Apple's official interpretation of the official version of iOS 16

Apple iOS 16 was officially released today. iOS 16 brings the biggest update to the lock screen to date, enabling editing and collaboration in the Messages app, new tools in the Mail app, and more new ways to interact with photos and videos, including live text and image queries. iOS 16 is released as a free software update starting today.

A more personalized, beautiful, and useful lock screen

The lock screen has been redesigned for deeper personalization. Users can now add depth-of-field effects to their lock screen photos, present the subject of the photo in front of the time in an aesthetically pleasing way, and even customize the font and style. New widgets for the lock screen make it easy for users to see key information such as recent calendar events, battery level, notifications, time zone, Activity Ring progress, and more at a glance.

The redesigned lock screen has a new depth of field effect, which can beautifully display the subject before the time is displayed, and can use rich fonts and colors to customize the appearance of the date and time, and there are more widgets to make key information clear at a glance.

The new lock screen gallery offers a range of options. Users can choose a smartly recommended lock screen-friendly photo from their personal gallery, or select a set of photos to rotate through the day. Apple's collection of wallpapers, including Apple's signature beautiful wallpapers; rainbow and unity wallpapers; weather wallpapers with real-time weather conditions throughout the day; and astronomical wallpapers with views of the Earth, moon, and solar system. Users can also create unique designs with their favorite emoji and color combinations. Set up multiple lock screens, and users can switch between favorite settings with just a swipe.

Notification reminders have been redesigned to pop up from the bottom for better visibility on the lock screen. Users can also choose to view notifications in a list, stack, or count.

In iOS 16, focus settings are more streamlined and can be connected directly to the lock screen. Simply swipe to the designated lock screen to activate the corresponding focus option, which is more powerful than ever. With focus filters in place, apps such as Calendar, Mail, Messaging, and Safari can help them find a better balance by showing only content relevant to a user's focus mode.

Users can now associate focus mode on their lock screen, and can easily switch to a designated lock screen to activate the corresponding focus option.

A new way of interacting in messaging apps

Updates to the Messaging app can edit, retract, and mark conversations as unread, making it easier to stay connected. In iOS 16, users can now invite friends and family to simulcast in the Messages app, enjoy a new way to simultaneously enjoy content such as movies or songs, and share playback controls. Additionally, the messaging app's new collaboration features allow users to collaborate quickly and seamlessly with others. Everyone in the conversation thread is automatically added when a User chooses to collaborate via the messaging app sharing a file. Activity updates appear at the top of the conversation thread when someone edits the shared file.

Users can now schedule emails in advance or withdraw them before delivery. Users can set up reminders later to automatically follow up when no reply is received, or to receive automatic reminders when they forget to add recipients or email attachments. Major updates to the search function in recent years have allowed the Mail app to provide more relevant, accurate, and complete search results with state-of-the-art technology.

The Mail app brings a major overhaul of search functionality, delivering more relevant, accurate and complete results.

Live text upgrade

Users can now tap and hold the body of an image to remove it from the background and place it in apps such as Messages.

Users can now hold down the body of an image, take it out of the background, and place it in apps like Messages.

Leveraging on-device intelligence, Live Text now recognizes the text of all videos in the system. Users can pause the video at any frame, interact with the text and choose quick actions such as copy-paste, translate, convert currency, and more.

Live Text allows users to quickly translate text, convert currencies, and more.

Browse more securely in Safari with a passkey

Browsing in Safari is even more secure with passkeys, a next-generation credential that cannot be phished or leaked, making it more secure and easier to use. Passkeys are designed to replace passwords, enable end-to-end encryption through biometric authentication using Touch ID or Face ID, and can be synced across iPhone, iPad, and Mac with iCloud Keychain. As a collaborative effort with the FIDO Alliance, Google and Microsoft, the passkey will work across apps and websites, allowing users to log in to websites or apps on non-Apple devices using just their iPhone.

