For an iPhone software update that won’t be viewed as a major overhaul, iOS 16 certainly packs a lot of features – so many that Apple really only scratched the surface when previewing the update at its Worldwide Developer Conference.
Anyone who has the iOS 16 developer preview installed will get a full taste of all the features and improvements the update will deliver when it releases this fall. And the rest of us will get a chance next month when the iOS 16 public beta arrives.
Even the top iOS 16 features you’ve heard about, like customizable lock screens with widgets, changes to Apple Pay, and enhanced Spotlight search capabilities, have new features you’ve probably overlooked. To give you a closer look at some additions you might not know about, we’re highlighting some hidden features of iOS 16 that deserve wider attention.
Here are the under-the-radar features of iOS 16 that we can’t wait to try out.
Notification display options
You probably know that notifications are being moved to the bottom of the iPhone screen since Apple pointed this out during its iOS 16 preview. The idea is that moving the notifications down reduces some of the screen clutter and frees up the area around the time and date display for any lock screen widgets that are added.
But you also have some customization options for how your notifications look. By default, the notifications are stacked on top of each other, but iOS 16 also offers list and counting views if that’s what you prefer. You can even change the notification layout from the lock screen itself.
Apple is giving the Home app a major facelift in iOS 16, with the idea of making it easier to view and control smart home devices. One of the highlights of Apple’s iOS 16 presentation was the vertically scrolling list of smart home categories at the top of the Home app, giving you quick access to things like lights, climate controls, and smart locks.
But what if I told you that you don’t even need to launch the Home app to control these things or even unlock your phone. As part of iOS 16’s ability to add widgets to the lock screen, there will be Home app widgets that give you direct access to your smart devices.
Maybe this is a no-brainer for some people, but when I thought of lock screen widgets, I thought of things like ways to show the temperature or upcoming appointments. Obviously, Apple has bigger plans for what belongs on the lock screen, and in the case of Home app widgets, this should make controlling your connected devices a lot easier.
A Share button will appear in the Camera app
Sharing photos directly from your camera app on the current version of iOS is easy enough, but it requires a few taps. Apple is going to simplify the process in iOS 16 by adding an automatic switch that allows you to share the photos that are taken automatically. The switch aligns with iOS 16’s new iCloud Shared Photo Library feature, which lets you set up albums where up to six people can contribute photos and collaborate on edits.
Even better, there will be location-based sharing, where your phone can detect that you’re near another member of your iCloud Shared Photo Library album. (You probably also need an iPhone running iOS 16 for this feature to work.)
Home screen search button
While we talk time-saving features, let’s look at the Spotlight search tool, which lets you quickly jump to apps, email, photos, web queries, downloaded songs, and more. (Spotlight is also where Siri Suggestions live — these are the apps and actions you use frequently at that time of day.) To search in iOS 15, you have to swipe down on the home screen — it’s easy enough , but iOS 16 will make it even easier.
The dots at the bottom of the iPhone screen just above the dock currently show you how many different home screens you have and which home screen you’re currently on. But this area has a double duty in iOS 16. It’s also tappable, and tapping it jumps straight to a Spotlight search. This should be much more convenient than the current method, even if it’s just a minor iPhone software change.
Hands-free hanging up with Siri
Now that I’ve embraced the AirPods lifestyle, I appreciate how I can tell Siri when I want to take calls, especially when I’m in the kitchen listening to music and podcasts while cooking. Siri saves me from rinsing my hands and then fumbling with the iPhone just to figure out who’s calling me.
Where Siri has fallen at work is when phone calls have ended. Unless I want to do the iPhone fiddling I mentioned earlier, I have to wait for the person on the other end of the line to end the call.
That changes in iOS 16. Now you can ask Siri to end your call without ever having to touch your iPhone. It sounds like the person on the other end of the line can hear you telling Siri to end the call, but to me that just makes things more dramatic: This call is over. HEY SIRI, HANG UP.
Siri understands emojis when you dictate text
You can currently dictate texts with Siri, but if you’re the type who thinks emojis are worth a thousand words, your iPhone’s digital assistant can’t really help you. Dictate your sweetheart a nice message ending with a heart emoji and Siri will literally type “heart emoji” into the text. It really kills the mood.
iOS 16 makes Siri smarter about dictated emoji, and now when you say “heart emoji” to Assistant, you’ll get a pretty red heart right there in your text message. Yes, Apple is copying something that Google backed on the Pixel 6, but in this case we’re not using a Pixel 6 – we’re using an iPhone. And this feature makes the iPhone much more useful.
Make Siri listen longer
While we’re on Siri improvements, let’s talk about an accessibility feature that Apple actually revealed back in May, a month before the iOS 16 preview. Back then, Apple promised a variety of accessibility features would come to the iPhone, and one of the promised additions that caught my eye was the ability to customize Siri’s pause time.
If you adjust the pause time, the digital assistant will wait longer before responding to your request. It’s ideal for anyone with a speech impediment, but if you’re in a real hurry to run a Siri command before the assistant kicks into action, you’ll appreciate this addition to iOS 16 as well.
Advanced image search
Now enter a search term into the Spotlight search function and the results will include all the images from the Photos app that match your query. Expect more image results in iOS 16 as Apple will expand image search functionality to more of its built-in apps. This includes files, as you might imagine, but notes and messages are also part of the mix.
Schedule emails in Mail
More and more of us are using our phones as daily productivity tools, and that’s reflected in Mail getting many of the same features that Apple adds to macOS Ventura. One feature you’ll appreciate if you regularly use the Mail app on your iPhone is the newfound ability to send scheduled emails.
This is not possible in the current version of Mail, which sends all messages the moment you tap the Send button (the arrow in the right corner). But if you long-press that button in iOS 16, you’ll get options for sending the email – useful if you want a specific message to reach a colleague at the start of their workday.
Track your orders in Apple Pay
Finally, let’s highlight some features in Apple’s existing apps that have been overshadowed by other changes. In the Wallet app, the big change iOS 16 brings is Apple Pay Later, which lets you split your purchase into four installments. But that’s not the only new feature available when you buy things with Apple Pay in iOS 16.
You can also track your Apple Pay purchases directly in the Wallet app. The feature only works with participating merchants, but considering how widespread Apple Pay has become since Apple launched it in 2014, you can imagine that there will be many retailers who will provide you with order tracking information through Wallet place.
Safety Check’s quick exit feature
I was impressed by the addition of Security Check, a feature designed to help people in domestic violence situations quickly cut ties with potentially dangerous individuals by revoking location access, among other things.
Apple seems to have put a lot of thought into how it can help people take a clean break and stay safe, and that includes a less publicized feature in Safety Check. Dubbed Quick Exit, it’s a way to quickly exit the security check screen when you’re worried someone might see you trying to reset access for people and apps.
Once you tap the Quick Exit button, you will be taken to a home screen. Going back into settings will land you on the main settings screen and not back into the security check. This is another way to stop a potentially abusive person from spying on your activities.