Apple today seeded the sixth betas of its upcoming iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 updates to developers and public beta testers. The updates come a week after the release of the fifth developer betas.
Beta builds of iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 are available to developers through the Apple Developer Center or over the air on the devices with the proper configuration installed.
Public builds of iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 can be downloaded via the Apple Beta Software Program website by users signed up to take part in the testing program. If you’re interested in trying out the betas of the upcoming operating systems you can sign up for the program by clicking the same link.
The new beta includes a battery icon in the status bar that displays the exact battery percent, which can be toggled on or off in the iOS 16 settings in the Battery section. It also brings “Find My” sound that plays when you use the “Play Sound” feature.
The Perspective Zoom feature has been removed for Lock Screen wallpapers. The toggle to disable it has also been removed.
When you take a screenshot, edit it, and then tap on “Done,” there is a new option to “Copy and Delete” the screenshot. Formerly, there was only a “Delete” option.
“Emergency SOS” has been renamed “Emergency Call.”
iOS 16 brings what Apple calls “the biggest update ever” to the Lock Screen and new sharing, communication, and intelligence features. Also along for the ride is iCloud Shared Photo Library, which allows users seamlessly share a collection of photos with family, updates to the Messages and Mail apps, and enhancements to Live Text and Visual Look Up.
The iOS 16 lock screen experience brings a new multilayered effect, where the subjects of photos are set in front of the time on the Lock Screen, creating a sense of depth. The look of the lock screen date and time can be customized with expressive type styles and color choices.
Lock Screen widgets make it easier to see information at a glance, including calendar events, weather, battery levels, alarms, time zones, Activity ring progress, and much more. Notifications have been redesigned to roll up from the bottom for better visibility.
A new Lock Screen gallery features Apple collections, including Pride and Unity; a Weather wallpaper to see live weather conditions as they change throughout the day; and an Astronomy wallpaper for views of the Earth, moon, and solar system.
Users can also customize Lock Screens with their favorite emoji or color combinations. Multiple Lock Screens can be switched between favorites with a swipe of a finger.
A new Live Activities feature allows users to keep track of real-time events, including sports matches, workouts, food delivery orders, and more, directly from the Lock Screen.
Focus is more powerful, easier to set up, and now connects to the Lock Screen. Users will be able to tie a Lock Screen wallpaper and widgets to a particular Focus. A Focus can be activated with a swipe to the corresponding Lock Screen. Focus filters, allow Calendar, Mail, Messages, and Safari to display only the content that is relevant to a user’s Focus.
iCloud Shared Photo Library allows families to share photos with a separate iCloud library that up to six users can collaborate on, contribute to, and enjoy. Users can choose to share existing photos from their personal libraries, or share based on a start date or people in the photos. A user can also choose to send photos to the Shared Library automatically using a new toggle in the Camera app.
Users will also receive suggestions to share a photo that includes participants in the Shared Photo Library. Every user in the Shared Photo Library has access to add, delete, edit, or favorite the shared photos or videos, which will appear in each user’s Memories and Featured Photos.
Users can edit or recall recently sent messages, recover recently deleted messages, and mark conversations as unread so they can come back to them later. SharePlay is also coming to Messages, making it possible to enjoy synced content like movies or songs and shared playback controls all while chatting in Messages.
Users can schedule emails ahead of time and are even provided an option to cancel delivery of a message before it reaches a recipient’s inbox. Mail also warns users if they forget to include an important part of their message, including attachments. Users also have the option to resurface a message at any date and time with Remind Later, and Follow Up suggestions automatically remind users to follow up on an email if they have not received a response.
Mail also includes a big overhaul to search, which delivers more relevant, accurate, and complete results.
Live Text uses on-device intelligence to recognize text in images across iOS, and it is now expanding to include video. Meanwhile, Visual Look Up takes photos further by introducing a new feature that allows users to tap and hold on the subject of an image to lift it from the background and place it in apps like Messages. Visual Look Up also expands to recognize birds, insects, and statues.
Apple Pay Later provides users in the US with a seamless and secure way to split the cost of an Apple Pay purchase into four equal payments spread over six weeks, with zero interest and no fees. Apple Pay Order Tracking allows users to receive detailed receipts and order tracking information in Wallet for Apple Pay purchases with participating merchants.
Users can use their ID in Wallet for apps requiring identity and age verification. To ensure a private and secure experience, only the necessary information required for the transaction will be provided to the app, and the user can review and consent to share it using Face ID or Touch ID. Additionally, users can securely share their home, hotel, office, and car keys in Wallet through messaging apps, including Messages, Mail, and more.
As usual, MacTrast and Apple both warn users to not install any betas on their daily driver iPhone or iPad. Instead, only install betas on a device set aside for testing purposes.