iOS 16.2 is now rolling out to everyone after several weeks of beta testing.
Starting today, iPhone users everywhere can now upgrade to iOS 16.2 with new
features such as Apple Music Sing, more advanced encryption features for
iCloud, the new Freeform collaboration app, and much more. Head below for a
recap of everything new in iOS 16.2.
How to install iOS 16.2
iOS 16.2 is available to all iPhone models starting today. You can update by
heading to the Settings app, choosing General, and then choosing Software
Update. If you don't see the update right away, be sure to keep checking as
it can sometimes take a few minutes to hit every iPhone. The updates are
expected to be available to everyone within the hour.
Once you begin the installation process, your iPhone will download the
update, then prompt you to reboot your device to finish the process. Keep in
mind your device will be unusable while it reboots to install the update.
What's new in iOS 16.2?
Freeform
First off, iOS 16.2 includes the addition of Apple's all-new Freeform
collaboration app.
First unveiled at WWDC in June, Freeform is a real-time, collaborative
canvas app available on all of Apple's platforms. Apple explains:
. 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
Apple Music Sing is another headlining feature of iOS 16.2. This was
announced by Apple last week and brings karaoke-style features to the Apple
Music experience.
You can access the new adjustable vocals and beat-by-beat lyrics on
supported songs by tapping on the existing lyrics button in the Music app.
From there, you can raise or lower the volume of the song's vocals as you
and those around you sing along with it.
. A new way to sing along with millions of your favorite 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
Advanced Data Protection for iCloud
Also announced last week, Advanced Data Protection is a new option for
iCloud that expands end-to-end encryption to more data types and services.
The feature is opt-in for now, and you can enable it in the Settings app by
tapping your name at the top, then choosing "iCloud."
. New option expands the total number of iCloud data categories protected
using end-to-end encryption to 23, including iCloud Backup, Notes, and
Photos, protecting your information even in the case of a data breach in the
cloud.
Changes to the Lock Screen and iPhone 14 Pro's Always-On Display
With iOS 16.2, Apple is continuing to refine the new Lock Screen
customization features of iOS 16 as well as the iPhone 14 Pro's Always-On
Display. There are new sleep and medication widgets for the Lock Screen,
expanding on the collection of widgets initially included in iOS 16.
Perhaps most notably, however, you can now customize your iPhone 14 Pro's
Always-On Display to hide the wallpaper or notifications entirely. To find
these new options, go to the Settings app, tap on "Display and Brightness,"
and choose "Always-On Display." In this menu, you'll see new toggles for
"Show Wallpaper" and "Show Notifications."
This change comes in response to criticism of some iPhone 14 Pro users, who
had referred to the Always-On Display as being "too on." If you toggle off
the wallpaper and notifications features, your iPhone 14 Pro's Always-On
Display will show a pure black design alongside your Lock Screen widgets and
the time. This is similar to what's offered by many Android devices.
Apple explains:
. 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
schedule
New limitations for AirDrop
iOS 16.2 includes a major change to Apple's popular AirDrop feature, which
many people are viewing as a regression. The "Everyone" option for AirDrop
can now be enabled for a maximum of 10 minutes at a time. Previously, you
could enable the "Everyone" setting, and it would remain enabled
indefinitely.
This change was first made in China in response to AirDrop being used to
spread posters and other content in opposition to Xi Jinping and the Chinese
government. With iOS 16.2, it's expanding worldwide. Apple says:
. AirDrop now automatically reverts to Contacts Only after 10 minutes to
prevent unwanted requests to receive content
What this means is that you can no longer have AirDrop enabled permanently
for "Everyone." Instead, the option can only be enabled for 10 minutes at a
time. You'll then have to go back into the AirDrop settings and re-check the
"Everyone" option.
Some other features and changes in iOS 16.2 include the following, according
to Apple's release notes:
. Improved search in Messages allows you to find photos based on their
content, like a dog, car, person, or text
. Turn Off Hide IP Address setting enables iCloud Private Relay users to
temporarily disable the service for a specific site in Safari
. News articles in Weather display information relevant to the weather in
that location
. Participant Cursors in Notes allow you to see live indicators as others
make updates in a shared note
. Crash Detection optimizations on iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models
. Fixes an issue that causes some notes not to sync with iCloud after
updates are made
Along with the release of iOS 16.2, Apple on Tuesday also released iPadOS
16.2 for iPad users. While the new version of the operating system comes
with the same refinements as the iPhone version, it also adds new features
specific to the iPad - such as support for external displays when using
Stage Manager.
