Apple has released a preview of the new version of the iPhone operating system, iOS 16, in June 2022. iOS 16 features redesigned, customizable lock screens with widgets, the ability to edit and delete messages, improved focus modes, a shared iCloud photo library for families, and major improvements to apps like Mail, Home, Wallet, and more.

The lock screen has been completely redesigned in iOS 16. The new lock screen design is highly customizable and offers a wide range of options for widgets, fonts, a layered effect for images, and animated wallpapers. Users can create several different lock screens that are associated with focus modes.

Notifications now scroll up from the bottom of the screen to be less intrusive. Live activities help users track current events, such as a workout or sports game, in real-time right from the lock screen. Focus modes have been improved with easier setup, focus filters, linking to custom lock screens and Apple Watch faces, and more configuration options.

iOS 16: The Complete Guide to the Next big iPhone Update

iOS 16: Release

We assume that iOS 16 will be released to the public in September 2022 after the annual iPhone event. But this is pure speculation; Apple has only said that it will be released in the fall so far. Last year, iOS 15 was released on Monday, September 20, 2021, so it's safe to assume that iOS 16 will be released on Monday, September 19, 2022, or some other time this week. 

The big release always happens in the fall, usually in September, when the new iPhone is released. In the weeks and months after that, other point releases (iOS 16.1, iOS 16.2, etc.) follow with bug fixes and additional features.

iOS 16: New features

iOS 16 isn't a huge upgrade, but it does include a lot of great new features that will make your iPhone feel like new this fall:

Lock Screen

This can now be heavily customized (changing colors and fonts, for example) and enhanced with widgets to keep track of the weather, your activity rings, or other information you need easy access to. And similar to the faces on the Apple Watch, you can create multiple lock screens, each with its own wallpaper and widgets, and easily switch between them.

Notifications

The way they are displayed has been revised: They now pop up from the bottom of the screen, which seems like a more logical way to display them. Apple also announced Live Activities, a new way to track sports games, Uber rides, workouts, and so on on the lock screen.

Messages

Apple has announced three big changes to Messages. You can 1) edit messages after sending them and 2) unsend and 3) mark any thread as unread. Less importantly, there are many new visual elements that let you customize your Memoji, including new hairstyles and headpieces, nose shapes, and poses.

Focus

The choice of the lock screen, widgets, and notification settings can now be tied to the focus mode. Apple suggests "a data-intensive lock screen if you're using work focus, or a photo lock screen if you're using personal focus." Swipe to a specific lock screen to enable the corresponding focus mode.

There are also focus filters now: for example, in Work Focus mode, you can view only Safari tabs related to a project you're working on, or filter out irrelevant messages in Messages and Mail.

Live Text and Visual Look Up

Live text now applies to both videos and still images. When you pause a video, the text becomes "live" for copying or translating. Apple says Live Text will also provide faster access to translation and currency conversion tools.

The related Visual Look Up feature, introduced in iOS 15, which uses AI to identify plants, animals, and landmarks in photos, is also getting an update. It can now recognize birds, insects, and statues. 

It can also use the same AI to recognize the edges of pictured objects and allow you to tap and hold them to lift them out of a photo and into other apps like Messages. Spot a cute dog in a photo? Then you can cut it out and put it in an iMessage for others to enjoy, too.

Mail

New tools include scheduled mailings and, very briefly, the ability to recall sent messages. Mail should detect forgotten attachments and warn the user. There are also new Remind Me Later and Follow Up features that alert the user when they or a recipient has not responded to an email.

iCloud Shared Photo Library

Apple calls this “The best way to share photos with your family,” and it’s certainly promising.

Once you’ve set up the shared library, everyone gets to see the same images, along with edits, captions, and keywords.

But the most interesting element could be the smart automation you can use to share photos based on when they were taken, who’s in them, or who’s nearby now.

Apple Pay

Apple announced two new ventures here: Apple Pay Later (a method of paying in four equal payments over six weeks, available initially in the US only) and Apple Pay Order Tracking (which provides receipts and order tracking information in Wallet for purchases made using Apple Pay).

Safety Check

With this important privacy feature, affected by domestic violence or similar issues, you can monitor who you have granted access to your permissions and revoke them easily. With this feature, you can reset privacy permissions for system apps and restrict messaging and FaceTime to the device you are currently using.

For a detailed overview of the new features coming to your iPhone this year, check out our guide to the top new features in iOS 16, and we've also rounded up the smaller features and changes that will make a big difference to how you use your iPhone.

Another new feature in iOS 16 is the ability to verify your device and account in the background without having to go through CAPTCHA options.

Updates expected in the future

Always-on display

Even before the iPhone 13 was unveiled, there were rumors that Apple would finally introduce an always-on display with the time, date, notifications, and other quick data at a glance. Obviously, it did not arrive with these phones, but perhaps those rumors about an always-on display feature being tested were actually about an iOS 16 feature.