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Apple in June 2022 previewed the new version of the iPhone's operating system, iOS 16. iOS 16 introduces redesigned, customizable Lock Screens with widgets, the ability to edit and delete messages, improved Focus modes, an iCloud Shared Photos Library for families, major improvements for apps like Mail, Home, and Wallet, and much more.

The Lock Screen is fully redesigned in iOS 16. The new Lock Screen design is highly customizable with a wide range of options for widgets, typefaces, a multilayered effect for images, and animated wallpapers. Users can create multiple different Lock Screens linked to Focus modes.

Notifications now roll up from the bottom of the screen to be less invasive. Live Activities help users keep track of current events, such as a workout or a sports game, in real-time directly from the Lock Screen. Focus modes are improved with easier setup, Focus filters, linking to individual Lock Screens and Apple Watch faces, and more configuration options.

There are significant updates to the Messages app with the ability to edit or delete messages, mark messages as unread, and start a SharePlay session. Users can now seamlessly hand off FaceTime calls to other devices and an all-new Freeform app provides a platform for collaboration on a digital whiteboard.

In the Mail app, Search has been completely overhauled and there are new features to schedule emails, cancel delivery, and receive follow-up reminders.

The Health app adds new features for Medications and the Fitness app is now available to users that do not have an Apple Watch. The Home app is also fully redesigned and re-engineered, while Safari now features passkeys and Shared Tab Groups.

Notes and Reminders offer new sorting options, the Maps app gains multi-stop routing and enhanced integration with transit cards, and the News app contains dedicated sports features. iCloud Shared Photo Library provides a convenient way to share a collection of photos with family members, along with improvements to photo editing, albums, and Memories.

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Apple Pay Later is a new way to pay for Apple Pay purchases in fee-free installments, while the Wallet app features new capabilities to track deliveries and purchases, verify using digital ID, and share digital key cards. There are also major improvements to Live Text, Visual Look Up, Dictation, Siri shortcuts, Spatial Audio, and more.

iOS 16 is compatible with the iPhone 8 and later. A beta version of the update is currently available to developers, and a public beta will become available in July. iOS 16 will be released officially in the fall, likely in September.

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iOS 16 is currently undergoing beta testing to give Apple time to perfect the update and address any bugs, as well as allow developers to prepare their apps. iOS 16 is available to developers with compatible devices now and a public beta will become available in July.

The update will not be widely available until later this year. When it is officially released in the fall, likely in September, it will be possible to simply update to iOS 16 on any compatible iPhone in the Software Update section of the Settings app.

Questions or issues can be directed to our iOS 16 forum where MacRumors readers are discussing the release.

Apple has seeded two beta versions of iOS 16 to developers. The first public beta version is not yet available.

Developer beta two added the ability to back up to iCloud using LTE, junk SMS message reporting for some U.S. carriers, improved wallpaper customization, a location dot in the Astronomy wallpaper, a "Save to Quick Note" option when saving a screenshot, easier deletion of custom Lock Screens, new HealthKit APIs, and more.

iOS 16 brings a completely redesigned Lock Screen to the iPhone, with widgets, options for customization, a new location and animation for notifications, and a new system for real-time "Live Activities."

In iOS 16, users can create multiple customized Lock Screens according to their preferences and easily switch between them by holding down and swiping.

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Users can choose a new multilayered effect for wallpapers so that the subject is set in front of the time and change the look of the date and type with a range of type styles and color options. A new gallery displays suggestions to create custom Lock Screens, with wallpapers for live weather conditions, animated views of the Earth, moon, and solar system, emojis, unique backdrops, image suggestions, and more.

The Lock Screen now features widgets inspired by Apple Watch complications, providing information at a glance about upcoming calendar events, the weather, battery levels, alarms, time zones, and Activity ring progress. Developers can create widgets for their own apps using the WidgetKit API.

Notifications are redesigned in iOS 16 to roll up from the bottom of the screen, ensuring that users have a clear view of their personalized Lock Screen while being able to easily glance at notifications as they arrive. There are options to view notifications on the Lock Screen in an expanded list view, stacked view, or count view, and a pinch allows users to change the layout in context.

Live Activities is a new feature that helps users keep track of things that are happening in real-time, such as a sports game, workout, ride-share, or food delivery order, directly from the Lock Screen. Live Activities take the form of a card at the bottom of the Lock Screen that persists for as long as the activity occurs.

