About iOS 16 Updates

iOS 16 brings a redesigned Lock Screen with new ways to customise and widgets for information at a glance. Link your Lock Screen to a Focus and use Focus filters to filter out distracting content in apps. Big updates to Messages let you edit or unsend a message you just sent. Visual Look Up lets you lift the subject of an image from the background and copy and paste it into apps like Mail and Messages. iOS 16 also includes new updates to Mail, Maps, Wallet, Health, News and more.

For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/HT201222

Want to get the update or having issues updating? Learn more.

iOS 16.7.10

This update addresses an issue that prevents enabling or disabling Advanced Data Protection.

iOS 16.7.9

This update provides important security fixes and is recommended for all users.

For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:

https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222

iOS 16.7.8

This update provides important security fixes and is recommended for all users.

For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:

https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222

iOS 16.7.7

This update provides important security fixes and is recommended for all users.

For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:

https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222

iOS 16.7.6

This update provides important security fixes and is recommended for all users.

For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:

https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222

iOS 16.7.5

This update provides important security fixes and is recommended for all users.

For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:

https://support.apple.com/HT201222

iOS 16.7.4

This update fixes an issue where built-in Apple apps that have been deleted may not reinstall.

iOS 16.7.3

This update provides important security fixes and is recommended for all users.

For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:

https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222

iOS 16.7.2

This update provides important security fixes and is recommended for all users.

For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:

https://support.apple.com/HT201222

iOS 16.7.1

This update provides important security fixes and is recommended for all users.

For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:

https://support.apple.com/HT201222

iOS 16.7

This update provides important security fixes and is recommended for all users.

For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:

https://support.apple.com/HT201222

iOS 16.6.1

This update provides important security fixes and is recommended for all users.

For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:

https://support.apple.com/HT201222

iOS 16.6

This update provides important bug fixes and security updates and is recommended for all users.

For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:

https://support.apple.com/HT201222

iOS 16.5.1

This update provides important security fixes and is recommended for all users. It also fixes an issue that prevents charging with the Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter.

For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:

https://support.apple.com/HT201222

iOS 16.5

This update includes enhancements, bug fixes and security updates for your iPhone.

This update includes the following enhancements and bug fixes:

  • A new Pride Celebration wallpaper for the Lock Screen to honour the LGBTQ+ community and culture

  • Sport tab in Apple News gives easy access to stories, scores, rankings and more, for the teams and leagues you follow

  • My Sports score and fixture cards in Apple News take you directly to match pages where you can find additional details about specific matches

  • Fixes an issue where Spotlight may become unresponsive

  • Addresses an issue where Podcasts in CarPlay may not load content

  • Fixes an issue where Screen Time settings may reset or not sync across all devices

Some features may not be available in all regions or on all Apple devices. For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:

https://support.apple.com/HT201222

iOS 16.4.1

This update provides important bug fixes and security updates for your iPhone including:

  • Pushing hands emoji does not show skin tone variations

  • Siri does not respond in some cases

Some features may not be available in all regions or on all Apple devices. For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:

https://support.apple.com/HT201222

iOS 16.4

This update introduces 21 new emoji and includes other enhancements, bug fixes and security updates for your iPhone.

This update includes the following enhancements and bug fixes:

  • 21 new emoji including animals, hand gestures and objects are now available in emoji keyboard

  • Notifications for web apps added to the Home Screen

  • Voice Isolation for mobile calls prioritises your voice and blocks out ambient noise around you

  • Duplicates album in Photos expands support to detect duplicate photos and videos in an iCloud Shared Photo Library

  • VoiceOver support for maps in the Weather app

  • Accessibility setting to automatically dim video when flashes of light or strobe effects are detected

  • Visual Look Up is now available in South Africa

  • Fixes an issue where Ask to Buy requests from children may fail to appear on the parent's device

  • Addresses issues where Matter-compatible thermostats could become unresponsive when paired to Apple Home

  • Crash Detection optimisations on iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models

Some features may not be available in all regions or on all Apple devices. For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:

https://support.apple.com/HT201222

iOS 16.3.1

This update provides important bug fixes and security updates for your iPhone.

