A new selector allows in-app content to be automatically loaded directly after downloading it from the App Store. It was discovered in beta 3 of iOS 16.1.
In the third beta test version of iOS 16.1, a new switch appeared in the App Store settings, with which the content of the app can be automatically reloaded immediately after the download for newly downloaded apps. So far, users have had to open the program themselves for the first time. After that, there are often waiting times, especially with games that sometimes load several hundred megabytes of data. Sometimes reloading is also a nasty surprise when users open new apps for the first time on the go and have to use up their mobile data volume or only find low data transfer rates.
Developers probably won’t even need to customize their apps to take advantage of the new opportunity. Instead, the app is simply called up by the system in the background after the download. It remains unclear whether the app’s system is signaling that it is running in the background or whether it is called as if the app were being started in the foreground, although it is not visible at all.
Do apps need to be customized?
This makes a difference because apps usually have to create appropriate sessions for background downloads. In the early years of the iPhone in particular, apps were quickly terminated by the system after the user left them in order to economize on memory and system load as well as battery life. Apple created the background session tool, which allows an app to log into the system so that it doesn’t exit. However, this option is not unlimited and the system sets limits on downloads so that they cannot be misused to the detriment of the user.
However, the developer documentation states that in many apps it is sufficient to simply select Background Modes in Xcode so that the app can then start data transfers in the background as if it were active. In any case, the apps should automatically reload their in-app content immediately after launch. If a user action is required first, the new preloading will probably not work. The selector can be found under Automatic Downloads in the Settings app under App Store.
iOS 16.1: what else is in it
Besides iOS 16.1 beta 3, the new switch was also found in macOS Ventura beta 9. So it would also be usable for Mac apps. The release of the final version of iOS 16.1 is expected in October. The first major update of iOS 16 is expected to include bug fixes for battery life and Spotlight search issues. The introduction of live activities is also expected. A new charging mode is also to be offered in the USA, with which the iPhone is charged particularly when energy from regenerative sources is available in abundance.
