Today marks the official release of iOS 16.1, the first big update to September’s release of iOS 16. As you will see in my hands-on video walkthrough, iOS 16.1 is packed to the gills with new features and changes.
Some of the changes in iOS 16.1 will have a direct effect on how Apple’s new iPhone 14 Pro works, specifically related to the Dynamic Island, but the majority of features apply to all phones eligible for iOS 16. Watch my hands-on iOS 16.1 walkthrough for details on what matters most.
Video walkthrough
Subscribe to Cellular on YouTube for more
What’s new in iOS 16.1?
- Redesigned status bar battery indicator
- Charging status now back on Lock Screen
- Batteries widget show (other) devices in Low Power Mode (need to update watch)
- Clean Energy Charging (new Battery Health & Charging heading)
- Lock Screen clock tint matches album artwork
- Customize Home Screen wallpaper via Lock Screen (less taps)
- Updated wallpaper preferences in Settings app (Can now swipe through all configured wallpaper
- Per-app copy-and-paste permissions
- Pre-load in-app content
- Redesigned confirm to download interface in App Store (Larger app icon, cleaner interface)
- iCloud Shared Photo Library
- Reachability supports Dynamic Island
- Visual Dynamic Island bug fixes and improvements
- Landscape mode support for Dynamic Island
- Updated Dynamic Island gestures
- Dynamic Island gets colored outlines when displayed on black BG
- Live Activities for third-party apps
- Apple Card savings account (coming soon)
- Key Sharing in Wallet app
- Delete Wallet app
- Apple Fitness+ without Apple Watch
- Matter accessories support in Home app
- Books reader controls hidden automatically when reading
- Disable AirPods Pro 2 touch volume control
- AirPods icon in Music app
- Updated SMS junk reporting popup in Messages (need to confirm)
- Updated Focus mode illustrations
- Screenshots no longer capture ongoing PiP sessions
- Updated Screenshot menu icons
Conclusion
iOS 16.1 is a big update, and while iCloud Shared Libraries are arguably the biggest new feature, Live Activities are going to change the way we consume glanceable information from this point forward.
