Apple today released iOS 16.1 to the public. The new version of iOS comes with a lot of features and changes, including support for Live Activities, Clean Energy Charging, iCloud Shared Photo Library, and much more. In this article, let's take a closer look at iOS 16.1 and check out all the new features that it will bring to your iPhone:

iOS 16.1 Features

Live Activities

iOS-16-1-live-activities

iOS 16 comes with a brand-new customizable Lock Screen. Users can now change the font type, add a depth effect to the wallpapers, add widgets, and do much more with their iPhone's Lock Screen. While the new changes are good, one of the features that iOS 16's initial release missed out on was the Live Activities feature.

This is a new form of notification that Apple is planning to implement on iOS. Instead of sending static notifications every few minutes, apps will be able to show a persistent notification that updates in real time. Apple also showcased a few examples of how delivery and sports-based apps might take advantage of this feature. Developers need to update their apps before you begin to see this feature in action on your iPhone.

Dynamic Battery Indicator

ios-16-dynamic-battery

With last month's iOS 16 release, Apple finally added a feature that allowed iPhones with a notch to display battery percentage inside the status bar. The battery indicator, however, left a lot of people confused since it remained full regardless of the battery percentage. iOS 16.1 brings a new dynamic battery indicator that changes according to the battery level. The new battery indicator makes it much easier to know how much battery your iPhone has. Apple has also enlarged the battery icon's font slightly.

In addition to this, Apple has also expanded the ability to show battery percentage in the status bar to more iPhone models. With iOS 16.1, users of the iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone XR, and iPhone 11 will be able to enable the battery percentage toggle in the settings. As a refresher, it's worth noting that the option to enable battery percentage in the status bar is available in Settings → Battery → Battery Percentage.

Lock Screen Charging Indicator

ios-16-lock-screen-battery

With iOS 16, Apple removed one of my favorite features of iOS. The company removed the feature wherein the iPhone would show the battery charging percentage on the Lock Screen when it was put on charging. iOS 16.1 adds the indicator back to the system.

It works in the same way as before, which means when you press the power button of your iPhone when it's on the charge, it will show the charging percentage above the timestamp (shown above). However, the iPhone 14 Pro's always-on display does not support the feature, and you need to tap the display to check the battery level.

iCloud Shared Photo Library

This is another feature that iOS 16's initial release missed out on, but it will be made available with iOS 16.1. Anyone with an Apple ID can join a shared iCloud photo library and view, contribute to, and edit it, including favoriting images and adding captions.

Clean Energy Charging

Clean-Energy-Charging-iOS-16.1

First teased with iOS 16's initial release, iOS 16.1 brings the Clean Energy Charging feature. Apple says the Clean Energy Charging feature aims to decrease the carbon footprint of the iPhone by optimizing charging times for when the grid is using cleaner energy sources. While the company hasn't released any details about the new feature, a report from 9to5Mac has detailed how it works.

According to the report, iOS 16.1 runs a background process that downloads the forecast of the carbon emissions of your area. It gathers the data based on the device's location and the data provided by the local load balancing authority. The system uses all the data to decide when Clean Energy Charging should be implemented. Using the algorithm, it determines when power grids in your area are less constrained and have more clean energy capacity available.

Subscribe to Apple Fitness+ With Just an iPhone

Apple-Fitness-Plus-hero-220907_big.jpg.large

You can now subscribe to Apple Fitness+ even if you do not have an Apple Watch on iOS 16.1. If you are an Apple Fitness+ subscriber, you can start a workout, but you won't see any metrics from your Apple Watch.

Ability to Delete Wallet App

iOS 16.1 also adds the ability to delete the Wallet app from your iPhone. Earlier, the app could be removed from the Home Screen, but it couldn’t be deleted altogether. The new iOS version allows users to delete the Wallet app. It can be a useful feature for those who do not want to use Apple Pay or other Wallet features.

Tweaked Screenshot UI

iOS 16-1 ss ui

Apple has also (slightly) tweaked the screenshot user interface with iOS 16.1. In the previous iOS versions, when you pressed "Done," the options to copy, delete, and save the screenshot appeared from the bottom. iOS 16.1 brings a new screenshot UI wherein these buttons appear in the upper left corner just below the "Done" button.

Matter Smart Home Standard Support

Apple announced during the WWDC 2022 keynote that iOS would support Matter Smart Home Standard support "later this year." iOS 16.1 adds a new “Matter Accessories” section to the Settings app, which means the new iOS version fully supports the new smart home standard.

New Copy-Paste Permission on Per-App Basis

iOS 16-1 Copy Paste Improvements

With iOS 16, Apple introduced a feature that requires third-party apps to ask for the user's permission before accessing the iPhone's clipboard. While the company fixed the bug with iOS 16.0.2 release, the prompt still continues to appear excessively for some of the users. iOS 16.1 brings a new feature that lets the users pre-set copy-and-paste permission for third-party apps.

Pre-Load In-App Content

ios-16.1-beta-3-app-content-toggle
Source: MacRumors
 

New features in iOS 16.1 include a toggle that allows the system to download an app's in-app content in the background before launching them. With the new toggle, users will be able to start using apps right after downloading without having to wait for their in-app content to load.

Redesigned Wallpaper Section in Settings

ios-16-wallpaper-tweaks

iOS 16.1 allows users to swap between wallpapers directly from the Wallpaper section of the Settings app. The design has also been slightly tweaked to make it easier for users to add wallpapers and view the wallpapers they have set currently. In addition, Apple has also tweaked the Lock Screen wallpaper selection UI.

Other Features/Changes

  • Apple has fixed a bug wherein deleted conversations may appear in the conversations list in Messages.
  • Dynamic Island now (fully) supports Reachability.
  • iOS 16.1 also fixes a bug in which CarPlay may fail to connect when using a VPN app
  • PBI iPhone 14 Midnight
    Apple iPhone 14

    iPhone 14 joins the market as the smartphone to pick if you want a high-tier of performance, great cameras, and battery life that will last you through a day of use with ease.

  • PBI-iPhone-14-Pro-Gold-1
    iPhone 14 Pro

    iPhone 14 Pro is the latest premium smartphone from the brand. It features a new pill-shaped 'Dynamic Island' notch, 48MP primary camera sensors, an A16 Bionic chipset, and much more.

  • PBI-iPhone-14-Deep-Purple-1
    iPhone 14 Pro Max

    iPhone 14 Pro is the latest large-screen premium smartphone from the brand. It features a new pill-shaped 'Dynamic Island' notch, 48MP primary camera sensors, an A16 Bionic chipset, and much more.