This update provides important bug fixes and security updates for your iPhone including:

  • iCloud settings may be unresponsive or display incorrectly if apps are using iCloud

  • Siri requests for Find My may not work

  • Crash Detection optimisations on iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models

For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:

https://support.apple.com/HT201222

iOS 16.3

This update introduces a new Unity wallpaper to honour Black history and culture in celebration of Black History Month in the US, Security Keys for Apple ID, and includes other enhancements, bug fixes and security updates for your iPhone.

This update includes the following enhancements and bug fixes:

  • New Unity wallpaper honours Black history and culture in celebration of Black History Month in the US

  • Security Keys for Apple ID allow users to strengthen the security of their account by requiring a physical security key as part of the two-factor authentication sign-in process on new devices

  • Support for HomePod (2nd generation)

  • Emergency SOS calls now require holding the side button with the up or down volume button and then releasing in order to prevent inadvertent emergency calls

  • Fixes an issue in Freeform where some drawing strokes created with Apple Pencil or your finger may not appear on shared boards

  • Addresses an issue where the wallpaper may appear black on the Lock Screen

  • Fixes an issue where horizontal lines may temporarily appear while waking up iPhone 14 Pro Max

  • Fixes an issue where the Home Lock Screen widget does not accurately display Home app status

  • Addresses an issue where Siri may not respond properly to music requests

  • Resolves issues where Siri requests in CarPlay may not be understood correctly

Some features may not be available in all regions or on all Apple devices. For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:

https://support.apple.com/HT201222

iOS 16.2

This update introduces Freeform, an app that offers a great place to brainstorm and bring your ideas to life. This release also adds Apple Music Sing, support for Emergency SOS via satellite on iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models, Lock Screen improvements, and other features and bug fixes for your iPhone.

Freeform

  • Freeform is a new app for working creatively with friends or colleagues on Mac, iPad and iPhone

  • A flexible canvas lets you add files, images, stickies and more

  • Drawing tools let you sketch anywhere on the canvas with your finger

Apple Music Sing

  • A new way to sing along with millions of your favourite songs in Apple Music

  • Fully adjustable vocals let you duet with the original artist, sing solo or mix it up

  • Newly enhanced beat-by-beat lyrics make it even easier to follow along with the music

Emergency SOS via Satellite

  • Support for users to connect with emergency services when mobile data and Wi-Fi coverage are not available on iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models

Lock Screen

  • New settings allow you to hide wallpaper or notifications when Always-On display is enabled on iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max

  • Sleep widget lets you view your most recent sleep data

  • Medications widget lets you view reminders and quickly access your list of medication

Game Center

  • SharePlay support in Game Center for multiplayer games so you can play with the people you are on a FaceTime call with

  • Activity Widget allows you to see what your friends are playing and achieving in games straight from your Home Screen

Home

  • Improved reliability and efficiency of communication between your smart home accessories and Apple devices

This update also includes the following improvements and bug fixes:

  • Improved search in Messages allows you to find photos based on their content, like a dog, car, person or text

  • Reload and Show IP Address setting enables iCloud Private Relay users to temporarily disable the service for a specific site in Safari

  • Participant Cursors in Notes allow you to see live indicators as others make updates in a shared note

  • AirDrop now automatically reverts to Contacts Only after 10 minutes to prevent unwanted requests to receive content

  • Crash Detection optimisations on iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models

  • Fixes an issue that causes some notes to not sync with iCloud after updates are made

Some features may not be available in all regions or on all Apple devices. For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:

https://support.apple.com/HT201222

iOS 16.1.2

This update provides important security updates and the following enhancements for your iPhone:

  • Improved compatibility with network providers

  • Crash Detection optimisations on iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models

For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:

https://support.apple.com/HT201222

iOS 16.1.1

This update includes bug fixes and security updates and is recommended for all users.

