After more than a month of beta testing, Apple today released iOS 16.1 to the public, adding significant new features to the iOS 16 operating system and debuting the iPadOS 16 version.
iOS 16.1 adds the ability to delay iOS 16 updates, in addition to tweaking some existing features and interface options. We’ve outlined all the new features in iOS 16.1 below.
iCloud Shared Photo Library
Apple delayed iCloud Shared Photo Library to fix some bugs, but it’s available in the iOS 16.1 update. With iCloud Shared Photo Library, a total of 6 people can share a photo library, making it easier to distribute photos among friends and family.
Each member of the iCloud Shared Photo Library can add, edit, favorite, add, and delete photos, and users can have a personal photo library and a shared photo library. There are tools for swapping between the two libraries, as well as the option to upload photos directly from the camera to the shared library when other library participants are nearby, and more.
iCloud Shared Photo Library is a complex feature that you may have a lot of questions about, so we’ve created a dedicated guide on how to use it.
Live Activities
The lock screen and dynamic island feature, Live Activity, was introduced in iOS 16.1. Live Activity is a new type of notification that lets you keep an eye on something in real time, like an upcoming Uber ride, flight, sports, and more.
There is a Live Activities API available to developers in iOS 16.1, so alongside the launch of the update, developers will be able to add new Live Activities experiences into their apps.
Wallet Key Sharing
Car, hotel room, and other keys that are available in the Wallet app can be shared securely with others through Messages, WhatsApp, and other messaging apps.
Lock Screen/Home Screen Customization
When tapping the Customize screen on the lock screen, you can now choose to customize the lock screen or home screen, not just the lock screen. This makes it easier to customize the look of your iPhone from one location without having to go through multiple steps.
Apple Fitness+ on iPhone Without an Apple Watch
Apple Fitness+ is available even if you do not have an Apple Watch to use with both iOS 16.1 and tvOS 16.1. You can start a workout if you are an Apple Fitness+ subscriber, though you will be missing the Apple Watch metrics on the display.
You can subscribe to Apple Fitness+ without a watch after the updates have been installed.
Matter Support
iOS 16.1 adds support for the Matter smart home connectivity standard. Matter allows interoperability between smart devices from different companies, such as HomeKit, Alexa and Google Assistant devices can work together.
Clean Energy Charging
iOS 16.1 adds a toggle to enable Clean Energy Charging in the Battery section of the Settings app. Clean Energy Charging will try to reduce your carbon footprint by selectively charging when low carbon emitting electricity is available.
Apple says that based on your daily charging habits, your “iPhone” will still be fully charged before you need to use it, and the feature can be turned off if needed. It seems to be enabled by default when updating to iOS 16.1.
Delete Wallet App
iOS 16.1 added the option to completely remove the Wallet app from iPhone. In iOS 16 and earlier versions of iOS, the app can be removed from the Home screen, but not deleted. For those who don’t want to use Apple Pay or other wallet features, it can now be completely removed.
The option comes as Apple is facing a lawsuit accusing it of violating antitrust law by making Apple Pay the only available mobile wallet for tap-to-pay payments on iPhone.
Battery Percentage in Status Bar
iOS 16.1 adds battery percentage to the battery icon in the status bar on the iPhone XR, iPhone 11, iPhone 12 mini, and iPhone 13 mini, all iPhones that did not support the feature in iOS 16.
Screenshot UI
After closing the screenshot editing tool, there is an updated interface in the upper right corner with options to delete screenshots, copy and delete or save screenshots. The menu used to be at the bottom of the iPhone, so this new implementation is sleeker and doesn’t take up the bottom of the display, so it doesn’t take up the bottom of the display.
Battery Status Bar Visual Charge Indicator
Apple in iOS 16 added battery percentage to the battery icon in the status bar on Face ID iPhones, and in iOS 16.1 beta 2, improved the feature to show a visual indication of the charge level.
The battery icon changes throughout the day as the battery is depleted or charged, making it easier to see the charge at a glance. Before the beta version, the battery indicator in the status bar showed a percentage, but the battery level was static and always full, making determining the iPhone’s charge level from a quick look at times confusing.
Battery Font
Apple has updated the font that’s used for the battery icon, slightly increasing the size.
Lock Screen Charging Indicator
When charging an iPhone, the battery percentage is now displayed above the time the iPhone first started charging and each time it woke up from sleep during the charging process.
This provides a clear indication of the charge level when tapping the iPhone’s display without unlocking the device. The always-on display does not show the battery level, and the screen of the iPhone 14 Pro model needs to be woken up to show the battery level.
Wallpaper Updates
Apple has updated the Wallpapers section of the Settings app to allow users to switch between wallpapers through this interface. The design has also been tweaked, making the option to add new wallpapers more obvious.
Emergency SOS via Satellite
Apple is starting to lay the groundwork for emergency SOS integration via Satellite and Find My Satellite, which will be available on iPhone 14 models starting in November. The code in the update reveals some of the text we can expect to see.
- Send your location using a supported iPhone from places where there are no cellular or Wi-Fi networks.
- Send your Location via Satellite.
- This friend sent you their location via satellite because they have no other network available.
- Can send location again after X amount of time.
- X hours ago – Last time your location was sent.
- You can now text emergency services via satellite on your iPhone.
- iPhone can try to use a satellite to text emergency services. When it’s safe, exit the vehicle and follow the iPhone instructions.
- iPhone is texting emergency services via satellite.
AirPods Pro 2 volume touch switch
The iOS 16.1 beta adds a new feature that allows the touch-based volume control of the AirPods Pro 2 to be disabled.
Preload In-App Content
After downloading an app from the App Store, it sometimes downloads extra content the first time you open it, especially if it’s a large-sized app. In iOS 16.1, there is a switch to automatically run newly downloaded apps in the background to download content before your first launch.
The setting is enabled by default and can be found in the Settings app under App Store > In-App Content.
Books App
In the Books app, reader controls are automatically hidden when you begin to read.
Bug Fixes
The iOS 16.1 update includes a number of bug fixes.
- Deleted conversations may appear in the conversations list in Messages
- Dynamic Island content is not available when using Reachability
- CarPlay may fail to connect when using a VPN app
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Hazel Yu 
