iOS 16 is the most recent update to Apple’s iOS mobile operating system. It was formally announced on 6 June 2022 and was rolled out on 12 September 2022. Like previous updates, it adds many features to iPhones; however unlike previous updates, it’s only compatible with iPhones and not any iPod Touch devices.
Lock Screen
Thanks to the iOS 16 update, the iPhone’s lock screen is now capable of doing a lot more. For starters, it can hold several widgets and is customisable. Both the font and the colour of the date and time can be adjusted to suit your tastes. If that’s not enough, you can have multiple lock screens set up at any given time.
There’s also the addition of landscape mode. Usually, when your phone’s horizontal, the lock screen and elements don’t change. Now, thanks to landscape compatibility, the elements move with the phone.
Focus
Some improvements have been made to the Focus system, designed to reduce app notifications and help iPhone users concentrate better. As we mentioned just before, you can set up different lock screens; these can be based on what your iPhone’s current Focus is, i.e. what Focus settings you have in place.
Some filters enable apps to only show content relevant to the current Focus. As well as this, you can create lists of contacts and apps. You can then determine which ones should be allowed and which ones shouldn’t.
Messaging
When you send a message with iOS 16, you can now delete it within two minutes of sending it. You can, however, recover your deleted messages within 30 days. Should you need to make changes to it, you’ll have 15 minutes to edit it once it’s been sent. SharePlay has had the messaging system integrated into it. This means you can listen to music and watch movies/TV shows with friends without going through FaceTime.
Other updates include getting updates on collaboration projects through the messaging system and more user-friendly audio messages.
Thanks to the iOS 16 update, you can now write a message in Mail and schedule it to be sent at a later date. Should you send someone a message through Mail by accident, you’ll have 10 seconds to cancel it. You can arrange for unread messages to be kept at the top and can have reminders about them sent.
There’s also an improvement to the autocorrect system. When typos are corrected, the message’s content is now considered to improve the correction’s accuracy.
Apple Pay and Wallet
An Apple Pay feature that’s coming to iOS 16 at a later date is Apple Pay Later. This lets you split the cost of an online purchase into four equal payments over six weeks. The overall cost isn’t affected as there’s no interest, nor are there any fees.
For frequent travellers, there’s a convenient update to the Wallet feature. If you have upcoming stays with multiple hotels of the same company or brand, you’ll just need a single key in your Wallet. Previously, each reservation would require its own key.
Security
Security is fundamental, and several updates are included with iOS 16. The biggest one is Lockdown Mode. This particular mode is designed to protect devices from highly advanced, coordinated attacks. It heavily restricts what a user can access and do. While it’s a component of iOS 16, it’s not intended to be used all the time; it’s only meant for extreme situations.
Another key security update is Safety Check. This sets permissions and is designed to help those in abusive relationships. There’s also an improvement to the clipboard: websites and apps copying content from the clipboard now require permission to do so.
Game Centre
Updates to the Game Centre didn’t get rolled out with the launch of iOS 16; they’re coming later this year instead. When they do come around, you’ll be able to play games with others while on FaceTime. This is because SharePlay, launched with iOS 15, is getting Game Centre integration. What this means is that all Game Centre games with multiplayer support will be fully compatible with FaceTime.
Having said that, you can still find plenty of games in the Game Center. There’s a broad selection for everyone, from easy mini-games to a bit more complex games like blackjack, where you may need to brush up on your skills, which you can do by checking out a casino blackjack guide, especially if you’ve never played it before.
Conclusion
These are just some of the many updates that iOS 16 has brought to iPhones. Even though there are lots of significant changes and additions, there will no doubt be more enhancements to come at some point next year. For now, enjoy the many quality-of-life improvements that iOS 16 has introduced.