Apple shows what new features the update to iOS 16 will bring to iPhones in September. The focus is on the lock screen, which will be spiced up with widgets, among other things, and will show notifications at the bottom in the future.
Gone are the days when operating systems made leaps and bounds with annual updates. iOS 16 will not surprise iPhone users with spectacular innovations either. Nevertheless, there will be changes that are noticeable at first glance, as Apple has now shown in a preview at the start of the WWDC developer conference.
In the first place of the presentation was the lock screen, which users see as soon as they lift the iPhone. You can now add widgets to it to get important info. This includes weather, calendar events, date, time zones, alarm clock, battery status or the progress of activity rings.
A so-called multilayer effect allows motifs from background photos to be displayed in front of the clock, creating a depth effect. Users can customize the date and time with different text styles and colors.
The lock screen background gallery gets collections related to various cultural occasions. The weather background shows the current weather development, images of the earth, moon and solar system for astronomy.
Users can also create their own lock screens with their favorite emoji or various color combinations. If you have created several, you can switch through them by swiping sideways.
Own lock screens can also be set up for the focus function under iOS 16. It allows users to only display certain messages depending on the situation. To activate a focus, simply swipe to the relevant background.
The new feature called Live Activities is particularly interesting, although Apple will only add it after the update later in the year. Widgets on the lock screen show, for example, the score of a football game in real time or how far away a taxi is called or the pizza ordered.
iOS 16 displays notifications sequentially from bottom to top. Apple expects more clarity from this.
In the future, up to six users can share an iCloud photo library to which they can add and edit images and videos. A toggle in the Photos app allows photos to be sent there automatically.
The messaging app has an important function to avoid misunderstandings: users can edit or recall sent texts for 15 minutes. You can recover deleted messages within 30 days. Conversations can be marked as unread to deal with later.
Users also have “a moment” to revoke messages sent in Mail before exiting the outbox. They can also schedule emails to be sent in advance. Machine learning enables the app to independently recognize when important parts such as a subject have been forgotten. It also reminds you if you have not yet received a reply to a message. The search should work much better in Mail than before.
Machine learning is also responsible for the fact that iOS 16 can recognize and read text not only in images but also in videos. In addition, the iPhone will in future register motifs in the foreground and offer them to be cut out, for example to be inserted into a message. If this is possible, the option such as additional information for sights is offered by an i symbol.
With iOS 16, CarPlay is more deeply integrated into car hardware and makes content available for multiple screens. In the future, drivers will be able to control the radio or the air conditioning, among other things. With the vehicle data, CarPlay brings speed, fuel level, temperature and more to the instrument display, widgets are also supported. However, the first compatible vehicles should not be available before the end of 2023.
In the Safari browser on iOS 16 there are shared tab groups to share website collections. Passwords can be replaced with “Passkey”, creating unique digital keys that remain on the device, making them inaccessible to hackers. Touch ID or Face ID are used for biometric verification, and iCloud keychain for synchronization on other Apple devices.
In the future, Apple Maps will allow users to plan routes with up to 15 stops and automatically sync them between Mac and iPhone. In addition, the integration of local public transport will be improved. Among other things, it is possible to add bus or train tickets directly to the app.
If you use the dictation function under iOS 16, you can make manual entries at the same time. In addition, the dictation function can automatically insert punctuation marks and emojis.
If you don’t have an Apple Watch, you can still use the fitness app to set goals and track your progress toward them. iOS 16 uses the motion sensors of the iPhone for this.
Parents can more easily set up child accounts with the right backups in Family Sharing. They can allow or deny requests for more screen time directly in the Messages app.
With the new “Safety Check”, users can quickly revoke all access to the device that they have granted to other people.
In future, the accessibility features will include door recognition that will help users with impaired vision to walk the last few meters to their destination with their iPhone. Automatic live subtitles support users with impaired hearing during phone calls, Facetime chats, video conferences or in social network apps.
The Home app will soon also support the Matter Smart Home connection standard, patients can manage their medication in the Health app, the Game Center has a new dashboard and 3D audio can be personalized with the true depth camera.
