Apple iOS 16 Is Now Available: Here’s What To Know About Its Features & How To Update

If you didn’t preorder the new iPhone 14, you could still get the feeling of owning a new phone, thanks to the latest software – iOS 16, released today with watchOS 9 and tvOS 16. It had been announced at Apple’s recent event, explained to have plenty of new features, and didn’t disappoint. 

What time did iOS 16 launch?

The update is now available for download, and some iPhone fans have since been sharing screenshots on social media to prove it. It launched on September 12th, four days before the iPhone 14 hits stores. 

Which phones support iOS 16?

The iPhone 8 or later models are compatible with the new update. iPhone 6s or 7 models capable of running iOS 15 can’t have iOS 16. The original iPhone SE is left out of the mix, though its 2020 and 2022 releases can update without a problem.  

Will all iPhones support every new iOS 16 feature?

The iOS 16 requires an iPhone with an A11 Bionic chip to support Live Text and Visual Look Up features. You’re good to go if you’ve got an iPhone XR or later models. If you own an iPhone 8 or earlier, you don’t have the chip, and as a result, features like pulling live text from video from an image aren’t available.

What are the top features of iOS 16?

iOS 16 lock screen:

You can now customize your iPhone’s lock screen with different fonts and colors. A bigger change is the ability to place widgets on the lock screen, which will be especially handy if you have an iPhone 14 Pro. 

iOS 16 Messages:

You can now mark texts as unread, edit text messages after you send them and even unsend messages if you’ve replied to a wrong text message. The editing and unsending feature are available only for a limited window after you’ve sent your text. You also can launch SharePlay through Messages, allowing you to collaborate with other users in apps like Flies, Keynote, and Notes. 

iOS 16 News: My Sports is added to the News app, allowing you to select your favorite teams across various sports. Following your selection, it creates a special section within the News that showcases the teams’ scores, articles, and video highlights. 

iOS 16 Maps:

Detailed city maps are coming to more places in iOS 16 Maps. You will also be able to find the cost of trips when you plot out routes using the navigation software’s public transit option. Much better, the new Maps will let you top off balance on any transit cards you’ve saved in the Wallet app. The biggest addition is the ability to plot out multi-stop routes when driving.

iOS 16 Mail: 

Message isn’t the only app to have the ability to take back what you’ve mistakenly sent. The iOS 16 mail also has the feature, and you can schedule an email to be sent later, matching Gmail’s capabilities. 

iOS 16 Fitness:

Say goodbye to your Apple Watch as iOS 16 has a standalone Fitness app that can track your steps, distance traveled, and calories burned. It can be one great motivation to get you up and moving. 

iOS 16 Safari:

The iOS 16 Safari adds collaboration tools by letting you share Tab Groups with other people. One other big change in iOS 16 is passkeys. They’re a replacement for passwords that will require third-party apps and websites to embrace. 

iOS 16 Live Text and Visual Look Up:

In iOS 15, the live text and visual look-up let you copy text from photos and look up information about things you’ve photographed. iOS 16 extends the same capabilities, and Visual Look Up added a far neater tool, including being able to copy an object and paste it into other apps like Messages and Notes. It can also identify birds, insects, and statues, among others.

iOS 16 Focus:

New filers will let you fine-tune what’s permitted and blocked out when you launch the Focus Mode. While those filters are limited to Apple’s built-in apps at launch, Apple has since released a tool to let developers add filters to their apps. 

iOS 16 Photos: Apple has added the ability to copy and paste edits to photos and videos, saving you time when you want to make identical changes to a batch of photos at once. The Undo and Redo edit commands also let you reverse and re-institute image edits. At the same time, the Hidden and Recently Deleted Folders now use Face ID unlocking for an extra level of security.

Other features of iOS 16 include:

Other changes to iOS 16 are the new Memoji options; the ability to track medications in the Health app, and Siri can now run shortcuts as you can FaceTime calls completely hands-free by simply saying, “Hey Siri, hang up.” Accordingly, the iOS 16 offers ‘Dictation,’ a new on-device experience that allows users to fluidly move between voice and touch. 

What features won’t be available in iOS 16?

As per the Verge, the iCloud Shared Photo Library isn’t available with the rest of iOS 16. But then, Apple’s iOS 16 features page has listed the iCloud Shared Photo Library as coming later this year. It allows iPhone owners to easily share photos among family members or friends. 

How to update your iPhone with iOS 16?

Head to settings, then General, then Software update. Your iPhone will tell you whether iOS is available for download. If it is, ensure to plug in your device, or it has 50% battery life and more. Then tap “Install Now.” Finally, prepare to wait, as it could take a while.