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Skip CAPTCHAs using Private Access Tokens Live Activities should make it easier to follow sporting events, workouts or even the progress of an Uber ride. A new tool for developers called Live Activities makes it easier to stay on top of things happening in real time from your lock screen, instead of getting a series of interruptions. Sometimes you get a bunch of notifications in a row from one app, like the score of a basketball game. IOS 16 also aims to solve another notification problem. This not only looks better but should be a big help for one-handed use of your iPhone. As you receive them, instead of being compiled into a list, they appear like a vertical carousel. Sometimes notifications can cover up your lock screen's photo, so iOS 16 moves notifications to the bottom of your display. This is essentially a mini view of the real-time progress of a workout, sporting event or Uber ride from your iPhone's lock screen. IOS 16 adds a feature that developers can use called Live Activities. There's hope the iPhone 14 will have one. It's something nearly all Android phones have even the Apple Watch does. One feature we hoped to see Apple add was an always-on display. There's also a photo shuffle option that automatically changes the pictures on your lock screen. You can even set up multiple customized lock screens with different widgets and easily swipe to switch between them. You'll be able to choose how your lock screen looks, down to the font and color.
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Your iPhone will become more customizable in iOS 16. The widgets are akin to complications on the Apple Watch lock screen. You can also customize the fonts for the time and date, and add lock screen widgets like temperature, activity rings and a calendar. This feels a bit like Apple's take on Google's Material You, which launched with Android 12. Each style changes the color filter for the background photo and the font on the lock screen so everything complements each other. You can swipe to try out several different styles. iOS 16 brings the most substantial update to the iPhone's lock screen yet. One of the things you look at the most on your iPhone is the lock screen, especially if you have a Face ID-equipped iPhone.
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This could be an excellent tool for when you don't have time to respond to a message in the moment, but want to make sure you come back to it later. Last, you can mark messages and threads as unread. If you accidentally send an unfinished message, you can use the Undo Send tool to prevent it from being read and hopefully look less chaotic to your friends and family. Next, and this might be my favorite new feature, you can immediately recall a sent message. In Messages, you can edit previously sent messages. A tiny "edited" appears in the status under the message. So if you notice a typo after a message, you'll be able to edit the message after the fact. "Embarrassing typos are a thing of the past," Apple SVP of Software Engineering Craig Federighi said as he introduced three of the most requested features for the Messages app.įirst, in iOS 16 you'll be able to edit sent messages. What Apple Needs to Make the iPhone 14 Pro Max Worth It.Here's every iOS 16 feature you should know about. The new software will work on iPhone 8 models and newer. There are several lesser-known features lurking in iOS 16 that are worth checking out, too.įirst previewed at the company's annual WWDC keynote, iOS 16 should get a wide release alongside the heavily rumored iPhone 14. While the software is still in development and much can change between now and its public release, there's plenty of upgrades focused on communication, personalization and privacy, including changes to your iPhone's lock screen, Messages app and Wallet. You can still download the operating system and try out all its new features on a compatible iPhone ahead of its public release in the fall. Until now, the battery indicator has been absent on Face ID iPhones and you had to open Control Center to view how much juice your phone has left. If you have an iPhone with Face ID, this makes it easier to tell how much battery power remains: The remaining percentage is shown inside the battery symbol on the top right of the display. Apple released its latest public beta for iOS 16, and this version adds in a new battery percentage icon.
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