these features are coming to your iPhone
With iOS 16.1, Apple will soon release a major interim update for the iPhone. The fifth test version (beta) has now been released. What innovations can we expect in the future?
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iOS 16.1 beta 5
The iOS 16.1 beta 5 is available to developers and public testers alike. Apple also released the sixth beta of iPadOS 16.1. This is the first version of the new iPad operating system. Version 16.0 skips Apple due to a delay.
Live Activities
iOS 16.1 is a relatively large interim update, with several new features. The most interesting is ‘Live Activities’. With that, you can see the progress of ongoing activities on the iPhone lock screen.
Sports apps can use the feature to display live scores in real time on the lock screen. A parcel service can use Live Activities to show the estimated time of arrival. And if you are working out, you will also see the information on the access screen.
With the latest iPhone 14 Pro models, Live Activities is integrated into the Dynamic Island. This way you can see the information even while you’re using the iPhone and have other apps open. Live activities are also shown on the lock screen in Always-on mode.
Battery percentage
With iOS 16, some iPhones have the option to show the battery percentage in the status bar. Confusingly, the battery icon remains visually full no matter how low the battery percentage is. With iOS 16.1, Apple changes this, because the icon corresponds to the percentage.
Also, iOS 16.1 brings battery percentage to more iPhones, including the iPhone XR, iPhone 12 mini, and iPhone 13 mini.
Other innovations
In addition, there are several smaller innovations in iOS 16.1:
- There will be an option to run downloaded apps in the background before you open them for the first time. This makes it possible to use a downloaded app faster.
- iOS 16.1 supports Matter, allowing you to use more smart home devices with HomeKit.
- You can uninstall the Wallet app for the first time.
- Changing your home screen background becomes easier: when you change the wallpaper, you immediately get the choice between the lock screen or home screen.
iOS 16.1 is expected to be released at the end of this month. Want to know more about the innovations in iOS 16? Check the following articles:
