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Yesterday Apple announced the launch date for it’s latest software update at their ‘Far Out’ event. While users are probably still reeling from the recent security scare and panic update they will be pleased to hear the new update includes a redesigned lock screen and the ability to finally UNSEND messages!!!

The update will be available for iPhones 8 and up

Apple also announced four new iPhones – the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. Keep an eye out for our upcoming blog where we review the latest developments and tell you which one we’ll be upgrading to!

‘Designed to take advantage of the new capabilities of iPhone 14 Pro, iOS 16 features a re-imagined Lock Screen along with new communication, sharing, and intelligence features that together change the way users experience iPhone’ Apple explained in a post on its newsroom.

Here’s a run down of at all the key features coming with iOS 16

Personalised lock screen

The biggest update coming with iOS 16 is the lock screen, which can now be personalised. Users can choose whether they’d like to showcase their favourite photos, customise font styles, and display a set of widgets in the lock screen, e.g. if you regularly check the weather, you could choose to have a weather widget permanently in your iPhone’s lock screen.

‘The Lock Screen is more personal, beautiful, and helpful than ever with a multilayered effect that artfully sets subjects of photos in front of the time, and newly designed widgets that offer information at a glance’ Apple explained.

‘For Lock Screen inspiration, the wallpaper gallery offers a range of options, including Apple collections, a Weather wallpaper to see live weather conditions as they change throughout the day, an Astronomy wallpaper for views of the Earth, moon, and solar system, and many more.’

Messages

If you’re always making typos, you’ll be happy to hear of a range of handy new tools coming to the Messages app. ‘You can now edit a message you’ve just sent or unsend a recent message altogether,’ Apple explained. ‘And you can mark a message as unread if you can’t respond at that moment and want to come back to it later.’

These latest developments are a welcome addition and finally more in keeping with what has been available on WhatsApp for quite some time now.

Photos

Apple has introduced a new iCloud Shared Photo Library, which it describes as the ‘best way to share photos with your family.’

Users can choose what to include in their shared library based on a start date or the people in the photos.

‘Once the shared library is set up, you can share photos instantly straight from Camera, choose to share automatically when other shared library members are nearby, and get smart suggestions for adding photos to the shared library in For You,’ Apple explained.

Mail

The Search function in Mail has been improved to deliver more accurate and filtered results, and as with Messages, users can now unsend emails.

‘Easily unsend an email you’ve just sent, schedule messages to be sent whenever you like, and get reminders to follow up or come back to a message later,’ Apple said.

Live Text

Live Text has been updated and is now available for video and features quick actions.

‘Live Text gets more powerful with the ability to recognise text in video and quickly convert currency, translate text, and more,’ Apple said.

For example, if you were on holiday in Spain and wanted to quickly know how much a bottle of wine cost in your local currency, you could take a photo of the price tag and your iPhone would instantly convert the currency.

Maps

Apple Maps will now let you add multiple stops to your routes in advance.

‘Plan multiple stops along your route in advance or easily access previous routes in Recents,’ Apple explained. ‘Maps also syncs across your devices, so you can look up directions on your Mac and see them on your iPhone when you’re ready to go.’

Health and Fitness

Apple has added a new Medications feature in the Health app.

‘The new Medications feature in the Health app helps you manage, track and understand the medications you take,’ it said.

‘The Fitness app can help you track and meet your fitness goals, even if you don’t have an Apple Watch,’ Apple added. ‘Now, using iPhone motion sensors, your steps, distance and third‑party workouts will give you an estimate of your calories to contribute to your daily move goal.’

We think this is a great addition!

iOS 16…Bring it on!!!!!!!