Apple rolls out iOS 16.1 iPhone update

iOS 16.1

The latest slew of improvements, bug fixes, and new features was delivered to users this week. Apple rolled out iOS 16.1 to compatible devices, which can be installed directly on the iPhone using Settings -> General -> Software Update. There must be enough free storage on your iPhone to update, and the iPhone should be charging with over 50 percent battery power to start the process.

iOS 16.1 offers several reasons to update, besides the bug fixes and security patches normally found in iOS updates. Here are some of the highlights of iOS 16.1:

iCloud Shared Photo Library

A new addition to iOS, the iCloud Shared Photo Library offers a separate library to share photos and videos with up to five others. Library filters make it easy to switch between viewing the Shared Photo Library, your own photos, or both libraries at once. Setting up the shared library can be assisted by rules, which help select photos based on people or dates.

Everyone participating in the library can add, caption, delete, edit, and favorite photos. There's even a sharing toggle in the Camera app, which sends photos directly to the Shared Library. This can also be configured to share automatically when devices owned by others sharing the library are nearby.

Dynamic Island improvements

Apple has added Live Activities for third-party app developers to utilize. This means supported Live Activities for third-party apps can be seen in the Dynamic Island and Lock Screen on iPhone Pro models. Apple has also added support for the Dynamic Island in landscape mode. In fact, there are several bug fixes included in iOS 16.1 to improve the functioning of the Dynamic Island.

Other new features

The Wallet app gains new functions, such as securely sharing keys and an Apple Card savings account. The Wallet app itself can also be deleted from the home screen for the first time.

Fitness+ can now be used on the iPhone without any Apple Watch.

Home gets the Matter smart home standard, which brings compatibility with a wide range of smart home accessories.

The battery percentage status bar icon has been tweaked, and is now available on all iPhones that are capable of installing iOS 16. When it comes to charging, Apple has introduced Clean Energy Charging to time the charging of your device for when lower emissions electricity supply is available.

All iPhone owners are recommended to install iOS 16.1 to ensure the best experience and ensure that bugs and security vulnerabilities are corrected.