Safari also adds shared tab groups to share websites in bulk with friends and family, making adding tabs smoother and making it easy to see what others are viewing.

Shared tab groups allow users to bulk share sites with friends and family.

New accessibility features help you navigate, connect, and more

Accessibility features include: Door Detection, which helps visually impaired or low vision users navigate to the last meter of their destination using their iPhone; Apple Watch Mirroring, which allows users with physical and motor impairments to mirror their Apple Watch display to the iPhone, as well as Control your Apple Watch with voice controls and switches.

Door detection is a powerful feature for users who are blind or have low vision, helping them navigate the final steps to the finish line.

Other functions

• Apple Pay Order Tracking enables users to receive detailed receipt and order tracking information in the Wallet app when shopping at merchants that support Apple Pay.
• Updates to Apple Maps allow users to further explore the world with optimized driving and traffic navigation, as well as setting up multi-stop routes. Easily create multi-stop routes while driving, and automatically sync routes from your Mac to your iPhone when you're ready to go. Users can add the transportation card to the wallet in the map app to check the balance at any time, and directly recharge when the balance is insufficient.
• Family Sharing makes it easier and easier to set up accounts for kids, with the right parental controls right from the start. It offers a variety of suggestions, including appropriate age restrictions for apps, movies, books, music, and more, and makes the process of setting up a new device for a child easier, automatically applying existing parental controls in the process. When a child asks for more screen time, parents and guardians can now approve or deny it directly in the Messaging app. The new family checklist offers helpful tips and advice, such as updating parental controls as kids get older, or turning on location sharing.
• Dictation brings a new device experience, allowing users to smoothly switch between voice and touch. While dictating, users can type directly with the keyboard, tap text areas, move the cursor, and insert quick input suggestions, all without terminating dictation. Additionally, Dictation automatically adds punctuation and emojis.
• Siri can now run shortcuts as soon as an app is downloaded, with no additional setup required. Users can add emojis when asking Siri to send a message, send a message without confirmation, and use voice commands to hang up a phone or FaceTime call by saying "Hey Siri, hang up."
• The redesigned Home app makes it easier to browse, manage and view your accessories list.
• The Fitness app is now available to all iPhone users to help track fitness progress and achieve goals, even without an Apple Watch. On the iPhone, users can set personal activity goals, check their own trends, and share activities for more motivation. The iPhone's motion sensor tracks steps, distance, and steps to estimate calories burned during exercise. Workouts done in third-party apps can also close the user's "activity" ring. The new fitness app also adds an “activity” ring progress to the lock screen widget, showing steps and distance at a glance.
• The Health app adds a 'Medications' feature that allows users to easily build and manage medication lists, create schedules and reminders, and track medication, vitamin, or supplement usage. Users can now also send invitations to share health data directly to friends and family within the Health app.
• The Game Center dashboard has been redesigned to make it easy for users to play or compete with friends, visually displaying friends' gaming activity and achievements.
• Personalized spatial audio for a more precise and immersive listening experience. Users can use the TrueDepth camera on iPhone to create personal spatial audio profiles and enjoy a listening experience tailored just for them.
• Safety Checkup is a new personal privacy tool that can help users whose personal safety is threatened by domestic violence or intimate partner violence. It allows users to quickly view and remove any access rights that have been granted to others, and also includes an emergency reset feature that allows users to easily log out of iCloud on all their other devices and reset privacy permissions, thus limiting information entirely to the device in their hands superior. Users can also view and manage who they have given access to and which apps.

Users can plan up to 15 stops in advance using multi-stop routing in the Apple Maps app.

Launch time

iOS 16 is rolling out today as a free software update for iPhone 8 and later. In an update later this year, Apple will introduce the iCloud Shared Library, a new way for families to seamlessly share photos through a separate iCloud library, allowing up to six users to collaborate, publish, and experience. Real-time activity will make it easier to see what's going on from a lock screen like a sports game, carpool ride, or meal order progress. An update later this fall will also add support for the Matter smart home connectivity standard.