Later this year, there will be software updates that include some of iOS 16’s best features.
Even while iOS 16 is packed with fantastic new features, not all of what Apple revealed at WWDC will be available on your iPhone when iOS 16.0 launches on Monday. Of course, some simply don’t function on earlier iPhone models. Others, though, are just not meant to be a part of the initial release, which will happen on Monday, September 12. Instead, you’ll find them in iOS 16.1, 16.2, or even an even later release later this year. Here are the iOS 16 features that we are aware of but that you will have to wait to use.
Shared Photo Library on iCloud
Having a single shared photo library on iCloud is one of the most eagerly awaited features of iOS 16. Sharing albums with family members has been possible for a while, but many people have long wished for a single library where all family members’ pictures and videos would automatically be uploaded.
Although we had assumed it would be included in the first iOS 16 release, it was abruptly removed from the release candidate despite being present in earlier beta releases. Although Apple didn’t specify, the iOS 16 website now states that the feature is “Coming later this year,” therefore we believe that the release of iOS 16.1 in October is a fair assumption.
Actual Activities
Live Activities was one of the main highlights of iOS 16 when it was revealed at WWDC in June. They can be compared to persistent notifications that are dynamically updated by the apps they are connected to. after a sporting event? Why receive many notifications each time the score changes when you can have only one notice that displays a real-time, updated score? The same holds true for ride-hailing apps, workout activities, food or package deliveries, and more.
Live Activities and ActivityKit won’t be included in the initial public release of iOS 16, according to a post on the developer website announcing the API for developers. This was contrary to expectations regarding the initial iOS 16 release. The feature will instead be made available “later this year,” which to us means in iOS 16.1. It provides developers additional time to submit their Live Activities-enabled apps to the App Store, at the very least.
Issue support
A new cross-compatibility standard for smart homes called Matter is long needed. Simply put, a Matter certified device will function with Apple Home, Alexa, and Google Home (among others). A significant update to the Home app in iOS 16 brings a welcoming new user interface, several performance and reliability improvements, and support for Matter.
Though Matter support is still on the way, it won’t be until later this year. The first devices to debut with Matter support and the first software upgrades to make older devices compatible with Matter are both expected later this fall, making Apple one of the early adopters in this case.
emergency satellite SOS
When you’re out of range of Wi-Fi or cell towers, one of the coolest new capabilities of the iPhone 14 (both ordinary and Pro) is its capability to send quick emergency texts through satellites. It’s slow (even brief messages might take 20 seconds to more than a minute to send), but in a serious outside emergency, it could literally save your life.
However, it won’t be available when the iPhone 14 range is on sale. The feature “will be available with an iOS 16 software update arriving in November 2022,” according to Apple’s support site.
Game Center has.
Game Center will soon enable SharePlay, allowing you to immediately begin playing a game while on a FaceTime conversation, and it will link with Contacts so you can quickly and easily view all of your contacts’ Game Center profiles in the Contacts app (if they permit it). These capabilities will be included in Apple update to iOS 16 later this fall, though it’s unclear what’s been holding them back.
App for freeform
The iPadOS 16 demo at WWDC included a new first-party whiteboarding and collaborative tool from Apple dubbed Freeform, although the app is actually cross-platform. You can download it for iPad, Mac, or iPhone and collaborate without restrictions with your coworkers through the cloud from any location. It functions as a huge, flexible canvas where you can drag and drop nearly anything while previewing it, including PDFs, Notes, photos, audio, and web links. With Apple Pencil compatibility, you can then write notes or draw wherever and view where other people are working with live cursors.
Freeform was always a project that would “come later this year,” but when Apple opted not to release iPadOS 16 and instead made iPadOS 16.1 the first initial release, that truly put a stop to it. Freeform’s release date is currently unknown, however it will undoubtedly occur after the release of macOS Ventura and iPadOS 16.1, maybe even in 2023.