beta, with further updates coming over the summer. (Those updates are released to developers first and then to the general public in a couple of days or a week).   On July 6th, Apple announced iOS 16 developer beta 3. iOS 16 developer beta 3 is the third version of the application that included many new features and some that were absent from the betas that were initially released. A few days later, the first public beta version of iOS 16 arrived.  

List of New Features and Updates Expected in iOS 16 Stable Rollout!

It was first shown during the regular WWDC presentation that iOS 16 should get an extended release with the widely speculated iPhone 14. The latest software is compatible with iPhone 8 models and newer ones.   iOS 16 is a substantial upgrade. It won't completely alter your iPhone; however, it is packed with exciting new features that will make your iPhone look fresh and new this autumn:  

Lock Screen

  Much like we expected, the lock screen on iOS 16 is getting a major revamp. By incorporating into account queues created by Apple Watch queues, the Apple Watch, the new lock screen is customizable by adding filters and lock styles.   Apple Watch provides an easy summary of the temperature, calendar exercises, rings, etc. Widgets can now appear on your lock screen, just like the ones on Apple Watch. You can also save various lock screens you like to select from (like the faces on watches).   The wallpaper gallery is now available with options for wallpapers such as a picture scroll and suggested pictures to put on your lock screen. You can also add depth by placing the clock on top of the screen with a portrait.  

Focus Mode

  Focus mode also gets certain updates, some of which are tied to the lock screen. This is because the lock screen can automatically switch depending on the Focus profile you've created.   Additionally, you can use 'Focus Filters' to stop tabs from Safari, as well as accounts in Mail and Calendar, events in Calendar, and many more to help you in managing your workflow.  

Apple Pay Later

  iOS 16 will also provide the perfect opportunity for Apple to extend the geographical regions in which its Apple Wallet app can store digital ID cards. France appears to be worried regarding this issue.   The most intriguing innovation is the new Apple Pay feature called Apple Pay Later. You can make payments using Apple Pay in 4 installments with no fees. This is a great option for purchases with a large amount you don't want to make in one payment. Apple Pay Later will be accessible to any payment that is compatible with Apple Pay.  

Safety Check

  On May 20, 2021, Apple made the AirTag to be used as a tracking tool that can be placed on your keychain or laptop backpack to make it easier to locate in the event of theft or loss. But it took a short time for a string of security alerts to appear on the internet. To protect users and their security, Apple sent out a software update that prevents users from being monitored without consent.   With iOS 16, Apple expanded its reach into security and privacy and introduced its Safety Check function. It is marketed as a way to fight abuse in toxic relationships, and Safety Check quickly revokes access to location and data previously shared with other users.  

Maps

  The navigation app from Apple is expanding to cover eleven new countries. In addition, it has added six new cities to its 3D city map network, which includes Chicago, Sydney, and the gorgeous-looking Las Vegas.   In addition, you can now add more than 15 stops to the Apple Maps route, letting you travel through several points quickly. You can add additional stops when you're on the move by calling Siri to add more stops, or create your route using the Mac and transfer it to your iPhone once you're prepared.  

Notification Enhancement

  It seems that fine-tuning notifications is the norm with the Apple iOS updates. iOS 12 grouped notifications by app and offered the ability to block certain annoying apps. iOS 14 shrunk the size of notification windows for Siri and phone calls that have been received, as well as iOS 15 collected notifications into a daily summary that keeps users from getting overwhelmed by notifications.   iOS 16 rumors suggest Apple hasn't stopped changing how you handle notifications. What's the next thing to be changed after the last changes? A lot of it, if you ask my friend Jordan Palmer, who would prefer a greater variety of actions available to notification messages within iOS 16. such as deleting emails, marking items as read, and so on. Apple could also tweak how it categorizes notifications and the method of clearing them. These are all good improvements for me.  

SharePlay Comes to Messages

  SharePlay, the feature introduced in iOS 15, allows you to enjoy a shared experience while contacting someone via FaceTime. It lets you stream TV shows, listen to music in sync, and do other things. iOS 16 adds the ability to find additional apps that allow SharePlay through FaceTime.   Perhaps one of Apple's most exciting things with SharePlay was to allow it to function within its Messages app. Apple stated that this was among the top requests by app creators. If you want to share a video with a friend on Disney Plus, you can begin SharePlay with a friend by chatting on Messages.  

Always-on Display

  Before the iPhone 13, rumors were circulating about Apple eventually introducing an all-day display that displayed time, date, notifications, and other data that could be quickly accessed at a glance. This feature was not included in the phones. Still, perhaps the rumors about an always-on display being tested were related to the iOS 16 feature.   Some evidence suggests that an ever-on display may come to iPhones by 2022, at least on the latest iPhone 14 models. Display Supply Chain Consultants CEO Ross Young has tweeted that the company is "expecting" Apple to adopt an LPTO display that reduces its refresh speed to 1Hz when it is not using it (the Display on iPhone 13's OLED is reduced by 10Hz). Lower refresh rates are essential to prolonging battery life, and this is, without doubt, the main reason Apple hasn't yet rolled out the feature.  

Messages

  Three fundamental changes that are coming to messages will benefit. Modifying messages allows the user to edit mistakes you made after sending. Likewise, the undo option lets you quickly recall messages you didn't intend to send. It's also possible to mark messages as unread to remember when you'll need to revisit them later.   Messages have also been updated to include SharePlay, which lets you join a watch party in the messages. The ability to speak has been improved to allow you to switch easily between voice and keyboard messages and to punctuate automatically. Additionally, improvements to the visual search allow you to drag objects from images and directly into messages you can share.  

Live Text coming to video

  Live Text was a major feature with iOS 15, adding the capability of interacting with the Text in pictures stored on your iPhone. It lets you make calls, copy and paste Text, and many more features. New additions in iOS 16 include the ability to convert currencies or translate Text.   Apple plans to extend that capability further by adding support for videos that allow you to pause videos at any moment and copy any text that appears on screen, which is ideal for programming videos and similar.  

Bypassing CAPTCHAs in Apps and Websites

  CAPTCHAs, the scraggly code that proves that your human on apps and websites, are likely to be a thing of the past with iOS 16 after an introduction of Automatic Verification.   This feature was not mentioned in the WWDC 2022 keynote. However, developers discovered it using the developer beta, shared through Reddit.   It's located within the Settings app of iOS 16 (Settings > Apple ID > Password and Security > Automated Verification if interested). Apple says that iCloud will be able to securely and automatically verify your device and Apple ID within the background removing the requirement for websites to ask users to complete CAPTCHA verification. This feature is enabled automatically within iOS 16 betas, and I hope it'll be the case when it launches later in the year.  

The Key Takeaway

  The major launch to the public is in the fall months, usually in September, with the latest iPhone 14 release. In the year prior, iOS 15 arrived on Monday, September 20, 2021. A reasonable assumption is to expect iOS 16 to arrive on Monday, September 19, 2022, or later during the week. Other points release (iOS 16.1, iOS 16.2, and others) will be released in the coming months and weeks following bug fixes and additional features.   With the launch of iPhone 14 series and the new iOS 16 OS, the demand for iOS app development services will be high. This will also force businesses to set their foot in the iOS market for better opportunities.   The beta for the public was released on July 11, and the final version is coming in late 2022, with support for iPhone 8 devices and above. This release will bring improvements to various apps, from a completely redesigned App for Home that lets you control your home devices to enhanced privacy features and major attention to the lock screen, which comes with the latest fonts and colors, and themes to pick from. This is what we've learned so far about the new app.