Update: iOS 16 lock screen – 5 surprising things that Apple just revealed.
If you’ve been hoping for big changes to iOS 16 – Apple’s next software update for the iPhone – then the rumors surrounding Apple’s WWDC 2022 plans suggest that you might be in luck.
We’re sure we’ll get a preview of iOS 16, the next big update to the iPhone’s software coming later this year. This update should do more than just make a few tweaks here and there – Apple watchers are expecting some significant changes to the iOS software that include everything. from enhanced existing features to new applications and capabilities.
According to rumors ahead of today’s WWDC 2022 keynote (Monday, June 6), iOS 16 will look like iOS 15. But some big additions could be coming to your iPhone this fall when The full version of iOS 16 is expected to be released.
We’ll know all of the new iOS 16 features by the end of the WWDC 2022 keynote, which gets underway at 1pm ET / 10am PT / 6pm BST. We’ve got instructions on how to watch the WWDC 2022 live stream and our WWDC 2022 live blog is also live now to keep up to date with the latest news. For now, let’s focus on the expected features of iOS 16.
Change lock screen iOS 16
The iPhone’s lock screen is pretty simple, with just the date and time as well as any notifications that come through. You can change the wallpaper for your lock screen, choose from the options provided by Apple, or even choose one of your own photos. But that’s about it.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman expects that to change with iOS 16, reporting that the lock screen is getting new wallpapers that offer widget-like capabilities.
Two years ago, Apple added the ability to place widgets on your iPhone’s home screen, and they provide quick information like current weather conditions, upcoming appointments, music playback controls, and more. again. Presumably, lock screen widgets would provide similar functionality, eliminating the need to unlock your iPhone to access related information.
This rumored lock screen change will presumably set the stage for Apple to add support for always-on visibility, something Android phones have offered for years. iPhone 14 rumors suggest that Apple’s new iPhone 14 Pro phones will have an always-on display when they launch this fall. It’s possible that Apple confirms that possibility at WWDC 2022 while previewing iOS 16, but most likely, the company will pause to say anything about its new iPhone-related iOS 16 features until they’re ready. willing to publish those devices.
iOS 16 Notification Improvements
It seems that tweaking notifications has now become an annual tradition with Apple’s iOS updates. iOS 12 has grouped notifications by app and gives you the ability to mute particularly annoying apps. iOS 14 shrinks the size of notification windows for Siri and incoming phone calls, while iOS 15 collects notifications into a twice-daily summary to help keep you from feeling bombarded.
The iOS 16 rumors suggest that Apple hasn’t finished making changes to the way you manage notifications. So what’s left to change after previous overhauls? A lot, if you ask my colleague Jordan Palmer, who wants to see more actions attached to notifications in iOS 16 – delete emails, mark everything as read and the like. Apple could also improve the way notifications are grouped and how you clear them. All of those sound like good changes to me.
We won’t know specifically what Apple has planned until iOS 16’s turn during Monday’s WWDC keynote. But it seems that the announcements are on the mind of Apple with this version of the iPhone software.
The ability to track the status of iOS 16
Apple loves to spend parts of its keynotes and product launches detailing the many ways their devices can track your health. And I wouldn’t bet that will happen again at WWDC 2022, especially since it’s related to iOS 16. In fact, Gurman predicts some new features for the iPhone’s Health app are likely. integration with similar features on Apple Watch.
In addition to iOS 16, Apple will likely preview watchOS 9 at WWDC, so we can expect to find more ways your phone and smartwatch can work together to track stats. Health and exercise can even alert you to early warning signs you might want to ask your doctor about.
iOS 16 Messages Update
Health isn’t the only app introduced to refresh. Messages is also rumored to add new features – hardly surprising since it’s one of the most used built-in apps on the iPhone. Previous iOS updates have paid a lot of attention to Messages, so it’s unlikely that iOS 16 will ignore it.
Gurman suggests that Messages could add capabilities around the mirroring, audio messaging feature found on other social networking apps. You can already record audio messages from within Messages and send them to recipients in the current version of iOS, so perhaps the feature gets enhanced features in the iOS 16 update.
iOS 16’s AR/VR Features
It’s no secret that Apple is interested in mixed reality, reportedly developing an Apple AR/VR headset (for 2023) along with an actual operating system to run on the device.
Reports claim that we won’t see Apple headsets at WWDC, but we can learn more about Apple’s plans to get more AR-friendly apps by making it available to app makers Use an iPhone with an updated version of ARKit. Those are tools that developers can use to add augmented reality features to their apps.
iOS 16 new apps
An earlier report on iOS 16 had Gurman hinting that “new Apple apps” would arrive on iOS 16. No follow-up hints as to what those apps might be, though I’m happy to include offers several new iOS 16 app proposals, such as a dedicated app for managing subscriptions and a recipe organizer.
The truth is, we’re unlikely to hear of new apps before WWDC, with full details of what Apple has planned to come out only after the iOS 16 preview during the developer conference. Luckily, we didn’t have much time to wait.
