The future version of the iPhone operating system will be very rich in new features. iOS 16 will finally allow you to customize your lock screen, will include a shared iCloud photo library for the family, and will even allow you to edit a message sent a little too quickly…
Apple has just opened its annual conference for developers by lifting the veil on the new features to come in iOS 16. And the least we can say is that the next version of the iPhone operating system promises to be very rich in new features.
It was, as usual, Craigh Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, who unveiled, at a breakneck pace, the new features that will be integrated in the next few months on the iPhone. which will be compatible with iOS 16.
On the program of celebrations, the lock screen will finally offer real customization options. Craigh Federighi even clarified that the teams in charge of iOS have “completely redesigned the appearance and operation of the locked screen”.
iOS 16 will also usher in a Family Sharing feature for photos in a dedicated iCloud Library, bring major updates to Messages and Mail, and bring several important new features to Live Text and Visual Search. The update should be available from this fall on iPhone 8 and later models.
A fully customizable lock screen
Apple has finally decided to free the iPhone lock screen by giving it one of the most important updates since iOS has existed. And to succeed, the Cupertino company did not look very far. It has indeed taken the ingredients that made the dials of its Apple Watch so successful to simply apply them to iOS 16, and by extension to the iPhone.
Described as “more personal, more elegant and more practical”, the lock screen in iOS 16 will adopt a multi-layered effect. In addition to the traditional wallpaper image, it will be possible to superimpose several layers and modify their order, as one would do with layers, to highlight the subject of the image by making it pass in front of the time display, for a guaranteed depth effect. The time and date remain displayed and will also be able to benefit from a facelift. You can change the color or even customize the font.
Above all, the locked screen of iOS 16 will finally be able to display widgets, again largely inspired by the Apple Watch and its “Complications”. The banner dedicated to them at the top of the screen may include several to allow you to keep an eye on the weather, the battery level of your devices, or even on the next appointments in your calendar.
You can also adapt your lock screen to your mood. iOS 16 will allow you, as with the faces of the Apple Watch, to configure multiple lock screens (with different wallpapers, colors and fonts) to switch between them at will.
To complement this overhaul, Apple plans to roll out a new API later this year, called Live Activities. It will allow you to follow in real time the information provided by certain applications from the locked screen, whether it is a football match, the statistics of your sports session, or the status of your meal order. in delivery.
Finally, the display of notifications has once again been revised. They will now scroll from the bottom of the screen so as not to obstruct the view on the locked screen.
Family Photo Library on iCloud
Mutually sharing photos with a group of loved ones is no small feat. To simplify the practice, iOS 16 will integrate a separate photo library shared on iCloud, entirely dedicated to this office. It can accommodate up to six participants who can all, if they wish, contribute to the content by adding, deleting or editing the images therein. It will be possible to send images from your personal photo library, choose to share photos captured on a specific date or on which the faces of specific people appear, or let iOS suggest images that you are likely to want to share.
All images stored in this family photo library will appear in each participant’s Memories and Featured Photos. In addition, the iOS 16 camera will integrate a button to capture images and share them instantly in this shared photo library.
Messages edits your messages and hosts SharePlay
The Messages application of iOS 16 will take advantage of an editing function. If you happen to send a message a little too quickly without having read it again, you can edit it to correct the typos that have slipped in or even decide to cancel the sending.
SharePlay, the feature that allows you to enjoy content simultaneously with your friends in FaceTime, will also land in Messages. You will be able to watch your favorite movies and series or listen to music in perfect synchronization with your loved ones while sending you iMessages.
Live text in videos and image clipping with Visual Search
Live Text, the iOS function that allows you to extract text displayed in an image will evolve. In iOS 16, the function will gain in performance and will also support videos. By pausing a video, you can therefore take advantage of Live Text to extract text displayed on the screen, useful if you are used to watching development tutorials for example. Also note that Live Text can also convert currencies on the fly and translate text.
As for the Visual search function, which makes it possible to identify animals or plants, it can be used to outline the subject displayed in the image. All you have to do is keep your finger pressed on the subject, then drag it into another application to share the image in a message, for example.
Order tracking comes to Maps
If you’re used to paying for online purchases using Apple Pay, you won’t need to keep an eye on your inbox for tracking information. You can indeed track your orders directly in the iOS Maps application, provided of course that the online merchant supports this function.
Other more minor innovations, but which remain notable, were also announced during this conference. We note, for example, the possibility of creating routes with several stops in Apple Plans, a simplified configuration of accounts for children in iCloud Family Sharing, the availability of the Fitness application directly on all iPhones even if you do not have Apple Watch… But also the arrival of a confidentiality tool, “Safety Check”, allowing victims of domestic violence to revoke all access granted to other people to their personal data, or even the possibility of use the iPhone’s True Depth camera to create a custom profile for spatial audio listening with AirPods.
We will have the opportunity to come back to all these new features in future articles!