iOS 16 is here, and it’s packed with new features that make your iPhone even more useful. As Apple announced during its WWDC keynote in June, iOS 16 is officially available to download and install on your iPhone. The latest version of the company’s mobile operating system has a bevy of new features and tweaks that will make your iPhone experience even better. Here are some of the best new iOS 16 features you can try right now.
From a new home screen design to improvements in Siri, there’s a lot to like. Here’s a look at some of the best new features in iOS 16. One of the best new features in iOS 16 is the customizable lock screen. You can now add widgets to your lock screen, making it easier to access information without having to unlock your phone. You can also choose which apps appear on your lock screen, so you can quickly access your most-used apps. Another great new feature in iOS 16 is the addition of Siri shortcuts. Siri shortcuts allow you to create custom voice commands that perform specific tasks. For example, you could create a shortcut to call your mom, or to open your favorite app. Siri shortcuts are a great way to save time and make it easier to get things done. Finally, iOS 16 includes several other small but useful improvements, such as an updated Maps app and a new Photos app. Overall, iOS 16 is a great update that makes your iPhone even more useful. Be sure to try out all the new features and see which ones work best for you. You can now use Siri to control HomeKit devices, check your calendar, and more. And if you have an iPhone 6s or later, you can use Siri to control the speed of your animations. There are also several other new features in iOS 16, including: A new app called Measure that lets you measure objects using your iPhone camera A new keyboard called Quick Type that provides fast and easy access to common commands Improvements to the Photos app that make it easier to find and share your photos Support for RAW photos in the Camera app. So, if you’re looking for a way to make your iPhone even more useful, be sure to check out iOS 16.
Features of iOS 16:
Scheduled Mail Sending:
iOS 16 add the features to send the mail at the scheduled time. It’s a feature that has long been in third-party email clients, but it’s a small thing that proves unexpectedly helpful. It means that if you get one of those late-evening emails that will ruin your night unless you reply, you can reply — but tell Mail to send it in the morning. That way, it’s off your mind, off your plate, and yet you don’t spend the rest of the evening locked in a back-and-forth email conversation.
There are few options available. i.e., – send now, stop emailing 21:00 tonight, send 08:00 tomorrow, send later.
P.S – If you shut down your iPhone or turn on AirPlane mode, they don’t get sent.
Mail: Remind Me:
Mail’s new Remind Me feature in iOS 16 and macOS Ventura is potentially one of the best new features of iOS 16, but it won’t be until it gets some refinements. It’s confusing at first because this is your inbox and yet the email being shown is from you instead of to you. You do get used to that, though, and it is genuinely useful to be reminded to chase important emails.
Messages: Edit and unsend:
Users can edit and unsend an iMessage when every person involved is running the latest update in iOS 16. Editing a sent iMessage creates an interactive widget within the chat interface. The sender and recipient can tap to see the edit history, and up to five edits can be made to a message in 15 minutes. Deleting a sent message is a little more permanent. Both users will see a message showing that a previously sent message was deleted, but no history or evidence is available otherwise. Apple has made the “unsend” time limit only two minutes.
Continuity Camera makes the iPhone a Mac webcam:
Continuity Camera is a combined feature for iOS and macOS that enables the iPhone camera to be used for Mac functions. Previously, it acted as a simple document scanner or photo tool. With macOS Ventura and iOS 16, users will be able to use their iPhone camera as a dedicated webcam — no setup necessary. The camera and microphone selection tools in apps like Skype, FaceTime, and others will automatically show the iPhone as an option if it is nearby and on the same WiFi network. Desk Mode uses this wide-angle lens to show the desktop below the iPhone and the speaker simultaneously.
Home app is redesigned and improved:
As we’ve explored in our existing coverage, the Home app is getting a major redesign with this update. It starts from a new whole-home view that breaks down your devices by category, provides a side-scrolling view of all your cameras, and a list of your most oft-used accessories. Apple also promises the new Home app will be faster when controlling accessories thanks to a re-engineered framework. All devices need to be updated to support this, and in-app icons should quickly show the new status when their state is changed.
Lockdown Mode:
Lockdown Mode alters or disables several features on the iPhone to ensure maximum security. Most users will never need this feature, but anyone in a position of power that could be targeted by state actors now has an option to increase data protection. You can now customize the lock screen on your iPhone by changing the background, adding app shortcuts, or choosing an image from your camera roll to use as a lock screen background. Apple calls Lockdown Mode an extreme, and optional, protection.
Apple Maps: Transit cards integration:
While Apple Maps includes a feature showing how much transit fares will cost, it will also offer you information about any transit cards you may own. After adding transit cards to Wallet, you can see select information within Apple Maps without needing to switch to the Wallet. This includes seeing if you have a low balance on a card, as well as the opportunity to replenish the balance with more credit. Not only will you know how much the travel will cost, but you’ll also be able to know your transit card will cover it.
New CarPlay:
Technically part of iOS 16, the “Next Generation of CarPlay” won’t be available at launch. You won’t be able to get a vehicle that uses the new experience anytime soon, as the first vehicle announcements will take place in late 2023, around the launch of what will be iOS 17. Instead, it is more Apple’s teasing of what CarPlay could become. And oh boy, what a tease it is. Deeper integration with vehicle functions like the radio and temperature controls that could be handled by CarPlay. This also includes CarPlay managing all screens used by the driver, including the instrument cluster, so it’s one continuous interface at the front of the car’s cabin.
Apps with ID support:
Only a few states currently support digital IDs stored in Apple Wallet, but that hasn’t stopped the iPhone-maker from expanding their functionality. With iOS 16, third-party apps can request ID information for verification purposes. With this, you could verify your age before ordering alcohol from a local shopping app or your identity when purchasing a plane ticket. Apple has privacy in mind here, and an app will need explicit permission before accessing any of your ID info.
Siri offline controls expanded:
There are newfound Siri abilities with iOS 16 that can be performed without needing to call Apple’s servers. New offline skills include being able to control more Homekit devices, use Intercom, and access your voicemail.
Siri Shortcuts: automatic app shortcuts:
As of iOS 16, app developers can effectively bake in Siri Shortcuts to their app. They’ve now long been able to be controlled over Shortcuts, but it required you to set up the shortcut. An app developer can tell iOS 16 that it comes with a ready-built Shortcut. This all depends on the developers taking up the idea, and we’ll see over the next months how well it does.
Raise to Wake and Siri Suggestions:
You don’t have to tap the home button every time you want to see what’s on your lock screen. All you need to do is raise your phone and it will show you all the information you want to see without having to unlock it first. Siri Suggestions is also a new feature that gives you different options for any given situation by understanding how you use your device and presenting those options for you when it knows what you’re looking for.
iMessage Apps:
iMessage now has an accompanying App Store where users can download apps that work within the platform. iMessage apps already allow users to send money, play games, and more all in one place. A new feature that lets you find your lost AirPods.
This iOS 16 version, is helpful for those who need help with a difficult game or need someone to see what they are looking at on their phone. To share your screen, go to the control center and tap on “Screen Recording.” You can use this feature as many times as you want.
