iOS 16 Beta: Check Out All the New Features for iPhone
Apple released its latest public beta for iOS 16, and this version includes a new battery percentage icon. If you have an iPhone with Face ID, this makes it easier to tell how much battery power remains: The remaining percentage is neatly nestled inside the battery symbol on the top right of the display. Until now, the battery indicator has been absent on Face ID iPhones and you had to open Control Center to view how much juice your phone has left.
You can still download the operating system and try out all its new features on a compatible iPhone ahead of its public release in the fall. While the software is still in development and much can change between now and its public release, there's plenty of upgrades focused on communication, personalization and privacy, including changes to your iPhone's lock screen, Messages app and Wallet. There are several lesser-known features lurking in iOS 16 that are worth checking out, too.
First previewed at the company's annual WWDC keynote, iOS 16 should get a wide release alongside the heavily rumored iPhone 14. The new software will work on iPhone 8 models and newer.
Here's every iOS 16 feature you should know about.
Edit and 'unsend' messages
"Embarrassing typos are a thing of the past," Apple SVP of Software Engineering Craig Federighi said as he introduced three of the most requested features for the Messages app.
First, in iOS 16 you'll be able to edit sent messages. So if you notice a typo after a message, you'll be able to edit the message after the fact. A tiny "edited" appears in the status under the message.
Next, and this might be my favorite new feature, you can immediately recall a sent message. If you accidentally send an unfinished message, you can use the Undo Send tool to prevent it from being read and hopefully look less chaotic to your friends and family.
Last, you can mark messages and threads as unread. This could be an excellent tool for when you don't have time to respond to a message in the moment, but want to make sure you come back to it later.
A new customizable lock screen
One of the things you look at the most on your iPhone is the lock screen, especially if you have a Face ID-equipped iPhone. iOS 16 brings the most substantial update to the iPhone's lock screen yet. Press and hold to edit your lock screen. You can swipe to try out several different styles. Each style changes the color filter for the background photo and the font on the lock screen so everything complements each other. This feels a bit like Apple's take on Google's Material You, which launched with Android 12.
You can also customize the fonts for the time and date, and add lock screen widgets like temperature, activity rings and a calendar. The widgets are akin to complications on the Apple Watch lock screen.
You can even set up multiple customized lock screens with different widgets and easily swipe to switch between them. There's also a photo shuffle option that automatically changes the pictures on your lock screen.
One feature we hoped to see Apple add was an always-on display. It's something nearly all Android phones have; even the Apple Watch does. There's hope the iPhone 14 will have one.
Notifications and live activities
Sometimes notifications can cover up your lock screen's photo, so iOS 16 moves notifications to the bottom of your display. As you receive them, instead of being compiled into a list, they appear like a vertical carousel. This not only looks better but should be a big help for one-handed use of your iPhone.
iOS 16 also aims to solve another notification problem. Sometimes you get a bunch of notifications in a row from one app, like the score of a basketball game. A new tool for developers called Live Activities makes it easier to stay on top of things happening in real time from your lock screen, instead of getting a series of interruptions.
Live Activities should make it easier to follow sporting events, workouts or even the progress of an Uber ride.
Skip CAPTCHAs using Private Access Tokens
The CAPTCHA -- which stands for Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart -- has been a necessary evil across the internet. CAPTCHAs are designed to make sure that a person is accessing a website or service, and not a bot. I find them annoying, as they often involve reading strangely written letters or having to find all the images that have a truck. With iOS 16, Apple plans to start replacing these awkward interactions with Private Access Tokens.
According to a video on Apple's website demonstrating Private Access Tokens, websites that support the token will essentially log in and authenticate that you are indeed a human without your having to play any of the usual CAPTCHA games. Apple says in the video that the company is working with other companies to roll out support for this feature, so we can't say the CAPTCHA will be dead after iOS 16 rolls out to the public. But the concept could provide some relief if it gets adopted.
Wallet and Apple Pay Later
ID cards from more states will be available in your Wallet app along with more security and privacy features. In iOS 16 you can also protect your identity and age. So rather than showing your exact birth date, the Wallet app will display your ID and that you're over 21.
iOS 16 makes sharing keys easier with apps like Mail and Messages. When your friend receives the key, they can add it to the Wallet app on their iPhone. Apple said it's working to make sure that shared keys are an industry standard and free for others.
2022-08-21 21:29:57