Focus modes were introduced with iOS 15 last year and have been expanded and refined in iOS 16, iPadOS 16, watchOS 9, and macOS Ventura. Accompanying the redesigned customizable Lock Screen in iOS 16, each Focus mode now has a linked Lock Screen. In addition to all of the pre-existing ways to activate a Focus mode, such as in Control Center or via automations, iPhone users can now swipe between Lock Screens to enable a corresponding Focus.

iOS 16 suggests Home Screen and Lock Screen configurations with relevant apps, wallpapers, and widgets when setting up a Focus mode, and users can directly tie an Apple Watch face to a specific Focus. The process of setting up Focus modes has also been improved with a personalized setup experience for each option.

One of the biggest additions to Focuses in iOS 16 is Focus filters. Focus filters allow users to set boundaries within apps like Calendar, Mail, Messages, and Safari to only display relevant content, such as a particular Tab Group in Safari, set of calendars in the Calendar app, or email accounts in Mail. With a new Focus filter API, developers can build this functionality into their apps and change content based on a user's current Focus.

There are also more configurable options inside Focus modes, with a new ability to silence notifications from apps and people, effectively adding the ability to exclude notifications rather than only allow them as is the case in iOS 15.

In iOS 16, users can edit or recall a recently sent message up to 15 minutes after sending it, recover recently deleted messages for up to 30 days, and mark conversations as unread to come back to them later.

When mentioning a contact in the Messages app, mention suggestions now include a contact image in the Quick Tap bar. Apple has also redesigned the voice messaging experience with a separate Messages app.

Collaboration invitations make it easier to work on a shared project in Messages, allowing everyone in a thread to be automatically added to a document, spreadsheet, or project and see any edits with activity updates at the top of a Messages thread. The feature is compatible with Files, Keynote, Numbers, Pages, Notes, Reminders, and Safari, as well as third-party apps thanks to a Messages Collaboration API.

iOS 16 brings SharePlay to Messages, making it possible to enjoy synced content like movies or songs and shared playback controls while chatting in the Messages app. Moreover, a new Shared with You API allows developers to build a Shared with You section into third-party apps.

FaceTime can now seamlessly hand off calls from the iPhone to a Mac or iPad, and vice versa. When calls are handed off, connected Bluetooth headsets also transition to the new device simultaneously.

Live Captions in FaceTime allow users to see automatically transcribed dialogue in FaceTime calls with speaker attribution to easily follow along with group conversations.

SharePlay app discovery allows users to see which of their apps support SharePlay and open them from the FaceTime controls. Users can also tap the Share button during an active FaceTime call to start collaborating with others on the call in Files, Keynote, Numbers, Pages, Notes, Reminders, Safari, and supported third-party apps.

Freeform is a new app that offers a flexible canvas for diagramming new projects, aggregating assets, or brainstorming. Users can write or draw anywhere on the canvas and select and move text or drawings around as needed. With rich multimedia support, users can embed images, video, audio, PDFs, documents, and web links, all with inline previews.

With real-time collaboration, users can view others' contributions as they add content and make edits. Freeform leverages the Messages Collaboration API to see updates from collaborators in Messages conversations and users can initiate a FaceTime call directly from Freeform.

Users can now schedule emails ahead of time and have up to ten seconds to cancel the delivery of a message before it reaches a recipient's inbox. Mail can detect if a user forgot to include an important part of their message, such as an attachment, and there are options to resurface a message at any date and time with Remind Later. Follow Up suggestions automatically remind users to follow up on an email if they have not received a response, and add context and detail with rich links.

The Mail app also receives a significant overhaul to search in iOS 16 using advanced techniques to deliver more relevant, accurate, and complete results. Users see recent emails, contacts, documents, and links the moment they begin to search for emails. Search results are also improved by automatically correcting typos and using synonyms for search terms.

Portrait mode lets you blur objects in the foreground of a photo for a more realistic-looking depth-of-field effect on the iPhone 13 models. When recording videos in Cinematic mode on the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro, the depth-of-field effect is more accurate for profile angles and around the edges of hair and glasses.

The Photos app now features duplicate detection to identify duplicate photos in albums to help quickly clean up libraries. Users can copy the edits made to a photo and paste them onto another photo or a batch of photos, and it is possible to undo and redo multiple edit steps.

The Hidden and Recently Deleted albums are locked by default and can be unlocked using Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode, and people in the People album can be sorted alphabetically.

When a video is playing in a Memory, users can tap to restart the video and play it from the beginning while the music continues to play. There are also new memory types for This Day in History and children playing, and the ability to disable Memories and Featured Photos from appearing in Photos and in the Photos widget.

iCloud Shared Photo Library provides a way for up to six family members to share photos together in a separate iCloud library. Every user in the Shared Photo Library has access to add, delete, edit, or favorite the shared photos or videos, which will appear in each user's Memories and Featured Photos.

