iOS 16 review: Apple opens the lock screen – Engadget

J ust in time for the arrival of the iPhone 14 line, iOS 16 is officially here , after spending several months in beta. I’ve spent the last week or so testing out the final version of the software, and there are plenty of new things to try, including customizable locking mechanism screens, improvements to the Messages app and some smarter AI tricks. Just as importantly, it’s not buggy. The latest edition associated with Apple’s mobile OS works with the iPhone 8 plus newer models, although some features, demand the relatively recent A12 chip. (More on that later. )

This year’s version of iOS is an update you’ll notice – something that was hard to say about iOS 15 , whose most notable features related to media sharing, Focus modes and SharePlay. iOS 14 , now two years old, added widgets towards the grid of icons and shook up your homepage experience for the first time since the iPhone launched. With iOS 16, Apple finally tackled the lock screen.

A personalized secure display

The lock display screen used to feature a clock and not much else. Things are a little different right now, but let’s start with the clock. The particular font will be thicker and you can even choose the color of the text and there’s now space for icons. You might not like how the new default font looks (I don’t), but the good news is that it is customizable, with several typeface styles plus colors. You can of course choose photos for that lock screen, which isn’t anything new, and you can apply filter styles plus even choose a shuffled selection of photos in order to cycle through. If the particular images were taken in Portrait mode, you can also enable a multilayered photo effect, along with the photo’s subject popping out in front of the time. If you do have an iPhone fourteen Pro, check out our full evaluation for our own thoughts on the Always On Display and, naturally, Apple’s new Dynamic Island.

There are two different widget areas you may customize. First up is usually a slim box above the clock that’s best suited to one-line text (think: the date, chances associated with rain, or even your next calendar event. ) Below that will, there’s the box that can house up to four various widgets — a mix of 2×1 and 1×1 icons. From the locking mechanism screen, you can tap on these in order to launch into the appropriate itself, but don’t expect to glean any extra information by long-pressing upon the symbols, which seems like a very Apple way to expand the information offered by these widgets. Maybe in iOS 16. 1, or iOS 17?

Mat Smith / Engadget

Similar to the debut of home screen widgets on iOS 14, it’ll take time with regard to third-party app developers to get icons into their updates plus onto your phone, but I’m sure productivity, fitness tracking services and others will jump at the chance. Google in particular seems ready to get on board: Its forthcoming Gmail widget will certainly absolutely be getting a place on my lock screen when it becomes available.

The new lock display keeps a few classic functions, too. You’ll still see signal strength and battery icons (now with a percentage readout ) , plus both the flashlight and camera shortcuts are usually still available to tap away at. Oddly, the electric battery indicator only visually replicates how charged it is definitely when the battery is under 20 percent, which is counterintuitive when you’re at 50 percent, for example.

The locking mechanism screen refresh also functions as the renewed method of showcasing an iOS 15 function that can be pretty laborious to set up: Focus settings. You may now assign a Focus mode in order to individual fasten screens (one for personal, one regarding work, one for sleep), each with their own custom widget layouts and photos. If you rarely change your wallpaper during weekdays, you could set up, say, a fun weekend image of your family, plus assign it to your individual focus mode.

Conversely, I have the pretentious motivational quote on a black background intended for when I am crunching aside on deadlines and have my phone set to Do Not Disturb. The ability to swipe between Focus modes makes them easier to use in everyday life. Sure, We could have done so in the past from the particular top-right drop-down menu, yet I didn’t. With iOS 16, I’m already using Focus modes more often.

The better messaging experience

Mat Smith or Engadget

Apple’s native messaging application gets several unique methods, including brand new Visual Lookup features. It now handles image copy-and-pasting, pulling subjects from pictures, screenshots and much more, turning them into easy-to-share stickers. Long-press on the object and animal / person and your apple iphone (if it’s an XS or newer) will endeavor to clip this away from the background, ready to paste elsewhere.

It’s uncannily accurate for such a, well, lazy method. I love it. The Visual Search skills inside iOS 16 are even more expansive, with the new ability to lift textual content from video. In addition to videos you take yourself, it should work along with full-screen video clips in web browsers.

Communications has furthermore expanded its sharing capabilities beyond SharePlay and stickers. You can now send documents, spreadsheets and more, as long because they’re saved in one associated with Apple’s office software file types. Hopefully, third-party assistance for Microsoft and the Search engines Suite will soon follow.

Apple can be making up to get lost period elsewhere since well. Finally, you can edit plus unsend messages on the Text messages app – if you’re quick enough. You will have up to 15 minutes to edit after you initial send the particular message, with the chance to change your message upward to five times. You can see any edited messages from other folks also using iOS 16, which will be grayed (blued? ) out underneath the corrected message. Unsend features are only pertaining to iPhone-to-iPhone communications.  

Similarly, you can now undo send and schedule emails from the native Mail app. (Finally. ) There are also further modern features you are probably already utilized to upon Gmail, like suggestions when you might have forgotten a good attachment or recipient..