New features coming to iPhone this fall

Apple announced its biggest iPhone software update of the year this week.

The software, revealed Monday in Apple Worldwide Developer Conferenceincludes the biggest change to the look and feel of the iPhone lock screen since 2014 and improvements to commonly used apps like Messages, Mail, and Maps.

It will be available to everyone with iPhones released in 2017 or later. The oldest supported device is the iPhone 8. So if you want these features and still have that phone, it might be time to upgrade this fall.

iOS 16 is currently available to those with an Apple developer account. It will be released as a beta to the public next month and will roll out to everyone along with the new iPhones in September or October.

Here are some of the biggest changes you should be aware of:

Customizable lock screen. Users will be able to add smaller widgets with real-time data like the weather forecast on the lock screen and even change the font of the watch for the first time. Some apps will be able to display custom widgets with information like your Uber sports scores or distance. Apple is also introducing some new lock screen wallpapers that look like an interactive planet Earth. Notifications now appear at the bottom of the screen instead of at the top.

Open and edit iMessages. The new iOS version will include some major updates to the Messages app, which will send SMS messages (green bubbles) and iMessages (blue bubbles.) When texting iMessaging with people Using another Apple, you’ll have 15 minutes after sending the message to edit it or open it. Other users will not receive the notification but will see that the message has been edited or called back. Users will also be able to mark text as unread.

Group messaging is better for Android users. iPhone owners texting with Android users may already be familiar with the way SMS messages handle Apple’s response icons, thumbs up emojis, dislikes, or hearts. that you can add to the text. Right now, you should see a text notifying the user who has favorited or highlighted a text. In the new iOS, those reactions are attached to SMS messages just like iMessage.

Schedule emails for the future. The built-in Mail app on iPhone is also getting improvements, such as more functional search and the ability to schedule emails to be sent at a future time, such as 9 a.m. tomorrow.

AI automatically organizes, edits, translates and shares photos. The iPhone has had the ability to create photo albums based on location or people over the past few years. But now the app is using artificial intelligence to automatically share photos with up to six people based on who’s in the photo – like kids or family members. That means, for example, you can set it up so that every time you take a picture of your child, your partner gets it too. Apple is also adding artificial intelligence features that can translate text in a user’s photo or video. The coolest AI feature is called Visual Look Up, which can cut a dog or person from a photo and place it in pictures or other apps as stickers.

Short-term loans in Apple Wallet. Apple’s Wallet app, which holds keys, credit cards, and other digital cards, continues to be an area of ​​focus for Apple. Apple wants the Wallet app to replace everything currently in your wallet, including cash and ID. This year, Apple introduced a buy now, pay later feature called Apple Pay Later. You can use it to make purchases anywhere that accepts Apple Pay and then pay the balance through four payments over six weeks. Apple Wallet in iOS 16 will also make it easier to share car keys or digital house keys via texting.

Apple Maps can add multiple stops to a route. Apple Maps is getting an update that allows you to add different stops to a route. So if you’re driving somewhere and plan to pick up someone along the way, you can add their home as the first stop on the way to your destination. It means you don’t have to type in one place and then type in a second place. This is perfect for planning a summer road trip and essential for those with electric vehicles who need to find a charger. Separately, next year, Apple will unveil an updated version of its car software, CarPlay, that will take advantage of this maps update and integrate more closely with its built-in hardware. car.

More ways to control notifications. Building on last year Concentration mode, Apple now allows users to have completely different wallpapers or app settings for different times of the day, like when the user is working or sleeping. Individual apps including Calendar, Mail, and Messages now allow users to customize what notifications and content belongs to each Spotlight mode.

“Hey Siri, hang up.” Siri will soon help you end a FaceTime or phone call.

Apple’s Home app redesigned. This week, Apple also said it was supporting Matter, an open standard for smart home hardware like locks, lights, and blinds. It’s also redesigned the Home app to better show things like multiple cameras in and around your house in an easy-to-view side-by-side mode.

Track medications and sleep in the health app. Apple’s health app now allows users to enter their medications and how often they’ve taken them. Users can add pills by simply taking a picture of the bottle, Apple said Monday. The app can even remind users when it’s time to take their medication and alert them to potential interactions. Additionally, Apple Watch owners will have to track their sleep and heart rate in the iPhone health app.

Safety checking. A new feature called Safety Check allows users to quickly disable all services and apps that are being shared with the user’s family, such as location. Apple says the feature is designed in partnership with women’s groups and is specifically aimed at making it easier to keep private or protect personal data and safety when leaving a relationship. abuse.

Use your iPhone as a webcam. The iPhone has a great photo-quality camera that can shoot in 4K or 8K. Wouldn’t it be better if you dialed into a Zoom call instead of 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 a matching laptop stand.