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iOS 16 Now Available: Six New Features Worth Checking Out

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Apple released iOS 16 on Monday, September 12 as a free software update for the iPhone 8 and newer. iOS 16 includes plenty of new features, ranging from a customizable Lock Screen to the ability to temporarily edit or unsend iMessages.

ios-16-lockscreens.jpg

To install iOS 16, open the Settings app on your iPhone and tap General → Software Update. After you update your iPhone to iOS 16, check out our list of six useful new features to try out below.

Customize the Lock Screen

The headline new feature of iOS 16 is the ability to personalize the Lock Screen with multi-layered wallpapers, widgets, custom fonts for the date and time, and more. You can also select a set of photos to shuffle on the Lock Screen throughout the day.

iOS-16-Lock-Screen-Customize.jpeg

The new Lock Screen gallery showcases a range of Lock Screen options, including a new Weather wallpaper with live weather conditions and an Astronomy wallpaper that provides views of the Earth, Moon, and Solar System. iOS 16 includes support for multiple Lock Screen designs, allowing you to switch between your favorites with a swipe.

Related: How to customize the Lock Screen on iOS 16

Edit or Unsend an iMessage

iOS 16 introduces the ability to temporarily edit or unsend iMessages, as well as mark iMessage conversations as unread after opening them.

Apple allows you to edit an iMessage for up to 15 minutes after sending it, with up to five edits allowed per message. Recipients are able to see a record of edits made to the message, and on devices running iOS 15 or earlier, edited messages are received as a new message that says "Edited to [new message]."

ios-16-imessage-edit-unsend.jpg

To edit or unsend a message, simply tap and hold on a bubble and select the appropriate option in the menu that appears. iMessages that have been edited are marked as "edited" below the message bubble. SMS messages (green bubbles) cannot be edited or unsent.

Use the Full-Screen Music Player

iOS 16 reintroduces a full-screen music player on the Lock Screen with large album art and a color-matched wallpaper.

ios-16-lock-screen-music-player.jpeg

Apple last offered a full-screen music player on the Lock Screen on iOS 10 in 2016. If you don't like the feature, you can tap on the bottom of the display to minimize the music player and revert to your standard Lock Screen wallpaper.

Game With Nintendo Joy-Cons

iPhones feature support for many additional Bluetooth game controllers on iOS 16, including the Nintendo Switch's Joy-Cons and Pro Controller. iPhones running iOS 16 can be used with either single left or right Joy-Cons, or both at once as a singular controller.

nintendo-joy-cons.jpg

This is on top of the iPhone's existing compatibility with PS5 DualSense and Xbox Series X controllers since the release of iOS 14.5 last year.

Track an Apple Pay Order

Apple Pay on iOS 16 features new built-in order tracking information in the Wallet app for online orders completed via Apple Pay. The tracker provides an order's estimated delivery date and indicates when a package is out for delivery.

ios-16-apple-pay-order-tracking.jpg

Close Your Rings Without an Apple Watch

Starting with iOS 16, the Fitness app is now available on the iPhone for all users, even without an Apple Watch. The app features a daily Activity ring that relies on the iPhone's motion sensors to estimate a person's calories burned and steps per day.

fitness-app-ios-16.jpg

During its iPhone 14 event, Apple announced that its Fitness+ service will be available for iPhone users without an Apple Watch later this year in the 21 countries where the service is available. Fitness+ is priced at $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year.

Article Link: iOS 16 Now Available: Six New Features Worth Checking Out
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2022/09/11/ios-16-features-preview/
Last edited:
Check out also the huge battery drain! 😉

EDIT: Those who disagree - obviously have no clue what the SW does to the phone. There's tons of reviews and videos on iOS 16 RC heating up your phone and battery life drop.
I love Apple products but some people have this taken to extreme - called mania 😂
 
Last edited:
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After having used iOS 16 for several weeks now, I think it's a pretty minor – even "meh" – upgrade. Maybe that's good if it means fewer bugs. And it's hard to introduce killer features year after year. But overall, once you spend 2 minutes customizing your first lock screen, there's not much different than iOS 15.
 
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iOS 16 RC is still incredibly unstable on my 11 Pro Max. I’ve been experiencing frequent system crashes throughout the entire beta cycle that never improved.
I hope there is actually a new build released tomorrow. Backups are totally broken and completely nonfunctional as of now as well so I don’t know how I’m supposed to migrate to the 14 Pro Max on Friday.
 
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Question now: it appears that both iOS 15.7 and 16.0 will release on the same day. How do I upgrade (temporarily) to iOS 15.7 on my iPhone 12 before installing the first bug fix version of iOS 16?
 
Kissmo1980 said:
Check out also the huge battery drain! 😉
Click to expand...
I have the GM version on my 12 Pro and also experiencing this massive battery drain. Feeling like it's draining about ~20% quicker than it did on iOS 15. Was worse on the last beta (around 30% faster).

Apple does usually sort out battery drain fairly fast after public release, so I have my hopes up... even though I have a 14 Pro on order.
 
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macsplusmacs said:
When getting a new phone with a new iOS on the way, I wait for my new phone before installing the new iOS.

Am I the only one that does this?
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I avoid the next beta but I do update to the release candidate version since that should be what the phone comes with. In the past the new phone would be announced and a .1 beta would arrive before it was delivered. It causes me to setup the new device manually, upgrade to the beta, wipe the device then setup again this time restoring my beta version backup. This year, I removed the profile once the RC was released and wont touch things again until after I get setup on the new device.
 
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SW3029 said:
After having used iOS 16 for several weeks now, I think it's a pretty minor – even "meh" – upgrade. Maybe that's good if it means fewer bugs. And it's hard to introduce killer features year after year. But overall, once you spend 2 minutes customizing your first lock screen, there's not much different than iOS 15.
Click to expand...
i don't have it yet but i already know that having larger album cover on the lock screen is gonna make a big difference for me
 
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ian87w said:
Now the real beta testing phase starts 🤭
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Its been pretty stable since I jumped on the first public beta tbh.

Anyways for Joycon support I hope there’s something created that would allow me to stick both joycons on the sides of my iPhone to play or something made that I can put the joyocons on and slide the iPhone in the middle
 
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