Apple today announced that the latest version of iOS, iOS 16, will be available to users of all compatible iPhones on Monday, September 12, featuring a completely redesigned and customizable lock screen, major new features in iMessage, and much more. Apple first previewed iOS 16 in June and it has been undergoing beta testing by app developers and public project members for the past several months. iOS 16 is a major release, bringing major new features to core iOS apps and the overall iOS experience.
The most striking change in iOS 16 is the completely redesigned lock screen. The new lock screen allows customers to customize a variety of visual elements to create their perfect lock screen. Customers can choose different fonts and colors for time, add widgets, add new wallpapers with depth effects, subtly overlay time, filters, color tones, and more.
In addition to the newly designed lock screen, Apple has brought much-anticipated features to Messages. iOS 16 users can now edit messages up to 15 minutes after they are sent and can unsend them up to 2 minutes after they may have accidentally sent them. Improvements to SharePlay and collaboration in Messages are also part of iOS 16.
In other core applications such as Mail and Safari, Apple is also improving features such as Spotlight search and adding new features such as Mail undo and scheduled delivery, shared tag groups, Safari Passkeys, and more. Apple Maps has also gained noteworthy features including multi-stop routing and transit card support.
Unlike previous years, Apple will not release both iOS 16 and iPadOS 16. While iOS 16 will be available to iPhone users on Tuesday, September 13, iPadOS 16 will be available later this fall. iOS 16 is compatible with the following iPhones, but some features may require a newer model.
- iPhone 13
- iPhone 13 mini
- iPhone 13 Pro
- iPhone 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 12
- iPhone 12 mini
- iPhone 12 Pro
- iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 11
- iPhone 11 Pro
- iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone XS
- iPhone XS Max
- iPhone XR
- iPhone X
- iPhone 8
- iPhone 8 Plus
- iPhone SE (2nd generation and later)
