Apple iOS 16 Brings Better Lock Screen Controls And A Big iMessage Improve For iPhone

Apple kicked off its WWDC 2022 occasion right this moment with a protracted preview of iOS 16, which guarantees the “biggest update ever to the Lock Screen” and a bevy of different adjustments. Some of the updates are slightly minor, like enhancing the font on the Lock Screen textual content. But others are extra impactful, resembling with the ability to edit an iMessage after it has been ship, and even unsend it altogether. Let’s dive in.

Starting with the Lock Screen adjustments, Apple is aiming to provide iPhone customers a extra personalised expertise. It begins with with the ability to change the look of the date and time with “expressive type styles and color choices,” which whereas cool and all, just isn’t as thrilling as a few of the different customization controls it delivers.

One of them is Live Activities. This is a brand new characteristic that places a persistent notification on the Lock Screen to ship updates in actual time. You might monitor a basketball game or a exercise, or perhaps a meals supply with out unlocking your iPhone every time.

Apple additionally redesigned the Lock Screen notifcations in order that they roll up from the underside slightly than being splattered right in the midst of your cellphone’s background picture. It’s a delicate however welcome change.

Related to all that is one thing Apple is looking Focus. This basically permits customers to arrange a number of Lock Screens that behave in a different way. Setting one up for work, for instance, may show calendar occasions which can be arising.

“With Focus filters, apps like Calendar, Mail, Messages, and Safari can display only the content that is relevant to a user’s Focus, helping them to find better balance,” Apple explains.

A characteristic I’m extra personally trying ahead to with iOS 16 is with the ability to edit or recall lately despatched messages. This is probably a giant deal on a number of ranges. It’s irritating to ship a typo, particularly if iOS autocorrected a phrase to one thing you did not need (actually ducking annoying, typically). But who hasn’t despatched a textual content message and immediately regretted it?

Users could have quarter-hour to edit or unsend a textual content. Additionally, you’ll get well lately deleted messages for as much as 30 days after nuking them. Cool stuff.

There have been a couple of different iOS 16 updates previewed through the occasion, resembling a shared iCloud library to your photographs (share it with as much as six customers), new instruments for emails, on-device dictation that permits customers to film fluidly between voice and contact/keyboard, and some different tidbits.

Apple is previewing iOS 16 to builders now, with a public beta scheduled for subsequent month earlier than releasing in polished type for iPhone 8 and later gadgets this fall.