Curious about the big iPhone features coming to your smartphone this year? Apple will announce them next Monday during the annual WWDC, when iOS 16 will be presented. Many updates have already been leaked.
iOS 16 Rumors
On Whit Monday, Apple hosts WWDC, an event in which the company unveils new software. What most Apple enthusiasts sit for is iOS 16, the new operating system for the iPhone. According to rumors, it is a relatively large update and there are more innovations than with iOS 15.
Unlike with new iPhones, Apple usually manages to keep the innovations of new operating systems private. Still, some innovations have leaked – thanks mainly to trusty Apple insider Mark Gurman from Bloomberg†
10 changes in iOS 16
Below we list the most reliable iOS 16 rumors. Interesting, for example, is the new lock screen, and more is possible with widgets.
1. Interactive Widgets
Since iOS 14 you can place widgets between the app icons of the home screen. These are blocks of information from apps. Now they are static, but there are indications that you will soon be able to perform an action from a widget. So they become interactive.
For example, use the Music widget to play, pause, or skip to the next song. There would also be a Clock widget that allows you to quickly start or pause a timer.
2. Improved lock screen
When you wake up your iPhone, the lock screen is the first thing you see. It now shows the time, any notifications and there are buttons that give you quick access to the camera or flashlight.
With iOS 16, this lock screen gets “major improvements,” Gurman says. It would become possible to set wallpapers with widget-like capabilities. This means that you can access some widgets already from the lock screen. The lock screen is also reportedly getting a different font for the date and time.
3. Other notifications
We may also see changes in the notifications. There are indications that Apple is working on a new variant of Focus. This should ensure that the notifications become less distracting, although it is still unclear how Apple will shape this. It also seems that you will soon receive suggestions for notifications. This has been renamed ‘Siri Reply Suggestions’.
4. New app icons
You should not expect a complete redesign of iOS 16: broadly speaking, the look and feel same. However, there seems to be a new design for the app icons. Those icons have the same appearance as macOS. This means deeper shadows and more texture. These are minimal differences.
5. New app: Classica
Apple has been working on a classical music app for a while now. This will probably be called Apple Classical, a beta of iOS 15.5 previously revealed. It is very likely that the app will be available in iOS 16 – it may even be there earlier.
6. Crash Detection
Apple is working on a feature that will allow the iPhone to recognize if you’re involved in a car accident. With this crash detection function, the emergency services are automatically activated. Your SOS contacts (if you have set them up) will also be notified.
There is a chance that crash detection will be introduced in iOS 16, although this is not yet 100 percent certain. We’ll know for sure on Monday. The crash detection feature is also coming to the Apple Watch.
7. Improvements in the Health app
Apple’s Health app seems to be getting a makeover. A new drug management feature is coming, where you scan pills and get reminders to take them. The function for tracking your sleep is also being expanded. And it should become even clearer in the updated Health app to read your data.
8. Always on
The new iPhone operating system seems to support Always On, although you do need an iPhone 14 Pro for that. According to the latest rumors, it will receive an improved ProMotion screen, where the refresh rate can be reduced to 1Hz.
This screen type paves the way for an always on screen, where the screen also displays some content in sleep mode. For example, it is possible to always display the time, or notifications. The latest Apple Watch models already have such an Always on screen.
9. Update for Private Relay
Since iOS 15, the iPhone has a kind of built-in VPN, which Apple calls Private Relay. In Dutch, this option is called ‘Private transfer’. This hides your IP address from websites, so that you surf the internet more anonymously.
The function is still very limited, but with iOS 16, Apple wants to expand Private Transfer. Now the option only works when you navigate in Safari, but soon it will also work in other apps.
10. Messaging App
The Messages app also gets improvements: Apple is said to add all kinds of social functions. According to Apple insider Mark Gurman, it mainly has to do with audio messages. Unfortunately, he doesn’t get more specific than that.
When is iOS 16 coming out?
Apple will present iOS 16 next Monday, so we’ll know if the rumors are correct. The software will not be immediately available for everyone to install next week. First, Apple releases several betas (trial versions) so that the operating system is as stable as possible after release.
We expect iOS 16 to be available for everyone to install in September. That will probably be sometime in the third week of that month, after the iPhone 14 keynote. Do you want to stay informed about the new features? Sign up for our newsletter: