It hasn’t been lengthy since Apple launched iOS 16.0 with over 350 new options, however iOS 16.1 is scorching on its tail with much more cool updates on your iPhone. Whereas a few of the latest upgrades have been anticipated, others are considerably shocking — and there is even one that you could be not even assume was attainable.
Apple’s iOS 16.1 replace is nonetheless in beta testing, however you possibly can set up the beta in your iPhone proper now if you wish to begin testing the under options out earlier than everybody else. A few of these options additionally seem on iPadOS 16.1 for iPad, additionally nonetheless in beta.
1. Bigger Numbers for Battery Proportion
On iOS 16.0, Apple lastly added a change within the Battery settings on Face ID units to allow the battery proportion within the standing bar, one thing Contact ID units have lengthy been capable of do. The replace put the share contained in the battery icon, and iOS 16.1 makes the numbers bigger and simpler to see. Under, you possibly can see the icons earlier than and after in mild and darkish modes.

2. Battery Proportion for Extra iPhones
Whereas iOS 16.0 lets us add the battery proportion to the battery icon within the standing bar on Face ID units, it is not obtainable on all Face ID fashions. Particularly, the iPhone XR, 11, 12 mini, and 13 mini are not noted, presumedly due to their smaller shows. The iOS 16.1 replace provides help for these fashions, so now all iPhone fashions that may run iOS 16 can get the brand new battery icon.
3. Clear Power Charging
Go to Settings –> Battery, then open up the “Battery Well being & Charging” menu, beforehand simply “Battery Well being,” and you will see a brand new choice known as “Clear Power Charging.”
Apple says your iPhone “will attempt to scale back your carbon footprint by selectively charging when decrease carbon emission electrical energy is on the market.” It goes on to say your iPhone “learns out of your each day charging routine so it will probably attain full cost earlier than you could use it.”
The setting must be routinely enabled by default, however the “Study Extra” hyperlink goes to a non-existing webpage, which ought to go dwell when iOS 16.1 steady is launched.


4. Dwell Actions
Dwell Actions are lastly right here. They seem on the underside of your iPhone’s lock display, in addition to within the Dynamic Island for the iPhone 14 Professional and 14 Professional Max fashions, and show an app’s most present information, up to date in actual time.
Dwell sports activities video games within the Apple TV app is one instance of what Dwell Actions can do. Choose a dwell sport obtainable in your area from the Dwell Sports activities part, then faucet the “Comply with” button. You may then see the play-by-play and real-time scores in your lock display and within the Dynamic Island when you have an iPhone 14 Professional or 14 Professional Max. Proper now, I can solely get it to work with MLB video games.
In line with Apple, a Dwell Exercise can solely be energetic for as much as eight hours within the Dynamic Island, however it will probably go so long as 12 hours on the lock display. So on the iPhone 14 Professional and 14 Professional Max, a Dwell Exercise would disappear from the Dynamic Island after eight hours however stay in your lock display for as much as 4 extra hours. For sure, you possibly can cease following a Dwell Exercise at any time.
There are additionally 4 totally different viewing modes for Dwell Actions within the Dynamic Island: a compact main view, a compact trailing view, a minimal view, and an expanded view.
5. Dwell Actions API
Dwell Actions aren’t simply obtainable for Apple’s apps — any third-party developer can incorporate them into their apps utilizing the brand new ActivityKit framework. Examples of actions you might monitor embrace a experience pickup from Uber or Lyft, bundle supply from UPS or FedEx, meals supply from GrubHub or DoorDash, pickup order for Starbucks or Goal, exercise utilizing Nike or Well being, and so forth.
Whereas builders are actually constructing Dwell Actions for his or her apps, you will not have the ability to attempt any out till the iOS 16.1 steady launch seems. That is as a result of builders cannot submit their up to date apps with Dwell Actions to the App Retailer till the iOS 16.1 Launch Candidate is on the market, the final beta construct. You could possibly discover beta apps on TestFlight which might be experimenting with Dwell Actions.