Users can use smart setup rules to choose to share existing photos from their personal libraries, or share based on a start date or simply the people in the photos. Users can also choose to send photos to the Shared Library automatically using a new toggle in the Camera app and intelligent suggestions in the Photos app encourage users to share photos that include participants to the Shared Photo Library.

Apple Pay Order Tracking provides a way for users to receive detailed receipts and order tracking information directly in the Wallet app for Apple Pay purchases with participating merchants.

Keys and IDs in the Wallet app get expanded support in iOS 16. Users can use their ID in Wallet for apps requiring identity and age verification. Only the necessary information required for the transaction is provided to the app for maximum security and privacy, and the user can review and consent to share it using Face ID or Touch ID.

Additionally, users can securely share their home, hotel, office, and car keys in Wallet through messaging apps, including Messages, Mail, WhatsApp, and more. Key permissions can easily be managed in the Wallet app.

Users in the U.S. can use Apple Pay Later to split the cost of an Apple Pay purchase into four equal payments spread over six weeks, with zero interest and no fees. Apple Pay Later is built into the Wallet app, where users can easily track and repay Apple Pay Later payments. Users can apply for Apple Pay Later when they are checking out with Apple Pay, or in the Wallet app. Apple Pay Later is available everywhere Apple Pay is accepted online or in-app, using the Mastercard network.

The Home app in iOS 16 makes it easier for users to navigate, organize, view, and control their accessories, and enhancements to the underlying architecture offer users more efficient and reliable control of their smart home, especially for homes with many smart accessories.

Users can see their entire home at a glance in the redesigned Home tab. Rooms and favorite accessories are integrated into the app's main tab, providing easier access to the most-used accessories. Categories for Lights, Climate, Security, Speakers and TVs, and Water give quick access to all the relevant accessories organized by room, along with more detailed status information.

Up to four camera views are displayed front and center in the Home tab, and additional camera views are available by swiping. Accessory tiles have been redesigned so the different accessories are more visually recognizable through shape and color. Accessories can be controlled directly from their tiles by tapping the tile's icon, or you can tap the accessory name for more detailed controls. New widgets on the iPhone Lock Screen let you see the status of your home and quickly access your favorite accessories right from the Lock Screen.

A later software update to iOS 16 will bring support for the Matter smart home connectivity standard once it becomes available later this fall, enabling a wide variety of accessories to work together seamlessly across platforms. Matter will allow users to choose from even more compatible smart home accessories and control them with the Home app and Siri on Apple devices.

The Health app adds Medications, allowing users to conveniently build and manage a medications list, create schedules and reminders, and log and track their medications, vitamins, or supplements with custom visuals. Interactive charts help users understand when they've taken their medications and give insight into medication adherence.

In the U.S., users can simply point their iPhone camera at a label to add a medication and read about it. Educational content about medications provides additional context, including how to pronounce its name, what the medication is used for, how it works, and any potential side effects. The Health app can also deliver notifications if a medication has a critical interaction with any other medication that a user adds. Users can review critical, serious, and moderate interactions in the Health app.

In addition, users can share their Health data with loved ones, and easily create a PDF of available health records from connected health institutions, right from the Health app.

In iOS 16, the Fitness app is available to all iPhone users, even if they don't use an Apple Watch. iPhone users can set up a daily Move goal in the Fitness app and see how their active calories help to close their Move ring. The iPhone's motion sensors can track steps, distance, flights climbed, and workouts from third-party apps, which can be converted into an estimation of active calories to contribute to users' daily Move goal. Users can also share their Move ring with friends for additional motivation.

Both Notes and Reminders gain moderate updates in iOS 16, including the ability to choose whether to filter for any or all of the criteria in a Smart Folder, Custom Smart List, or the Tag Browser.

With iOS 16, Quick Note comes to the iPhone, with the ability to create a Quick Note in any app from the share menu or Control Center. Locked notes can now be encrypted with the iPhone's password and notes can be shared more simply via a link.

Notes are grouped by chronological categories like Today and Yesterday for easy reference in the list and gallery views. Enhanced Smart Folders allow users to automatically organize notes based on powerful new filters, including rules for Date Created, Date Modified, Shared, Mentions, Checklists, Attachments, Folder, Quick Notes, Pinned Notes, and Locked notes.

