New features coming to iPhones this fall

Apple This week we announced the biggest iPhone software update of the year.

Software revealed on Monday Apple’s Worldwide Developer ConferenceIncludes the biggest changes to the iPhone lock screen appearance since 2014 and improvements to commonly used apps such as messages, email, and maps.

Anyone with an iPhone released after 2017 can use it. The oldest supported device is the iPhone 8. Therefore, if you need these features but are using the phone, it may be time to upgrade this fall.

iOS 16 is available to those with an Apple developer account. It will be released in beta next month and will be released to everyone in September or October with the new iPhone.

The biggest changes you should be aware of are:

Customizable lock screen. Users can add small widgets or change the clock font for the first time using real-time data such as lock screen weather forecasts. Some apps can display customized widgets that include information such as sports scores and Uber proximity. Apple has also introduced some new lock screen wallpapers with interactive planet Earth-like images. Notifications are now displayed at the bottom of the screen instead of at the top.

Unsend and edit iMessage. The new version of iOS includes several major updates to the messaging app that send SMS texts (green bubbles) and iMessages (blue bubbles). When iMessaging with another Apple user, it takes 15 minutes after sending a message to one of the edits. Or unsend it. Other users will not receive the notification, but you will know that the message has been edited or canceled. Users can also mark the text as unread.

Better group text messages with Android users. Android users and iPhone owners sending text messages are familiar with Apple’s tapback, how small thumbs can be added to text, thumbs down, or heart emojis. It may be. You will now see text that tells you that the user likes or emphasizes the text. On the new iOS, these reactions are attached to SMS messages in the same way as iMessage.

Schedule future emails. The email app built into the iPhone has also been improved to include a more functional search feature and the ability to schedule emails to be sent at some time in the future, such as tomorrow at 9am.

AI will automatically sort, edit, translate and share your photos. The iPhone has had the ability to create photo albums based on location and people for the past few years. But now, the app uses artificial intelligence to automatically share photos with up to 6 people based on the person in the photo (children, family, etc.). So, for example, you can set your partner to take a picture every time you take a picture of your child. Apple has also added artificial intelligence capabilities that can translate the text of photos and videos taken by users. The coolest AI feature is called Visual Lookup, which allows you to cut a dog or person from a photo and place it as a sticker on an image or other app.

Short-term loan for Apple Wallet. Apple’s Wallet app, which holds keys, credit cards, and other digital passes, continues to be Apple’s focus. Apple wants the Wallet app to replace everything currently in the wallet, including cash and IDs. This year, Apple introduced a feature called Apple Pay Later that you can buy now and pay later. You can use it to buy anywhere Apple Pay is accepted and pay your balance in four payments in six weeks. Apple Wallet on iOS16 makes it easy to share digital cars and home keys through messaging.

Apple Maps can add multiple stops to a route. Apple Maps has an update that allows you to add different stops to your route. So if you’re driving somewhere and plan to pick someone up on the way, you can add that house as the first stop on your way to your destination. That is, you don’t have to type in one place and later in the second place. This is great for planning summer road trips and is essential for anyone with an electric car who needs to look for a charger. Separately, next year, Apple will announce CarPlay, an updated version of the car’s software that will take advantage of this map update to better integrate with the car’s embedded hardware.

Other ways to control notifications. last year’s Focus mode, Apple now allows users to use completely different wallpaper and app setups at different times of the day, such as at work or sleeping. In individual apps such as calendars, emails, and messages, users can now customize the notifications and content that belong to each focus mode.

“Hey Siri, hang up” Siri will soon help you with FaceTime and hang up.

Apple’s home app has been redesigned. Apple also said this week that it supports Matter, an open standard for smart home hardware such as locks, lights and blinds. We’ve also redesigned the Home app to better view multiple cameras in and around the house in easy-to-see side-by-side mode.

Dosing and sleep tracking in the health app. Apple’s Health app now allows users to enter medications and how often they take them. Apple said on Monday that users could add medicine simply by taking a picture of the bottle. The app can also notify users when it’s time to take medicines and warn about potential interactions. In addition, Apple Watch owners will monitor their sleep and heart rate with the iPhone Health app.

Safety check. A new feature called Safety Checks allows users to quickly turn off all services and apps shared with their family, such as location. According to Apple, this feature was designed in collaboration with a group of women to keep them private and to protect their personal data and security, especially when leaving an abusive relationship. The purpose is to make it easier.

Use your iPhone as a webcam. iPhone has a camera with excellent photo quality that can record in 4K or 8K. Wouldn’t it be better to use it to dial a zoom call instead of a poor quality camera on a laptop? With iOS 16 and a new version of macOS, users can now use their iPhone as a webcam with a feature called Continuity Camera with the right laptop mount.