iOS 16: personalized lock screen
Apple introduced iOS 16 with the “largest update” of the lock screen. Users can personalize it: configure the design of the clock, install the Apple Watch style widgets (calendar events, alarm clock, charging level), color palette and more.
Apple added several collections of wallpaper to the gallery – for example, with the weather. The image on the screen will change during the day, depending on changes in weather conditions.
Notifications now appear at the bottom of the lock screen so as not to block the image on the screensaver.
The company added a new type of “living” notification (Live Activities): They will allow you to monitor different processes in real time without opening the application itself. For example, this is how you can follow a taxi or score in a sports match.
Users will be able to tie wallpaper and widgets to a certain “focus” mode. Thanks to the filters, the applications of the calendar, mail, messages and tabs in Safari can only be shown by content that is related to the user focus.
In “Messages”, comment senior IOS app developer, editing recently sent messages and their cancellation appeared. Users will be able to restore recently remote messages and mark the correspondence as unreasonable. SharePlay functions were added to the application and expanded their capabilities during the use of Facetime – you can synchronously watch a movie and discuss it in the chat.
The Apple Pay Later in the USA was added to Wallet – installments in the form of four equal payments within six weeks without interest and commissions. The built -in tracking of purchases will appear, which is integrated with the Shopify service. Apple Wallet will also provide passport data inside the applications (in those states where it is allowed).
Apple has updated “maps”: detailed maps will add in 11 countries and some large cities. In the application there will be routes with several stops, add stops you can ask Siri. Users will be able to see how much the trip is worth the application and add transport cards to Wallet.
A cloud library of photos ICloud Share Photo Library appeared. With the help of it, up to six family members can share pictures from their personal albums or automatically send them during the shooting. Each user will be able to add, delete, edit pictures and save them to favorites.
The Live Text function now works with the video. A function has appeared that will cut the object in the image with a simple movement and insert it to any place – for example, send in the form of a sticker in messages.
Watchos 9: new dials and tracking phases
Users will be able to configure the background for dials, four new dials have also appeared – Lunar (shows the connection between the Gregorian and Lunar calendar), Astronomy, PlayTime (animated numbers), Metropolitan – a classic dial.
For athletes, there were more information about training: for example, several new metrics such as the “heart rhythm zone.” The device can automatically switch between different sports – this function is useful for those who are engaged in triathlon.
Sleeping has become more detailed: Apple Watch learned to determine the phases of sleep and show this data. The algorithm analyzes the quality and depth of sleep in a combination of data (pulse, respiratory rate, movement).
Users will be able to track the use of medicines with scanning of labels using a camera. In the United States, the system will warn if the user combined medicines that are potentially dangerous to take at the same time.
When updates to operating systems come out
Beta versions for developers are already available, public beta versions will appear in July 2022, the release in the fall. Updates will be available for the iPhone 8 and more new and the Apple Watch Series 4 and News.
iOS 16.1 What is new? Apple fulfills promises on October 25
More recently, IOS 16 was released, in which lovers of apple products received a number of new functions: the ability to cast in the lock screen using widgets, the ability to install several lock screens, filters and additional settings for each application, improve the work of messages and their editing, SharePlay and so on
I’ll tell you about the main updates to IOS 16.1. Since I myself am an iOS app developer, I identified some headlines that will be useful to my colleagues. Heere We Go!
Live Activity function
Live Activity is a type of interactive push notification. They allow iOS to provide their users with updates in real time, which are visible only on the lock screen.
Live Activity is added in this release. They appear in the lower part of the lock screen of your iPhone, as well as on the “eye” (Dynamic Island) for iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max models and display the latest applications updated in real time.
Direct broadcasts of sports games in the Apple TV application are one of the examples of what Live Activity is capable of. Choose a live game available in your region in the Live Sports section, then click the “Subscribe” button. Then you will see the results of the game for the game and the results in real time on the lock screen and in Dynamic Island.
Live Activity can only be active up to eight hours in Dynamic Island, but can last up to 12 hours on the lock screen. Thus, on the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max Live Activity will disappear from Dynamic Island in eight hours, but will remain on the lock screen for another four hours.
API Active Actions (For Developers)
This feature is available not only for Apple applications – any developer can include them in his applications using the new Activitykit platform. Examples of actions that you can track include receiving a car from Uber or Lyft, delivery of parcels from UPS or FedEx, food delivery from DOORDash, ordering for removal in Starbucks or Target, training using Nike or Health, etc.
Developers cannot send their updated applications with Live Activity to the App Store until the preliminary version (RC) iOS 16.1 appears. But, this has already happened on October 18, so all applications in which interactive actions are added should be prepared to work when the stable version of iOS 16.1 will be released on October 24.