iOS 16: New lock screen, sharing improvements and much more

Apple today introduced iOS 16 the new version of the operating system that will reach the iPhone after the summer.

The main protagonist of the new version is the lock screen which has undergone the biggest redesign in iOS history with new customization options and functionality improvements.

The lock screen not only allows you to apply depth effects and filters to your chosen wallpaper, but also customize the font and color of the date/time and add useful widgets such as calendar events, activity rings, battery, alarms, etc.

You are also not limited to a single background image, but can choose a group of images that will be shown randomly. Or if you prefer, you can have different lock screens and switch between them by dragging the screen horizontally.

There are even some special lock screen designs, like Weather which includes the weather forecast with cool weather effects, and Astronomy which shows the planet Earth with a beautiful animation when you unlock your phone.

Notifications now appear at the bottom of the lock screen and are placed one after the other, but perhaps the biggest new thing is the live activities to, for example, control music playback, see the time until your food order arrives or see live results of sporting events.

The Concentration modes now extend to the lock screen, making it possible to customize what is displayed on that screen depending on the active mode.

Apple has also made changes to the app Messages, which now allows you to edit messages you have sent, recover messages sent by mistake or mark messages that you want to attend to later.

iOS 16 makes it easier to discover apps that support SharePlay from within FaceTime, and also makes it possible to use SharePlay while chatting with another person in the Messages app.

Now the mail app It allows you to schedule emails and even have a certain time to cancel the sending of a message before it reaches the recipient’s inbox. Mail detects if the user has forgotten to include an important part of the message, such as an attachment. You can also redisplay a message on any other day and at any other time with the option to remind me later, and follow-up suggestions automatically remind users to keep an eye on a mail if they haven’t received a reply.

Mail also incorporates great innovations in the search, which offer more complete, precise and relevant results. Users will see the latest messages, contacts, documents and links the moment they start searching their email.

The dictation functionality has been improved, as it now allows you to combine voice dictation with writing. While you dictate, the keyboard remains on the screen, so you can use it whenever you want. For example, it is possible to select a word you want to change with your finger and dictate the new word.

LiveText, the functionality that allows to recognize text in images, now extends to video. In addition, translation functionalities, currency conversion, etc. have been integrated.

The image recognition capabilities have improved so much that it is now possible to tap on, say, a dog in a photo, and it will be automatically cropped so you can use it elsewhere as a sticker.

The app wallet It allows you to identify yourself to certain apps with identity documents that you have saved, as well as save in Wallet digital keys of the house, hotel, car and offices that you have received by Messages or Mail.

In United States, ApplePay expands to allow receiving payments directly on iPhone with Tap to Pay functionality. Apple has also announced Apple PayLater to split a purchase into four equal payments over six weeks at no additional cost. Finally, Apple Pay Order Tracking allows online stores to provide tracking information about your orders.

Apple Maps receives some interesting improvements, such as multi-stop routes (up to 15 stops) and information on the cost of public transport, even allowing the payment of the fare from the app thanks to transport cards stored in Wallet.

the app Fitness is available to all iPhone users who want to track and meet their fitness goals, even if they don’t have an Apple Watch. Plus, they can set a daily Move goal and see how their active calories help them close that ring. iPhone’s motion sensors can track steps, distance, floors climbed, and workouts done with third-party apps.

Family Sharing allows you to share purchases and services with members of your family. With iOS 16, Apple is making it easier to set up devices that will be used by children.

New options have also been added that make it easier, for example, adding Screen Time directly from the Messages app at a request from a child who wants to continue using the mobile once the maximum time has been exceeded.

The Photos app now offers iCloud Shared Photo Library, which is a new iCloud Photo Library designed to share photos with the whole family. It is possible to manually move photos or send them directly from the camera when taking them, as well as set to automatically move photos that are taken when other family members are nearby.

Apple has reaffirmed its commitment to Matter, a communication standard for smart home devices that a large number of accessory manufacturers have already joined. The home app has received a redesign to show device categories, new views with multiple cameras, and more.

Finally, Apple has shown a preview of the next generation of CarPlay, which will be displayed on all the screens in the car thanks to total integration with the vehicle equipment. Thus, it will be possible to combine vehicle information widgets (speed, revolutions per minute, temperature controls, etc.) with iPhone widgets.

Availability

The iOS 16 developer preview is now available to members of the Apple Developer Program at developer.apple.com and next month there will be a public beta for iOS users at beta.apple.com.

The new software features will be available this fall as a free download for users of iPhone 8 and later models.