Apple CEO Tim Cook spoke at the annual Apple World Developers Conference in San Jose, California, June 6, 2022.
Peter Dasilva Reuters
Apple announced the biggest iPhone software update of the year this week.
The software, unveiled Monday at Apple’s World Developer Conference, includes the biggest change in the look of the iPhone’s lock screen since 2014 and improvements to commonly used apps like Messaging, Mail and Maps.
It will be available to anyone with an iPhone released in 2017 or later. The oldest supported device is the iPhone 8. So if you want these features and still have this phone, it may be time to upgrade this fall.
IOS 16 is now available for people with an Apple developer account. It will be released as a beta to the public next month and will launch for everyone along with the new iPhones in September or October.
Here are some of the biggest changes you need to know about:
Custom lock screens. Users will be able to add smaller gadgets with real-time data, such as the weather forecast on the lock screen, and even change the font of the clock for the first time. Some apps will be able to display custom widgets with information such as sports scores or how close your Uber is. Apple has also introduced several new lock screen wallpapers with images such as interactive planet Earth. Notifications are now displayed at the bottom of the screen instead of at the top.
Cancel sending and edit iMessages. The new version of iOS will include several major updates to the Messages app, which sends SMS texts (green bubbles) and iMessages (blue bubbles). When iMessaging with another Apple user, you’ll have 15 minutes to send or send an edit message. The other user will not receive a notification, but will see that the message has been edited or called. Users will also be able to mark texts as unread.
Better group text messaging with Android users. IPhone owners who send text messages to Android users may be familiar with how text messaging handles Apple’s backslides, thumbs up, down, or heart emojis that you can add to text. Right now you will see a text that states that the user liked or emphasized the text. In the new iOS, these reactions are attached to SMS messages in the same way as iMessage.
Plan emails for the future. The iPhone’s built-in Mail app also gets improvements, such as a more functional search feature, as well as the ability to schedule emails for some time in the future, such as tomorrow morning at 9 a.m.
Shared photos of Apple
Source: Apple
AI automatically sorts, edits, translates and shares photos. In the last few years, iPhones have had the ability to create photo albums based on locations or people. But now the app uses artificial intelligence to automatically share photos with up to six people based on who’s in the photo – such as children or family members. This means, for example, that you can set it up so that every time you take a picture of your child, your partner also gets the picture. Apple is also adding artificial intelligence features that can translate text into photos or videos that the user makes. The coolest AI feature is called Visual Look Up, which can cut a dog or person out of a photo and paste it into images or other applications as a sticker.
Apple iPhone keys in the wallet
Source: Apple
Short-term loans at Apple Wallet. Apple’s Wallet app, which includes keys, credit cards and other digital cards, continues to be a focus for Apple. Apple wants the Wallet app to replace everything that’s currently in your wallet, including cash and personal documents. This year, Apple introduced a feature to buy now, a payment later called Apple Pay Later. You can use it to make purchases wherever Apple Pay is accepted, and then pay off the balance in four payments in six weeks. Apple Wallet in iOS 16 will also make it easier to share digital car or home keys via messaging.
Apple Maps can add several stops to a route. Apple Maps receives an update that will allow you to add different stops to a route. So, if you are driving somewhere and planning to take someone on the road, you can add their house as the first stop on the way to your destination. This means that you do not have to enter one place and then enter another place later. This is ideal for planning a summer trip and is essential for people with electric cars who need to find chargers. Separately, next year Apple will unveil an updated version of its car software, CarPlay, which will take advantage of this card update and integrate more closely with the car’s built-in hardware.
More ways to control notifications. Based on last year’s Focus mode, Apple now allows users to have completely different wallpapers or app settings for different times of the day, such as when the user is at work or sleeping. Individual applications, including Calendar, Mail, and Messaging, now allow users to customize which notifications and content belong to each focus mode.
“Hey, Siri, hang up.” Siri will soon help you close FaceTime or make a phone call.
Apple’s Home app gets redesigned. Apple also said this week that it supports Matter, an open standard for smart home hardware such as locks, lights and blinds. It has also redesigned the Home app to better display things like multiple cameras in and around your house in an easy-to-watch view.
Medicines for Apple Watch
Source: Apple
Tracking medications and sleep in the health app. Apple’s health app now allows consumers to import their medications and how often they take them. Consumers can add drugs by simply taking a picture of the bottle, Apple said Monday. The app can even remind users when it’s time to take their medicine and warn them of potential interactions. In addition, Apple Watch owners will monitor their sleep and heart rate in the iPhone health app.
Safety check. A new feature called Safety Check allows users to quickly turn off all services and applications that are shared with the user’s family, such as location. Apple said the feature was designed in partnership with women’s groups and is specifically designed to facilitate the retention of personal data or the protection of personal data and security when leaving an abusive relationship.
Use your iPhone as a webcam. iPhone has an excellent camera with photo quality that can record in 4K or 8K. Wouldn’t it be better to dial a call in Zoom with this instead of with the lower quality camera on your laptop? With iOS 16 and the new version of macOS, users can now use their iPhone as a webcam in a feature called Continuity Camera, with the right laptop stand.
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