6. New Shortcut Actions
The iOS 16.0 replace added virtually 60 new actions within the Shortcuts app, and iOS 16.1 throws a number of extra in. One is “Get Present Focus” for the Settings app, which returns the presently energetic focus. The opposite is “Search in Shortcuts” for the Shortcuts app, which opens Shortcuts and performs a seek for the desired textual content.


7. Delete Apple Pockets
If you happen to do not use Apple Pay, Apple Money, Apple Card, or retailer loyalty playing cards and tickets in Apple Pockets, you possibly can lastly delete the Apple Pockets app. Earlier than, you might solely take away it from the house display, hiding it within the App Library, however now it may be gone for good.


8. Lock Display Customization Adjustments
Apple is making the lock display and house display customization much less complicated on iOS 16.1. Now, everytime you hit the “Customise” button for a lock display within the lock display switcher, it provides you with a alternative between modifying the lock display or house display wallpaper.
Beforehand, it might leap proper to the lock display editor while you tapped “Customise.” Then, while you have been accomplished modifying it, you’ll get an choice to “Set as Wallpaper Pair” or “Customise Residence Display.” You may nonetheless see these two choices when including a brand new lock display.
9. Screenshot Editor Adjustments
Once you faucet on the thumbnail after taking a screenshot to open the editor, all the pieces ought to look the identical till it is time to exit the editor. Faucet “Completed,” and as an alternative of a big motion sheet that takes up the underside half of the display (left screenshot under), you will get a smaller contextual menu close to the “Completed” button itself (proper screenshot under).


10. iCloud Shared Picture Library
If you happen to use Household Sharing to share content material together with your associate, children, and different relations, iCloud Shared Picture Library is one other characteristic now you can make the most of. It may be shared with as much as 5 customers, and everybody can add, edit, favourite, caption, and delete content material.
You possibly can embrace all of your pictures within the shared library or use the setup instruments to incorporate solely particular content material primarily based on a begin date or group of individuals. Individuals also can add content material manually or share media routinely through a change within the Digicam app, utilizing a Bluetooth proximity set off, or from sharing solutions in For You.
Content material out of your iCloud Shared Picture Library might seem within the Photographs widget, underneath your Featured Photographs in For You, or as reminiscence movies.
11. Matter Help
Matter, a brand new unifying open connectivity customary for the Residence app, Siri, Management Middle, and HomeKit-based apps, permits safe, IP-based communication amongst a variety of appropriate good house units and equipment.
Designed by the Connectivity Requirements Alliance, which incorporates lots of of corporations like Apple, Amazon, and Google, the royalty-free protocol makes units and equipment from totally different corporations work collectively seamlessly throughout platforms. In line with Apple, it can “present extra alternative and interoperability for purchasers.”
Amazon Echo, Google Residence, and Samsung SmartThings are simply a few of the good house tech that can work with Matter. To make use of Matter equipment, you will want a house hub, reminiscent of an Apple TV or HomePod gadget.
12. Sport Middle Enhancements
The Contacts app will present your pals’ Sport Middle profiles, and you’ll faucet by way of to see what video games they’re taking part in and the achievements they’re carrying out. There’s additionally a brand new toggle in Sport Middle for “Permit discovering by associates” and a brand new splash display for it known as “Assist Your Associates Discover You.”
Assist your Sport Middle associates discover you extra simply primarily based on the identify they’ve for you of their Contacts app. To do that, Sport Middle will use the e-mail tackle and telephone quantity related together with your Apple ID.
Multiplayer video games that work with Sport Middle are additionally anticipated to work with SharePlay, so you possibly can play video games with your pals throughout FaceTime calls.
What’s Lacking?
There are nonetheless a number of issues Apple stated have been coming later this yr that are not totally carried out but on iOS 16.1, together with key sharing through messaging apps, beginning Dwell Actions from a Highlight Search end result, Dwell Actions for App Clips, and its new Freeform app.
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