Today is late for updates: Macs are getting macOS Ventura, iPads are getting iPadOS 16.1, and it’s all crowned with the arrival of iOS 16.1 on the iPhone. These new releases finally close the loop on everything that was promised at the last WWDC 2022 in June.
Until now, only the iPhone and the Apple Watch benefited from the updates announced in June, thanks to iOS 16 and watchOS 9; but Apple is already ready to distribute its new systems on all compatible devices.
What’s new in iOS 16.1
Here are the news that iOS 16.1 brings to the iPhone:
- Compatibility with Passkeys, a new protocol that wants to replace passwords and has the support of major technology companies, including Apple.
- support Live Activitieswhich will report in real time on an app’s activities or events directly with a widget at the bottom pinned to the lock screen.
- Now we can use Fitness+ without Apple Watch.
- Changes in the interface that make it easier lock screen customization.
- We will be able to share our photo library on iCloud with the rest of the family members.
- New interface for screenshots which gives us more options to share them from other apps.
- Battery percentage is now displayed on all iPhone XR, iPhone 11, iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 13 mini.
- If you’re not using it, you’ll now have the option to delete the iPhone Wallet app.
- Compatibility with Matter, the new home automation standard that HomeKit will integrate.
Now that the version is stable we recommend updating to iOS 16.1 on all supported iPhones. There will be a few fringes pending for future releases, such as the Freeform app that gives us a collaborative canvas. We may see it in iOS 16.2 or 16.3, depending on what future betas reveal.
Remember that you can update iOS from Settings, General section and “Software Update” subsection. The most comfortable thing is that you activate the automatic updates optionalthough it may take a few more days to get the latest version until demand on Apple’s servers stabilizes again.