What's new in iPadOS 16.2
Just like iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2 adds Apple's new Freeform app for notes and
collaborative projects, a new and more reliable architecture to the Home
app, and Apple Music Sing - which enables a karaoke experience for Apple
Music subscribers.
But iPad users will also get some unique features with today's update. For
instance, Stage Manager now finally fully supports an external display. This
means that users can connect their iPads to an external display to use as a
secondary screen. This, however, requires an iPad with an M1 chip or later.
Interestingly, iPadOS 16.2 also enables Tracking Notifications for the first
time on the iPad. With these alerts, the iPad can detect if an unknown
AirTag is moving with you. These alerts were already available on the iPhone
but not on the iPad.
The update also comes with Advanced Data Protection for iCloud, which is
available now for users in the US and will be rolled out globally in 2023.
Alongside iOS 16.2, the latest update for Mac is now available for all
users. macOS 13.1 comes with the new Freeform app, end-to-end encryption for
Messages, Photos, backups, and more in iCloud, and a variety of bug fixes.
macOS 13.1 is rolling out now, head to System Settings > General > Software
Update to see if it's showing up for your Mac.
The two major updates with the release are Advanced Data Protection - which
brings end-to-end encryption to a total of 23 iCloud categories - and the
launch of Freeform.
Advanced Data Protection is a big security and privacy enhancement for
iCloud. It offers end-to-end encryption for Messages, backups, Photos,
Notes, and more that are stored in iCloud.
Freeform was first shown off by Apple back in June at WWDC. Needing a bit
more development time, the collaborative brainstorming app is now available
for Mac, iPhone, and iPad.
The latest Mac update also includes a variety of smaller bug fixes and
improvements.
Full macOS 13.1 release notes:
macOS Ventura 13.1 introduces Freeform, a new app that offers a great place
to brainstorm and bring your ideas to life. This release also includes
Advanced Data Protection for iCloud and other features and bug fixes for
your Mac.
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
Advanced Data Protection for iCloud
. New option expands the total number of iCloud data categories protected
using end-to-end encryption to 23 - including iCloud Backup, Notes, and
Photos - protecting your information even in the case of a data breach in
the cloud
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
. Participant Cursors in Notes allow you to see live indicators as others
make updates in a shared note
. Play sound in Find My app can now help you pinpoint the location of nearby
AirTags, AirPods Pro (2nd generation) case, and Find My network accessories
. Fixes an issue that causes some notes not to sync with iCloud after
updates are made
. Fixes an issue where you may lose keyboard and mouse input in some apps
and games
Some features may not be available for all regions, or on all Apple devices.
For detailed information about the security content of this update, please
visit:
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222
Following the release of iOS 16.2 and other software updates, Apple also
made tvOS 16.2 available to Apple TV users. The update brings multi-user
voice recognition for Siri and also Apple Music Sing with the karaoke
experience to the Apple TV operating system.
New features coming to Apple TV with tvOS 16.2
With tvOS 16.2, Apple TV is finally getting multi-user voice recognition for
Siri. For those unfamiliar, this is a feature already available on the
HomePod that identifies the voices of different people so that they can make
personal requests to Siri based on their own data.
Since the feature is integrated with Apple TV user profiles, Siri can change
profiles, play songs, or give recommendations based on the voice of the user
who's talking to the virtual assistant. tvOS is even able to associate the
voice profile of the user's iPhone to identify their voice automatically.
block quote
Siri can recognize your voice to switch profiles, play your music or give
personalized video recommendations. If your Apple TV is in your home or
added to your home later, your Siri voice profile from your iPhone will be
associated with your home so Siri can recognize your voice on this Apple TV
and any current or future Siri-enabled devices in your home.
block quote end
In addition to Siri voice recognition, tvOS 16.2 also adds Apple Music Sing
for Apple Music subscribers. With this feature, users can control the level
of the vocals in the song, so they can be slightly reduced or even almost
completely removed for a full playback experience. Unfortunately, Apple
Music Sing is only compatible with the third-generation Apple TV 4K, which
was introduced in 2022.
The update also supports the new Home app architecture, which makes the
experience of controlling smart home accessories more reliable and
efficient. It's worth noting that Apple in October released tvOS 16.1 with a
new Siri interface for Apple TV.
You can update your Apple TV to tvOS 16.2 today by heading to the Settings
app on your TV.
9to5Mac.
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