Apple showcased the new upcoming iOS 16 at WWDC, introducing new customization features such as the new lock screen, safety controls, enhanced focus settings and many more.
New lock screen
The iPhone lock screen has looked dull and boring for as long as we can remember. But that’s all in the past, as Apple is embracing customization with iOS 16. Not only is the new lock screen fun, but it’s also practical.
Customization
You can change the clock font, colour palette, add filters, resize wallpapers and much more.
Notifications
Before iOS 16, lock-screen notifications were a mess. Now, notifications appear on the bottom stacked up behind each other. This is an accessible location for phones with bigger screens and it just looks cleaner. Not to mention, the wallpaper can finally be seen.
Widgets on the lock screen
Widgets can now be added to the lock screen to display useful information at a glance.
Multiple lock screens
Multiple lock screens with different wallpapers, clock styles, colors and widget combinations can be saved and switched on demand. A lock screen can also be tied to a focus mode. For example, a user can have a lock screen for work and a lock screen for sleep. That’s pretty neat!
Live activities
This might just be one of the most convenient notification updates. Live activities give a user real-time updates of an app. Imagine a sports app that doesn’t need to send a notification every time a team scores in a live game. But instead, there’s only one notification that is displayed showcasing live updates. One notification can continually update with the latest information.
Music controls
Music controls are now located at the bottom and can expand to a full-screen mode.
As a user of both Android and iOS, I absolutely love Apple’s implementation of their new lock screen. It’s robust, cohesive and aesthetically pleasing. It really elevates the iOS experience.
iMessage
Users can finally edit messages (up to 15 minutes of sending), undo send and recover recently deleted messages (up to 30 days after deleting them)
Passkeys
Synced through iCloud keychain, Passkeys is a better, safer way to sign in with your passwords. It does this by replacing your password with a private key. Since the key is never stored in a web server, hackers can’t access your accounts. You can also sign in to other devices, including non-Apple devices by scanning the QR code with your iPhone and using Face ID or Touch ID to authenticate.
Copy text from a live video
When a video is paused, text is fully interactive, meaning it can be copied and pasted, looked up, and even translated. This is one of those useful features that you never knew you needed, until now.
To see all of iOS 16 features, click this link!
Note: iOS 16 will be compatible with iPhone 8 and above.
Kenyon Ndezi is a recent graduate, writer, creator of kenyonndez.com; and the owner of Neonbuild.com, which is a company focused on building apps for small businesses and individuals. Follow along and get inspired!
