Apple Now Testing iOS 16.6 for iPhone Ahead of iOS 17 at WWDC

[MacRumors]

Apple has started testing iOS 16.6 internally, according to our website's analytics logs, which have proven to be a reliable indicator of upcoming software updates. iOS 16.6 will likely be one of the last updates in the iOS 16 software cycle.

It's still too early to know when the first beta of iOS 16.6 will be released, but the first betas of iOS 13.6, iOS 14.6, and iOS 15.6 were all made available to developers prior to WWDC over the last three years. WWDC is scheduled for June 5 through June 9 this year and is where Apple will announce iOS 17 and other new software.

iOS 16.6 will likely be a smaller update given that iOS 17 is on the horizon. With the Apple Card's savings account expected to launch next week, iMessage Contact Key Verification will be one of the only previously-announced iOS features that has yet to launch, but it is unclear exactly when the optional security setting will launch.

In the meantime, iOS 16.5 remains in beta testing. So far, only two notable changes have been discovered in the update, including the addition of a Sports tab in the Apple News app and the ability to start a screen recording with Siri.

Article Link: Apple Now Testing iOS 16.6 for iPhone Ahead of iOS 17 at WWDC

 

[Realityck]

Well now that you know there will be a 16.6 beta cycle after 16.5 wraps early May. You should be relieved.

 

[hovscorpion12]

Crazy. I think this is the highest number Apple has gone. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Imagine if Apple actually went all the way to .9 with updates. Imagine what iOS 17.9 would be 🤔

 

[madmin]

The Bugfest (to be continued)

 

[sw1tcher]

Crazy. I think this is the highest number Apple has gone. Correct me if I'm wrong.

You're wrong

iOS 13 hit 13.7. iOS 14 went up to 14.8.1. iOS 15 is at 15.7.5

As buggy as iOS 16 is, I'm expecting at least a 16.7

 

[FeliApple]

You're wrong

iOS 13 hit 13.7. Same with iOS 14 (14.7).

iOS 14 went to 14.8.1!

 

[sorgo †]

Nearing the end of a bittersweet (but honestly for me mostly pretty sweet) road with iOS 16. 🥲 Hopefully iOS 17 keeps things on the up and up.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

The Bugfest (to be continued)

It's here and it exists. It's the real deal! 🫨🫨

---

 

[v0lume4]

The Bugfest (to be continued)

I’ve held off on updating to iOS 16 all this time, waiting for people to say it’s finally “fixed.”

Is it still a mess? At this rate, my plans are to skip it altogether. MAYBE I’ll do iOS 17 if it turns out to be a Snow Leopard-esque release.

 

[enterthemerdaverse]

web logs aren’t reliable. They don’t always show OS version correctly.

Also a company like Apple runs different forks of an OS at the same time to test different features and updates. A feature being tested in a 16.6 fork could actually be for iOS 17.

 

[sorgo †]

Crazy. I think this is the highest number Apple has gone. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Imagine if Apple actually went all the way to .9 with updates. Imagine what iOS 17.9 would be 🤔

It isn’t the highest (as others have pointed out) and you can expect it to crawl yet higher, especially if iOS 17 ends up dropping support for any device(s).

 

[sorgo †]

I’ve held off on updating to iOS 16 all this time, waiting for people to say it’s finally “fixed.”

Is it still a mess? At this rate, my plans are to skip it altogether. MAYBE I’ll do iOS 17 if it turns out to be a Snow Leopard-esque release.

iOS 16.4 seems pretty tame. I have actually most enjoyed the betas as far as iOS 16 goes; it seems to represent an era where the latest thing just seems to run better. So if you’re comfortable I’d try out the current 16.5 beta 2; otherwise stick with public release. Do expect battery life to take a hit if you’re on anything older than 16, though.

 

[I7guy]

Mark my words there will be an iOS 16.7 before the end of the summer.

