One of the biggest overhauls in the iPhone operating system, the iOS 16 is finally available to download. Here are all the big features this new OS has to offer.
The latest iPhone 14 lineup will obviously come with the latest iOS 16. But fear not, iPhone 8, and all other iPhones released after that also support the latest iOS 16, which covers all the iPhones released in 2017 and later.
When it comes to iPhone SE, the original one won’t be getting this update. However, the 2020 and 2022 versions of the SE are supported.
According to ZolloTech, there are more than 165 new features introduced in the latest iOS 16. We will be looking at some of the major ones, also relevant in Bangladesh, in today’s review.
Battery percentage finally comes back
Since iPhone X featured the notch, Apple removed the home button and the battery percentage from the top.
But with iOS 16, Apple brought it back. Now, you just need to go to Settings>Battery and turn on Battery Percentage, and the percentage will be written inside the battery icon on the top. Also, you can now unlock your phone with face ID in landscape mode, but this feature is only available to iPhone 12 and up.
Editing and unsending messages
iMessages can finally do a sent message edit or a complete delete. This feature however only works on other iOS 16 devices and the receiver will be notified if you edited or deleted a message.
Long pressing on the message will show Undo Send and Edit options.
During this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). Apple's Senior Vice President of Software Engineering Craig Federighi said that embarrassing typos are a thing of the past. Turns out, this was one of the top three most requested features for the Messages app.
This is not a new feature in the smartphone world. Truecaller has this feature on Android phones and Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp also has had such a feature for a long time now.
You can also flag threads and messages as unread now. This will come in handy when you don't have time to answer a message right away but want to make sure you revisit it later.
A whole new customizable lock screen
The lock screen on the iPhone has undergone the biggest update to date with iOS 16.
Press and hold to edit your lock screen to test out numerous different looks, swipe.
Each design modifies the colour filter for the lock screen backdrop photo and fonts in order to make everything blend together. There are a total of eight different fonts to choose from for the lock screen clock font.
It is similar to Google's Material You, which debuted with Android 12. However, this has an Apple vibe to it.
As previously, you have the option of using one of Apple's provided wallpapers or one of your own photos. iOS 16 even recommends images from your photo library that are particularly well-suited for lock screen wallpapers.
You can choose from eight different fonts and a wide range of colours, though you may occasionally find it difficult to find the correct colour contrast when using one of your photographs so that the date, time, and widgets are all equally apparent.
There is also widget support on the lock screen. But it will largely depend on the third-party app-makers. But I am hopeful that they are already working on making lock screen widgets for iPhones.
Google already released a handful of lock screen widgets for the iPhone’s new lock screen. In the video demo, a widget of a car moving towards its destination was shown which looked very much like Uber.
Now, users have mixed reactions about this. The new lock screen is ideal only for certain types of backgrounds.
For example, there’s an option that will separate the subject from the background and put the lock screen clock in between. For features like this, you will need an image which has better separation of the subject from the background.
As for notifications, they now appear from the bottom stacking on top of each other. I liked this feature very much. Apple, however, provides options for stack view, list view or numbered views.
iPhone users will be able to make multiple lock screens and switch between them. Instructions for doing so can only be found in the Wallpaper section of Settings.
When the lock screen is active, tapping and holding on the photo, an array of the lock screens you have created will fan out and you can tap the one you want.
And yes, after lagging behind Android for years, Apple finally decided to come up with an Always-on display. However, that will only be available in the latest iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
An attempt to skip CAPTCHA using Private Access Tokens
Apple finally decided to get rid of those annoying CAPTCHAs found on the web that suddenly pops up out of nowhere and asks you to write a certain text or find every image of traffic lights.
CAPTCHAs are usually used to make sure that a human is visiting a particular page, and not a bot.
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 login and authenticate that you are indeed a human without your having to play any of the usual (and sometimes stressful) CAPTCHA games.
Visual Look Up: Separating a subject from the background
Now, this is a pure photoshop feature, and not an easy one, embedded directly into your iPhone.