For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:

https://support.apple.com/HT201222

iOS 16.1

This update introduces iCloud Shared Photo Library, making it easy to keep your family photos up to date. This release also adds support for third-party apps in Live Activities, support for Apple Fitness+ on iPhone even if you don’t have an Apple Watch, and other features and bug fixes for your iPhone.

iCloud Shared Photo Library

  • Separate library for seamlessly sharing photos and videos with up to five other people

  • Setup rules allow you to easily contribute past photos based on a start date or people in the photos when you set up or join a library

  • Library filters for quickly switching between viewing the Shared Library, your Personal Library or both libraries together

  • Shared edits and permissions let everyone add, edit, favourite, caption and delete photos

  • Sharing toggle in Camera lets you choose to send photos you take straight to the Shared Library, or enable a setting to share automatically when other participants are detected nearby using Bluetooth

Live Activities

  • Live Activities from third-party apps are available in the Dynamic Island and on the Lock Screen for iPhone 14 Pro models

Fitness+

  • Apple Fitness+ is supported on iPhone even if you don’t have an Apple Watch

Wallet

  • Key sharing enables you to securely share car, hotel room and other keys in Wallet using messaging apps such as Messages and WhatsApp

Home

  • Matter, the new smart home connectivity standard, is supported, enabling a wide variety of smart home accessories to work together across ecosystems

Books

  • Reader controls are automatically hidden as you start reading

This update also includes bug fixes for your iPhone:

  • Deleted conversations may appear in the conversations list in Messages

  • Dynamic Island content is not available when using Reachability

  • CarPlay may fail to connect when using a VPN app

Some features may not be available in all regions or on all Apple devices. For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:

https://support.apple.com/HT201222

iOS 16.0.3

This update provides bug fixes and important security updates for your iPhone including the following:

  • Incoming call and app notifications may be delayed or not delivered on iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max

  • Low microphone volume can occur during CarPlay phone calls on iPhone 14 models

  • Camera may be slow to launch or switch between modes on iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max

  • Mail crashes on launch after receiving a malformed email

For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:

https://support.apple.com/HT201222

iOS 16.0.2

This update provides bug fixes and important security updates for your iPhone including the following:

  • Camera may vibrate and cause blurry photos when shooting with some third-party apps on iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max

  • Display may appear completely black during device setup

  • Copy and paste between apps may cause a permission prompt to appear more than expected

  • VoiceOver may be unavailable after rebooting

  • Addresses an issue where touch input was unresponsive on some iPhone X, iPhone XR and iPhone 11 displays after being serviced

For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/HT201222

iOS 16.0.1

This update is recommended for all iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro users, and provides important bug fixes including the following:

  • iMessage and FaceTime may not complete activation

  • Photos may appear soft when zooming in landscape orientation on iPhone 14 Pro Max

  • Enterprise single sign-on apps may fail to authenticate

iOS 16

Lock Screen

  • Redesigned Lock Screen gives you all new ways to personalise your Lock Screen by showcasing favourite photos, customising font styles, displaying widgets and more

  • Multiple Lock Screens can be created and you can easily switch between them

  • Lock Screen gallery offers personalised suggestions along with Apple-curated collections for your Lock Screen

  • Font and colour options for customising the look of the date and time on your Lock Screen

  • Widgets on the Lock Screen display information at a glance like the weather, battery levels, upcoming calendar events and more

  • A new effect places the subject of the photo in front of the time (iPhone XS and later)

  • Photo styles change the colour filter, tinting and font style of photos on the Lock Screen to complement each other

  • Notifications appear at the bottom of your Lock Screen and can be displayed in expanded list, stacked or count views

Focus

  • Lock Screen linking connects your Lock Screen to a Focus, so you can activate a Focus by switching to the corresponding Lock Screen

