Apple plans to release iOS 16.2 in December. At least that's what Bloomberg says. Since we already have the third beta, a launch before Christmas definitely seems realistic. Below we've listed seven new features that the next iPhone update includes.
iOS 16.2 introduces a number of new features, including Apple's new whiteboard app Freeform, two new lock screen widgets for sleep and medication, the ability to hide the wallpaper and notifications on the iPhone 14 Pro's Always on Display, improvements to Live Activity, a redesigned Home app, and more.
Freeform app
iOS 16.2 includes Apple's new digital whiteboard app Freeform on the iPhone. The Application offers an infinite canvas where you can draw and insert sticky notes, text boxes, shapes, photos, videos, links, PDFs, and more. The app is also available on iPad and Mac (iPadOS 16.2 & macOS 13.1). Collaboration can take place in real time with others via FaceTime and iMessage. Freeform is more useful on iPad because the device supports Apple Pencil. Of course, you can also use a capacitive stylus on iPhone.
iOS 16.2: Two new widgets for the lock screen
iOS 16.2 includes two new lock screen widgets for sleep and medication. The sleep widget lets you view your most recent sleep and sleep stages, while the medication widget gives you quick access to your medication schedule.
New options for the Always on Display
Starting with iOS 16.2, you can hide the wallpaper and notifications in Always On mode on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. This results in the lock screen in Always On mode having a solid black, minimal look, similar to Android. The new Show Wallpaper and Show Notifications switches can be found in the Settings app under Display & Brightness -> Always On.
Live Activities: Sports results via the Apple TV app
iOS 16.2 adds support for live sports scores via the Apple TV app. This feature lets iPhone users see live scores from MLB, NBA, and Premier League games at a glance on the lock screen and on the Dynamic Island of iPhone 14 Pro models. During a Premier League game, for example, the Dynamic Island shows the current score, i.e. the number of goals. If you long-press on the field, the Dynamic Island enlarges and shows the elapsed time and game action. On a locked iPhone 14 Pro and all other iPhone models, the score is displayed in a banner on the lock screen.
Live Activities: More frequent updates
Live Activity will update more frequently in iOS 16.2 if the new "Update More Frequently" option is enabled, so users can see more current information. It's unclear what the current update interval for Live Activity is, but the new option will be even faster, which would be useful for tracking the arrival of a taxi or similar once apps support the feature.
New architecture of the Home app
After updating to iOS 16.2 and opening the Home app, an update to the app with a new architecture is available. According to Apple, the new architecture improves the performance, efficiency and reliability of the app when controlling smart home accessories.
Unintentional SOS emergency call is reported
If you accidentally trigger an SOS emergency call, iOS 16.2 lets you report the incident to Apple and share iPhone diagnostics. The feature, which is only supported by iPhone 14 models, is also expected to be released in Germany in December, according to Apple - more on that below. (Photo by SashaMagic / Bigstockphoto)