Reminders now features pinned lists to help users get to their favorite lists more quickly. Time- and date-based grouping makes it easier to view and add reminders. The Today list is now grouped by Morning, Afternoon, and Tonight to help divide the day. The Scheduled list has new week and month groups to help with long-term organization. Improved list groups allow users to tap a group to see a combined view of the lists and reminders it contains, and a new completed section provides detail on when tasks were completed.

Users can add richer notes to reminders with bullets and underline, bold, or strike through text. Templates allow users to save a list to reuse it. Templates can be shared and downloaded via a link. Reminders also now features the ability to get notifications when tasks are added to or completed in shared lists.

Apple News introduces a new "My Sports" section to easily follow favorite teams and leagues, receive stories from hundreds of top publishers, access scores, schedules, and standings for the top professional and college leagues, watch highlights in the News app, and follow along with Live Activities.

Users can get more in-depth coverage from local city and top newspapers with home pages. Local news is now available in more markets, and users can find local stories in Top Stories and the Today widget. It is quicker to access preferred channels and topics with a customizable Favorites group in the Today feed.

Apple Maps now features multi-stop routing, allowing users to plan up to 15 stops in advance and automatically sync routes from a Mac to an iPhone. Maps also gains transit updates, making it easy for riders to view how much their journey will cost, add transit cards to Wallet, see low balances, and replenish transit cards, all without leaving the Maps app.

iOS 16 offers start pages for Safari Tab Groups with customizable background images, favorites, and pinned tabs. Safari also gains Shared Tab Groups to share a collection of websites with friends and family, making it easy to add tabs and see what others are viewing.

There are new web extension APIs for developers and extensions now sync between Apple devices, along with preferences for specific websites. iOS 16 also adds support for translating text in web pages images using Live Text. Users can edit strong passwords suggested by Safari to adjust for a site's specific requirements. Support for web-push notifications is coming in 2023.

Signing into apps or accounts in Safari is safer with passkeys, unique digital keys that are easy to use and stay on-device for maximum security. Designed to replace passwords, passkeys use Touch ID or Face ID for biometric verification, and iCloud Keychain to sync across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV with end-to-end encryption. Sign in to websites or apps on other devices, including non-Apple devices, with a saved passkey by scanning the QR code and using Face ID or Touch ID to authenticate.

They work across apps and the web, and users can sign in to websites or an app on non-Apple devices using just their iPhone. Passkeys never leave the device and are specific to the site they are created for, making it almost impossible for them to be phished. The private key is never kept on a web server, avoiding worries about website leaks compromising accounts.

iOS 16 introduces support for bypassing CAPTCHAs in supported apps and websites. Apple's system verifies that the device and Apple ID account are in good standing and presents what is called a Private Access Token to the app or website. This new system will offer a better user experience for tasks such as signing into or creating an account, with improved user privacy and accessibility compared to CAPTCHAs.

Live Text can now recognise text in video as well as images. Users can pause a video on any frame and interact with text, using functions like copy and paste. Data detected in photos and videos is actionable with a single tap, such as the ability to track flights or shipments, translate foreign languages, convert currencies, and more.

Visual Look Up takes photos further by introducing a new feature that allows users to tap and hold on the subject of an image to isolate it from the background and drag it across to apps like Messages. Visual Look Up also expands to recognize birds, insects, and statues.

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In iOS 16, Siri can run shortcuts as soon as an app is downloaded without requiring setup. Users can easily add emoji when sending a message, choose to send messages automatically, skip the confirmation step, and hang up phone and FaceTime calls hands-free by simply saying "Hey Siri, hang up." Users can discover Siri capabilities in iOS 16 and apps by asking "Hey Siri, what can I do here?," as well as inquire about specific apps. Siri processes more types of requests offline without an internet connection in iOS 16, including Home Control (HomeKit), Intercom, and Voicemail.

Dictation offers a new experience that allows users to fluidly move between voice and touch. Users can type with the keyboard, tap in the text field, move the cursor, and insert QuickType suggestions, with no need to stop Dictation. Dictation also now features automatic punctuation and emoji dictation. In Messages, the Dictation icon is now available in the text entry field, and dictation is easy to stop by tapping the new cursor popover.

iOS 16 dropped support for a large number of older devices that were supported by iOS 13, iOS 14, and iOS 15, including the original iPhone SE, iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, and the iPod touch. iOS 16 is compatible with all iPhones models since 2017. See the compatible devices listed below:

Following the beta testing period, Apple is expected to officially release iOS 16 in the fall, likely in September just prior to the launch of the next iPhone lineup.

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