Visual Look Up in iOS 15 can recognize things like dogs, plants, and famous buildings in your photos. This got an upgrade in iOS 16.
You can now remove a photo's subject, like a puppy in a picture, from the background by touching it, and then dragging it to programs like Messages. You can also just select and copy the subject without the background and paste it elsewhere.
In essence, it's a tap-and-hold tool that gets rid of the background of a picture.
“Apple sometimes overuses the word ‘magic,’ but this feature truly seems like it,” CNet’s Senior Editor Patrick Holland wrote.
Safety Check. to help those in abusive relationships
Apple introduced Safety Check with iOS 16, a new function created to aid those who are subjected to violent situations.
In addition to passwords, messages, and other apps on an iPhone, it enables you to review and reset who has access to location information.
Medication reminder
The Health app got a significant upgrade in iOS 16. Now, you can add reminders about when to take your medicines.
To do so, you need to go to Browse>Medications>Add Medications in your Health app. You can either search for the medication using the search box or simply take a photo of your medication by hitting the camera icon on the right side of the search box.
Doing so will allow you to set a specific time and the iPhone will remind you to take your medication at the exact time.
Why not use any other reminder app, you ask? Well, for starters, building this feature inside the Health app means you will be able to share it with your doctor or family members.
The Health app can also warn you of adverse drug interactions with your various medications, including when drinking alcohol might cause significant side effects.
Merging duplicate contacts
For those who have been using Google Contacts for a long time now, it may not sound like something new.
However, this is new for the iPhone. And it is always better late than never.
In the iPhones running the latest iOS 16, you will find an option titled View Duplicates in the Contacts app. Tapping that will reveal duplicate contacts and you will be able to confirm it and merge those by tapping the Merge button below.
Using the iPhone as a Mac webcam
Apple’s Continuity Camera is a feature which will enable you to use your iPhone’s camera as your MacBook’s webcam. The catch here is you need to buy a Belkin support mount.
For this feature to work, you will need iOS 16 on your iPhone and macOS Ventura on your MacBook. macOS Ventura is scheduled to release this October.
You will also need to be signed in with the same Apple ID in both your iPhone and MacBook. You need to enable WiFi and Bluetooth on both devices too.
Whenever your iPhone and MacBook are in close proximity, and you are in a video conferencing app, the iPhone will show you a pop-up to use the iPhone's camera as the webcam.
After connecting successfully, you will be able to toggle through various options including Center Stage, Portrait mode, Studio Light and Desk view.
Portrait mode will work just like Portrait videos. It will blur your background using your iPhone’s camera.
The Center Stage will try to keep you in the center all the time.
The Desk view, on the other hand, is more interesting. It will allow you to show your desk on the webcam using the iPhone's ultrawide lens when it’s mounted on top of your MacBook. This also looks more like “magic”.
Schedule or unsend email
In the latest Apple Mail app on iOS 16, you will be able to schedule an email to send at a later time or unsend it within ten seconds of sending it. You can make this up to 30 seconds by going into Settings>Mail>Undo Send Delay.
Some other features
The features mentioned are just the tip of the iceberg for iOS 16. There are small to large UI improvements in many other apps including Fitness, My Sports, Safari, Wallet and Siri also has some improvements in dictation. While using voice-to-text features on iPhone, saying out the name of emojis, for example, “heart emoji”, will put that emoji.
You can also ask Siri what you can do in a particular app and it will respond with some tips about app-specific commands.
Verdict
The fact that the iPhone's lock screen is finally customizable was a great touch in iOS 16. The ability of editing and unsending texts is also good. Maps, Health app also got some helpful new features.
However, features like Live Text and Dictation won't work on older iPhones. Especially, iPhone that don't have A12 Bionic Chipset. Leaving iPhone X and iPhone 8 behind.
In conclusion, I would like to say that Apple really did some great things with the new update. It will be perfect if it doesn’t overload older iPhone’s battery life, which is still too soon to tell.