Our previous iOS 16 guides cover all the big strokes of Apple’s latest software update. But there are plenty more juicy tidbits that don’t quite fit into other categories; changes that are easily missed if you’re not paying attention. So here, in no particular order, are ten little-known things you should know about iOS 16.
SharePlay
SharePlay was brought in last year as a way to enjoy movies, music, and games together over a FaceTime call. Now, the SharePlay experience is available in Messages too – great for text chats while you binge the latest series.
Collaboration
There’s another addition to Messages that’s perfect if you’re working on a project with someone remotely. You can now send an invite to add everyone in the chat to the document you’re working on. They can make edits, and everyone involved will see an activity log of what’s changed. It currently works across many of Apple’s apps, including Keynote, Numbers, and Pages – and third-party apps can optionally support collaboration this way too.
Apple Pay
For better or worse, Apple has jumped on the easy credit bandwagon. Any time you make a purchase with Apple Pay, you can choose to spread the cost across four interest-free payments. Everything is tracked in the Wallet app – just be sure to pay on time!
Fitness
Apple’s fitness tracking used to be exclusive to Apple Watch owners. That’s no longer the case, as iOS 16 adds exercise tracking data from your iPhone and third-party apps into a new Fitness app.
Family
It’s now easier to set up a child account, with better setup options and suggestions for which parental controls and restrictions to activate. Similarly, the new Quick Start function can set up a new device for your kids in an instant with all that stuff configured by default.
CarPlay
Apple was keen to show off the “next generation of CarPlay” at WWDC, with a system that’s bespoke for each vehicle, utilizing multiple screens for seamless interaction. Although it was unveiled alongside iOS 16, we probably won’t see it until at least 2023, with car manufacturers only just starting to adopt it into their upcoming models.
Privacy
When you copy and paste something on an iPhone, apps are able to look at whatever’s saved to your pasteboard. This became something of a scandal when it was discovered that TikTok was reading the contents of users’ pasteboards for no good reason. In response, Apple has changed things in iOS 16 so apps need your permission to paste in content from another app.
Security
Vulnerabilities are discovered all the time, and when a serious one breaks, Apple is often forced to release a quick “.1” update to rectify it. But plenty of people don’t update their devices regularly, leaving them open to hackers. A new feature called Rapid Security Response attempts to find a solution, allowing Apple to automatically apply minor security fixes in between larger software updates.
Games
Game Center is back! Kind of. It’s still housed in Settings instead of a standalone app, but Apple has redesigned the Game Center dashboard to better track your achievements and activity. It’s now much easier to compete with friends’ high scores or challenge them to a game over SharePlay.
Shortcuts
Setting up shortcuts used to be a manual process, but now you can ask Siri to trigger a shortcut for an app as soon as its downloaded. You also have the option to skip the confirmation when sending a message with a shortcut, so it sends immediately.