  • Focus filters hide distracting content in apps like Calendar, Mail, Messages, Safari and third-party apps

  • Streamlined setup makes it easier and faster to get started with Focus, with personalised Lock Screen and Home Screen suggestions that include apps and widgets that are relevant to the Focus you’re setting up

Messages

  • Edit a message for up to 15 minutes after sending it. Recipients will see a record of edits

  • Undo Send allows you to recall any message for up to 2 minutes after sending it

  • Mark as Unread makes it easy to come back to a conversation later

  • SharePlay in Messages lets you enjoy activities like watching movies, listening to music, playing games and more with friends while messaging

  • Collaboration provides a simple way to invite others to collaborate on a file via Messages and get activity updates in the thread when someone makes an edit to a shared project

Mail

  • Improved search delivers more accurate, complete results and provides suggestions as soon as you begin to type

  • Undo Send allows you to cancel delivery of a message within 10 seconds of hitting send

  • Scheduled send allows you to send an email on a specific day and time

  • Follow‑up shows sent emails that have not been replied to at the top of your inbox, so you can quickly follow up

  • Remind Me lets you schedule a date and time to be reminded about an email

Safari and Passkeys

  • Shared Tab Groups let you share a set of tabs with others and see the Tab Group update instantly as you work together

  • Tab Group start pages can be customised with different background images and favourites for each Tab Group

  • Pinned tabs in Tab Groups enable you to pin frequently visited websites for each Tab Group

  • Safari web page translation adds translation for web pages in Turkish, Thai, Vietnamese, Polish, Indonesian and Dutch

  • Passkeys offer support for an easier and safer sign‑in method to replace passwords

  • Passkey syncing through iCloud Keychain makes your passkeys available across all your Apple devices while keeping them end-to-end encrypted

Live Text

  • Live Text video support allows you to interact with text in a paused video frame so you can copy, translate, look up, share and more (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR, or later)

  • Quick actions let you take action on data detected in photos and videos with a single tap, so you can track flights or shipments, translate foreign languages, convert currencies and more (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR, or later)

Visual Look Up

  • “Lift subject from background” isolates the subject of an image so you can copy and paste it into apps like Mail and Messages (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR, or later)

  • Visual Look Up adds recognition of birds, insects, spiders and statues in your photos (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR, or later)

Siri

  • Easy Shortcuts setup makes it possible to run shortcuts with Siri as soon as you download an app with no upfront setup (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR, or later)

  • A new setting allows you to send messages without Siri asking you to confirm before sending

  • “Hey Siri, what can I do here?” helps you discover Siri capabilities in iOS and apps just by asking (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR, or later)

  • Call hang-up option for ending Phone and FaceTime calls with Siri by saying “Hey Siri, hang up”. (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR, or later)

Dictation

  • All-new Dictation experience supports using your voice and keyboard together to enter and edit text (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR, or later)

  • Automatic punctuation inserts commas, full stops and question marks as you dictate

  • Emoji support lets you insert emoji using your voice (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR, or later)

Maps

  • Multi-stop routing supports adding up to fifteen stops along your driving route in Maps

  • Travel cards in Maps let you see low balances and replenish your card when you add travel cards to Wallet, all without leaving Maps

  • Public transport fares show you how much your journey will cost in the San Francisco Bay Area, London, New York and San Diego

Apple Pay and Wallet

  • Apple Pay Order Tracking allows you to receive detailed receipt and order tracking information in Wallet for Apple Pay purchases with participating merchants

Home

  • Redesigned Home app makes it easier to navigate, organise, view and control your smart home accessories

  • Home tab now integrates all your accessories, rooms and scenes into a single tab for a whole-house view, allowing you to see your entire home at a glance

  • Categories for lights, climate, security, speakers and TVs, and water let you quickly access all the relevant accessories organised by room, and display more detailed status information

  • New camera view displays up to four cameras front and centre in the Home tab. Scroll to see any additional camera views in your home

