iOS 16: Is the update worth it? New functions at a glance

The update to iOS 16 brings many functions to Apple devices. We tell you which new features are coming to the iPhone. So you can assess whether it’s worth it for you to install the update

Apple iOS 16: New features for iPhone 8 and newer

On 12 September 2022, the update to iOS 16 arrived for all iPhones from iPhone 8 onwards and offers some new features:

• Lock screen: It will now be possible to add widgets and adjust their arrangement and font. It will also be possible to use animations in widgets and animated background images. You can thus fully personalise your lock screen.
• Home: A new tab is introduced at the top, making it easier to divide and control your Smart Home.
• Messages: With iOS 16, the display of notifications has been restructured. Messages now scroll from the bottom to the top. This provides more clarity on the personalised lock screen and makes it easier for you to use with just one hand.
• Live Activities: This feature makes notifications more ergonomic and clear, such as tracking the progress of a live event or Uber order.
• Messages and mails: With iOS 16, you can edit or delete messages even after sending them. You can also easily mark read conversations as unread again. You can also now schedule your emails in advance and recall them if you send them by mistake.
• Photos: iOS 16 gives you a shared iCloud photo library for the whole family. Six users who also own iPhones can be added here.
• Apple Pay: On the one hand, with Apple Pay Later, there will be an instalment payment option for purchases that you pay for with Apple Pay. On the other hand, iPhones can be used as card terminals in the future to enable purchases with Apple Pay.
• Apple CarPlay: With the update, CarPlay will be even more integrated into the vehicle, it will be possible to freely customise the design and include the dashboard display in addition to the infotainment display.
• Apple Maps: The Maps app also gets many new features, navigation becomes more flexible as now up to 15 intermediate stops can be added. It is also possible to transfer previously planned trips on the Macbook to your iPhone and use Siri in real time to change the route.
• Focus: The Focus feature on iPhone allows you to separate different areas of your life, such as your personal life as well as your work. You can now use different lock screens. Via the focus filter, you determine that apps only bring the relevant content to the lock screen.
• Health: On demand, the iOS Health app now also manages your medication list and offers you a reminder function as well as a schedule for taking it.

Apple iOS 16: New features for iPhone XS and newer

The following new features only work with newer iPhones that have at least the A12 Bionic chip:

• Live Text: With iOS 16, it will be possible to recognise the text in videos, and the function will also work better with large texts.
• Dictation function: With the update, the Siri function becomes much more useful, as you can now add input such as proper names or complex abbreviations simultaneously with the keyboard while dictating. It will also be possible to dictate emojis.
• Real-time signatures: This new feature, which works using artificial intelligence, will only be available for iPhones starting with the iPhone XS.
• Visual Lookup: The feature, which has been available since iOS 15, will be expanded to include a database of insects, birds and statues. Drug recognition is also to become available with iOS.
• Only for iPhone 13 and 13 Pro will foreground bokeh and cinematic video mode be improved with the update.