iOS 16.2 Will Be Officially Released Next Week With These Remarkable New Features

As expected, iOS 16.2 will be officially released next week after nearly two months of beta testing. With last-minute additions like Apple Music Sing and Advanced Data Protection, the software update now brings more than 10 new features to the iPhone.

Currently, the first beta of iOS | iPadOS 16.2 has been rolled out to developers and registered users in the public beta, bringing a number of new features and changes expected in the official release.

Live Activites for Sports

iOS 16.2 will add Live Activites for sports shows and games on the iPhone's Apple TV app. Users can monitor information in real time from the lock screen or Dynamic Island area if they own the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max models.

The Sleep widget

iOS 16.2 lock screen will add a new Sleep widget option for users to add to the lock screen. There are 3 types of widgets: showing the amount of time spent in bed, displaying a graph showing sleep quality, and displaying time in bed with an avatar.

Freeform Apps

Announced at WWDC 2022, Freeform is a new app from Apple that allows users to collaborate with friends and colleagues on a single workspace, including drawings, text, video, images, and more. Photos, documents etc..

Freeform is now available to developers and public beta testers, expected to launch with iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, and macOS Ventura 13.1 in mid-December.

External Display Support on iPadOS 16

iPadOS 16.2 will reintroduce external display support for some iPad models. Prior to the release of iPadOS 16, Apple said the company would delay the feature with Stage Manager and reintroduce it later this year.

External display support with iPadOS 16.2 will allow users to connect an ‌iPad‌ to an external display and use ‌Stage Manager‌ to multitask across multiple windows and running apps simultaneously.

Home App Upgrade

After updating to iOS 16.2 and opening the Home app, there will be an update for the app with the new architecture. Apple says this upgrade improves the performance, efficiency, and reliability of apps for controlling smart home accessories.

Report an unexpected emergency SOS call

If your device accidentally triggers an emergency SOS call, iOS 16.2 allows you to report problems to Apple and share iPhone diagnostics.

Other New Features

• SharePlay support in Game Center.
• 5G network support in India from iPhone 12 and up.
• The Weather app integrates with Apple News.
• Improved search in the Messages app, allowing users to find photos based on their content, such as dogs, cars, people, or text.
• Lock screen camera fix - Apple fixed an annoying bug that didn't let users exit the lock screen camera with a swipe.
• Stage Manager improvements - External display support for Stage Manager multitasking, using up to eight applications at a time.
• Introducing New 'Custom Accessibility Mode' for iPhone and iPad
• There's a new "Update more often" toggle for Live Activity
• New animation effects in Apple Music app play/pause and forward/backward
• Testing of delayed features, improvements to Game Center, integration of SharePlay, the addition of several "Freeform" apps slated for release later this year, and bug fixes from previous versions.
• Added option to turn off wallpaper and notifications when using Always-On display mode.
  
• Extend AirDrop sharing limit to "Everyone for 10 minutes".
  
• Added Karaoke singing feature in Apple Music.
  
• Added "Advanced Data Protection" in iCloud.
  

Currently, if you have participated in the testing program and pre-installed iOS 16/iPadOS 16 Developer beta or Public beta, you can update to iOS 16.2/iPadOS 16.2 RC version via OTA protocol. Do the following: Open Settings => General settings => Software Update.