As expected, Apple introduced iOS 16 at WWDC 2022. You can find out what features the new update brings below.
As is tradition at Apple’s developer conference, the company used its WWDC 2022 keynote to announce its next generation operating system. revealiOS 16 is set to be released in the fall, coinciding with new hardware like the "iPhone 14," and will bring a host of new features and other improvements. As expected from a milestone release, the changes are far-reaching and include everything from the home screen to the apps within the mobile operating system. Apple continues its push to protect user privacy and security in the latest version.
iOS 16
Rather than taking iOS in a new design direction, iOS 16's interface is very similar to iOS 15's. So while the overall look and feel is similar, the mobile operating system's features have changed. In the weeks leading up to WWDC, Apple announced a number of accessibility features that will soon be integrated into iOS. These include LiDAR-based door detection, features to support physical and motor accessibility, and live captions.
lock screen
The lock screen has been redesigned to make it a more useful element of iOS. This includes the introduction of widgets that bring more data to the lock screen than the existing notifications, time, flashlight and camera buttons. The intention is that users can see more data without having to fully unlock the iPhone. The lock screen is customizable, including the ability to add photos and filters in portrait mode. The clock can have different fonts and colors, while the new wallpaper gallery suggests photos you can use.
Multiple lock screens can be created. The Lock Screen Editor lets you design the screens the way you would configure Apple Watch watch faces. Other items include a weather lock screen with animation, an emoji wallpaper, and an astronomy collection. Notifications have been updated to show new items at the bottom of the screen. The new Live Activities and API can display notifications at a glance, and with Music Live Activities, they can also display album art. Focus modes have also been extended to the lock screen, allowing you to display a specific lock screen depending on which Focus is active. Speaking of Focus, Focus filters now allow Focus to be used in apps, for example to only display certain tabs in Safari, certain mail accounts, or other specific types of information in other third-party apps.
iMessage
iMessage benefits from the ability to edit messages after they've been sent. You can also delete messages from a conversation forever and mark a thread as unread. Shared with you is being updated with a new API that allows developers to access the system from within their apps. SharePlay is being improved with a dedicated button in FaceTime. It's also being introduced in Messages, allowing multiple people to watch a video and chat over text in sync. An improved dictation feature should help users compose their messages more easily. The on-device dictation feature lets you easily switch between touch and voice. There's also automatic punctuation and emoji.
Siri & Processing
Developers can use Apple's digital assistant in apps through a new API called App Intents. Live Text has been updated with video support, allowing you to pause a video and interact with the text visible in the image. After selecting the text, you can choose from a number of quick actions. Live Text also gets an API that allows it to be used in the Translate app as well. Visual Lookup has been updated with the ability to choose themes. For users, this means you can lift and hold subjects from images and then place them as stickers in an app like Messages, for example.
wallet
The wallet will have an in-app ID verification system with cards for apps like Uber, allowing age verification and confirmation of other data. The keys stored in the wallet can be shared with others via messaging apps like Messages, Mail and WhatsApp. The new Apple Pay Later lets you split the cost of an item into four equal installments. The service is offered with no interest or fees and works anywhere Apple Pay is accepted. Apple Pay will also be expanded to include order tracking in the wallet, showing when the delivery will arrive. Millions of merchants will offer the service, starting with Shopify.
cards
Apple's revamped Maps experience will be available in six more cities, allowing for the view of those places with 3D objects. The new view will also be rolled out in 11 more countries. Multi-stop routing will also be introduced in Maps. Users will then be able to plan up to 15 stops on a route in advance. You can also plan on a Mac and send the route to the iPhone and even add more stops with Siri. Transit will get cost features so when you ask for directions, you can see how much you'll have to pay for public transit if you follow navigation instructions. MapKit has been updated for developers so that third-party apps can implement detailed Apple Maps. MapKit is also getting Look Around. And finally, Maps will have server-side APIs, launching later in 2022.
Apple News
Apple's News app has been expanded to include a "My Sports" section where users can follow their favorite teams, including highlights, scores and team standings. There is also an Apple News+ integration that allows paid publications to use the same "My Sports" feature.
Families and Security
As part of Apple's efforts to make iOS safer for families, it's now possible to set up age-based parental controls for accounts within Family Sharing. For child accounts, there's a quick setup feature that adds settings without any further configuration, and the Family Checklist makes it easier for parents to change settings as their children get older. Photos for Family is a shared iCloud photo library that lets all members of a family group share pictures. Users can share only what they want, they can limit sharing based on who's in the photo or what was taken, and they can also share manually.
More control
A camera switch allows for automatic sharing of images in this library. It can be set to automatically switch depending on who is in the photo. Everyone in the group has equal rights to images and can see other members' edits. Safety Check is a system that allows the amount of data shared to be limited if necessary. Users can review and reset access to data and locations granted to others, turn off location for all devices, restrict iMessage syncing to the device in their hand, and even control who can contact them.
HomeKit
As part of the HomeKit announcements, Apple is promoting the cross-platform smart home standard Matter. This will allow more smart home devices to work together, even though they don't have a common platform. The Home app will be updated with a new interface. The main area of the app contains rooms and favorites, while new categories for climate, security, lighting and other elements are offered. Of course, there are also new widgets for the lock screen that work with the Home app.
CarPlay
Apple's in-car interface CarPlay is getting a major upgrade to become more deeply integrated into a car's hardware. Multi-screen support will allow widgets and apps to appear on more parts of the dashboard. The deeper integration will allow CarPlay to access other elements, such as controlling the radio directly or adjusting the climate control.
By accessing vehicle data, CarPlay can also display information such as speed, fuel level, temperature and other items on the instrument cluster. This also means that drivers can customize their driving experience much more, for example by only showing the gauges and widgets they are interested in, rather than everything. This can even include information about the weather and the music currently playing. Apple says there will be more information about the next generation of CarPlay in the future. Vehicles that will use the new CarPlay are expected to be announced in late 2023. iOS 16 will be made available free of charge to all iPhone users this fall. (Image: Apple)