  • Redesigned accessory tiles feature more visually recognisable icons that are colour-matched to their category, and new behaviours for more precise accessory controls

Health

  • Medications feature helps you track and manage your medications, vitamins and supplements by creating a list, custom schedules and reminders, and then viewing logging over time

  • Cycle deviation notifications alert you if your logged menstrual cycles show a pattern of infrequent periods, irregular periods, prolonged periods or persistent spotting

  • Invitations for Health Sharing allow loved ones to easily and securely share their health data with you

  • Health Sharing reminders give you transparency and control over the health data you are sharing with loved ones

News

  • My Sports enables you to easily follow your favourite teams and leagues, and watch highlights in the News app

  • Favourites gives you easy access to the channels and topics you read the most, in a consistent place near the top of your Today feed

  • New home pages deliver visually updated and easier-to-navigate topic feeds for local news locales, sports teams and leagues, and more

Family Sharing

  • Improved child account setup makes it easier to create an account for a child with the right parental controls, including age‑appropriate media restrictions

  • Device setup for a child lets you use Quick Start to easily set up a new iOS or iPadOS device for your child with your selected parental controls in place

  • Screen Time requests in Messages make it even easier to approve or decline requests from your child

  • Family Checklist gives you tips and suggestions like updating a child’s parental control settings, turning on location sharing, or just reminding you to share your iCloud+ subscription with everyone

Safety Check

  • Safety Check is a new section in Settings to help people in domestic or intimate partner violence situations quickly reset the access they’ve granted to others

  • Emergency Reset lets you quickly take action to reset access across all people and apps, including disabling location sharing via Find My, resetting privacy permissions for apps and more

  • “Manage sharing and access” helps you review and customise which apps and people can access your information

Accessibility

  • Door detection in Magnifier locates a door, reads signs and symbols around it, and gives you instructions for how to open the door (iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro)

  • Apple Watch mirroring provides full control of Apple Watch from iPhone and supports use of Switch Control, Voice Control or any other assistive features on iPhone to get the most out of your Apple Watch

  • Buddy Controller helps users with cognitive disabilities get support from a carer or friend while playing a game by combining inputs from multiple game controllers into one

  • VoiceOver is now available in over 20 new languages and locales, including Bangla (India), Bulgarian, Catalan, Ukrainian and Vietnamese

This release also includes other features and improvements:

  • Fitness app lets you track and meet your fitness goals even if you don’t yet have an Apple Watch, using iPhone motion sensors to give you an estimate of your calories to contribute to your daily Move goal

  • AirPods Pro (2nd generation) support

  • Personalised Spatial Audio uses the TrueDepth camera on iPhone to create a personal profile for Spatial Audio that delivers a more precise and immersive listening experience on AirPods (3rd generation), AirPods Pro (1st and 2nd generation) and AirPods Max

  • Handoff in FaceTime allows you to move FaceTime calls seamlessly from your iPhone to your iPad or Mac, and vice versa

  • Memoji updates include more sticker poses, hairstyles, headgear, noses and lip colours

  • Quick Note adds support for taking a note in any app on your iPhone and adding links to create context and easily find content

  • Duplicate detection in Photos identifies duplicate photos so you can quickly clean up your library

  • Foreground blur for portrait photos in Camera blurs objects in the foreground for a more realistic-looking depth-of-field effect (iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max)

  • Pinned lists in Reminders help you quickly navigate to your favourite lists

  • Search on the Home Screen enables Spotlight to be accessed directly from the bottom of the Home Screen, making it easy to open apps, find contacts or get information from the web

  • Automatically send messages in CarPlay to skip the confirmation step when sending messages

  • Rapid Security Response gets important security improvements to your devices even faster, as they can be applied automatically between standard software updates

This release includes even more features and improvements. For more information, please visit this website: https://www.apple.com/uk/ios/ios-16

Some features may not be available in all regions or on all iPhone models. For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:https://support.apple.com/HT201222

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