 

[Cromulent]

I'm excited to hear what will happen in iOS 17 and macOS 14.

 

[bmark]

iOS updates are turning into Chrome updates! Never-ending cycle of bug fixes and new emoji's to soften the blow.

 

[v0lume4]

iOS 16.4 seems pretty tame. I have actually most enjoyed the betas as far as iOS 16 goes; it seems to represent an era where the latest thing just seems to run better. So if you’re comfortable I’d try out the current 16.5 beta 2; otherwise stick with public release. Do expect battery life to take a hit if you’re on anything older than 16, though.

That's exactly what concerns me -- the battery life. I'm still on 15.7 and the battery life is sooo good on the iPhone SE (2022). It makes you wonder what Apple messed up under the hood in iOS 16. I'm hoping the issue, whatever it is, is addressed in iOS 17.

 

[rungxanh2901]

Crazy. I think this is the highest number Apple has gone. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Imagine if Apple actually went all the way to .9 with updates. Imagine what iOS 17.9 would be 🤔

The highest was iOS 14. It went up to 14.8.1 as I remembered

 

[MrDerby01]

LOL All of these supposed security fixes and TikTok can still read almost anything about your devices =D

Apple is a shame.

 

[FeliApple]

That's exactly what concerns me -- the battery life. I'm still on 15.7 and the battery life is sooo good on the iPhone SE (2022). It makes you wonder what Apple messed up under the hood in iOS 16. I'm hoping the issue, whatever it is, is addressed in iOS 17.

A major version update has never improved battery life on the same device. Don’t hold onto hope for too long on that. As far as the 3rd-gen iPhone SE goes, iOS 15 will be the best version ever for battery life. If you like it, stay there.

 

[podycust]

Now to set my browsers user agent to 16.8 then visit Mac rumours to confirm testing of 16.8 😜😂😂

 

[oofio2461]

.6 should come on in late june, and .7 in September for ALL iPhones. Not just the A11 devices.

 

[sw1tcher]

iOS updates are turning into Chrome updates! Never-ending cycle of bug fixes and new emoji's to soften the blow.

Coincidence iOS releases with highest point versions were created/released during Covid pandemic and WFH years?

iOS 15 is up to 15.7.5. It was a 2021 (pandemic/WFH) product.
iOS 14 is up to 14.8.1. It was a 2020 (pandemic/WFH) product.

iOS 13 is up to 13.7. While it's a 2019 product, the point releases from 13.4 to 13.7 came out between Mar. 23, 2020 and Sep. 1, 2020... during the pandemic/WFH.

iOS 16 is a 2022 (pandemic/WFH) product. Apple testing iOS 16.6 now. Chances are good we'll see a 16.7.... maybe even a 16.8.

No prior iOS version got a X.6 version or higher. The closest was iOS 12 with 12.5.7

🤔


.

 

[v0lume4]

A major version update has never improved battery life on the same device. Don’t hold onto hope for too long on that. As far as the 3rd-gen iPhone SE goes, iOS 15 will be the best version ever for battery life. If you like it, stay there.

That's depressing. But fair enough. I'll keep an eye on iOS 17.

But to your point -- my mother's iPhone 7 Plus just got a brand new battery at the Apple Store. It's on iOS 15.7.x (whatever the x is now). It might get 2 hours of SoT. MAYBE 3. Maybe. It's unbelievable how the updates have sabotaged the battery on that thing.

 

[sdf]

I’ve held off on updating to iOS 16 all this time, waiting for people to say it’s finally “fixed.”

I think I've hit maybe one new bug since iOS 16 shipped.

I don't consider that good, though. They didn't fix enough since 15.

Still, I don't think I'm worse off now than I was on 15.

 

[sdf]

iOS 16.6 will likely be one of the last updates in the iOS 16 software cycle.

Every year MacRumors says something like this at least once. It's noncommittal enough to never be wrong: "likely" and "one of the."

But it's weak sauce.