Forward of Apple’s big developer conference on June 6, WWDC, new details about what’s in retailer for iOS 16 has come to mild. Based on leaks reported by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, iOS customers might count on to see new options like an upgraded lockscreen in addition to up to date first-party apps, together with Messages and Well being, updates to notifications, iPad multitasking options, and extra.
The report described the software program as a “pretty vital” improve — which is notable given the final two updates had included sizable modifications, as nicely. With iOS 14, for instance, iPhone customers gained support for home screen widgets, resulting in a homescreen customization craze that also sees widget and themes apps like Brass, Themify, ScreenKit and others topping the Graphics & Design charts. Final 12 months’s iOS 15 improve, in the meantime, delivered Focus Modes — a brand new solution to management what and who’s allowed to interrupt you and when.
This time round, Bloomberg says Apple will give explicit consideration to its lockscreen, a little bit of under-utilized actual property at present which affords solely the date, time, and buttons to launch the Flashlight or Digicam apps.
In iOS 16, Apple goals to assist wallpapers which have widget-like capabilities, the report claims. This might point out that Apple is contemplating merging what’s at present to the left of the homescreen — the “At the moment View” with its lineup of widgets — instantly into the lockscreen itself. This may make sense because the At the moment View is supposed to supply easy accessibility to data chances are you’ll want all through the day, like upcoming calendar appointments, the climate, or widgets that may be tapped to open favourite apps. However the At the moment View isn’t inside simple attain since you nonetheless need to swipe proper to see it, and plenty of customers don’t hassle to take action.
This transformation might be useful to app builders who assist widgets, because it provides them one other shot at grabbing customers’ consideration in a high-profile space. Plus, it might give the homescreen customization app builders a solution to prolong their choices. That’s, customers may now obtain full theme units with units of widgets designed each for the lockscreen and homescreen, together with matching wallpapers and icon themes.
As well as, the up to date lockscreen might be making ready for a future the place the lockscreen has an always-on show, much like Apple Watch, although this could probably be tied to up to date {hardware}, the report stated. This mode could also be unique to high-end iPhones at launch, together with the iPhone 14 Professional and iPhone 14 Professional Max — if given the greenlight.
Different anticipated options with iOS 16 embody an up to date Messages app with extra “social networking-like performance,” which can embody some type of replace round audio messages. (Please, Apple, enable us to play audio messages at quicker speeds like on WhatsApp!)
The Well being app may even be up to date, however the report didn’t have additional particulars as to what can be modified. As well as, watchOS will acquire modifications to look at faces and a low-power mode, whereas iPadOS will acquire modifications to windowing and multitasking.
One characteristic that wasn’t touched on, however is in want of enchancment, is iPhone’s Focus Mode. Whereas a strong idea in idea, in follow many who’ve tried to arrange Focus Modes have ended up missing important calls and texts, as well as critical notifications, that had are available in by way of numbers or apps that hadn’t been allowed to punch via “Do Not Disturb” settings for the given mode. Establishing Focus Modes takes a number of work, too — what might be higher, maybe, can be a Siri-powered Focus Mode that asks customers to coach the setting over a time frame, permitting it to study what you think about essential versus a distraction for explicit instances of “focus,” like your workday or private time. Siri may additionally recommend Focus Modes based mostly on the way you already use apps in your telephone or how usually and once you “mute” notifications from particular apps.
The Bloomberg report didn’t notice any deliberate modifications for Focus Mode, however it might be a giant oversight on Apple’s half to not roll out some tweaks to this technique with the software program replace.
Apple’s WWDC 2022 keynote will livestream on June 6.
