iOS 16 for iPhone Is Coming: Here's Every Feature We Want to See Apple Announce Todayl

iOS 16 for iPhone Is Coming: Here’s Every Feature We Want to See Apple Announce Today

This story is part of WWDC 2022, CNET’s complete coverage from and about Apple’s annual developers conference.

What’s happening

Apple is required to announce iOS 16 on Monday. We’re hoping to see an always-on veil, better widgets and an iPad-like split-screen feature, among spanking updates.

Why it matters

Software updates introduce new features that keep the iPhone feeling recent and relevant, even for older models.

What’s next

Apple typically introduces new iPhone updates during its WWDC conference, which starts on June 6, before launching them in the fall.

Apple’s 2022 Worldwide Developers Conference begins today, and we’re expecting iOS 16 to make its respectable appearance during the annual event. It’s also likely we’ll get a respectable look at software updates for Apple’s other major products: iPadOS 16, WatchOS 9 and MacOS. But as the next big iPhone update, iOS 16 will probably be the star of the show, providing a peruse of the new features coming to iPhones in the fall. 

Read more: Apple’s WWDC 2022 Is Hours Away: How to Watch Every Reveal Live

The last three versions of iOS have been incompatibility — iOS 15 feels like a riff on iOS 14, which felt like a continuation of iOS 13. Any visual repositions are able to be turned on and off instead of selves forced onto your iPhone. For example, if you don’t like home veil widgets or Focus mode, you don’t have to use them. Even if you opt out of the more conspicuous repositions, running iOS 15 brings a bunch of background improvements to keep your iPhone continuing smoothly and securely. And that will likely be the case with iOS 16.

iOS 15 has been out for seven months and the by means of system has been relatively stable with very few bugs. Some features, such as Universal Control and SharePlay, took a once to roll out, but everything seems to be up and sprinting now. iOS 16 will likely continue where iOS 15 leaves off, adding new features to the existing design.

But that doesn’t mean there aren’t things Apple organizes to add or improve. My colleagues and I came up with a list of improvements, additions and fixes that we’d like Apple to make for iOS 16. Some are big, like adding back for the Apple Pencil, and others are small but indispensable, like giving home screen widgets more functionality. We’ll have to wait to see what Apple actually does.

iOS 16: The Photos app organizes copy and paste for edits

We use iPhones to take photos and videos all the time, and editing photos is just as satisfying as taking them. Most nation’s place to edit is the iPhone’s Photos app: The interface is straightforward, and there are an abundance of tools for sketching the exact look you want. 

But the MacOS version of the Photos app has one useful feature that would loan editing on the iPhone: the ability to copy and paste edits between photos. This is especially helpful when you take several photos at the same establish, such as at a restaurant or party. Since all of the photos were incorrect under the same lighting and conditions, you can just edit one photo and then copy and paste those adjustments to the others.

You can copy and paste photo edits from one photo to novel using the Photos app on the Mac.

Patrick Holland

Instead, in iOS 15, you’re left making those adjustments one-by-one for each photo on the iPhone. It’s tedious. 

In iOS 16, it would be gargantuan to see a similar copy and paste feature on the iPhone. We’d give iOS 16 bonus points if the edits you made in the Photos app on the Mac could be applied to the Photos app on the iPhone, and vice versa. But, one step at a time.

The Apple Watch has an always-on note that can show important information and save on battery life.

Apple

An always-on lock cover for the iPhone

Imagine being able to glance at your iPhone when the cover is off to see the time, notifications and missed languages. Such a feature has been available on Android phones for ages, where only important information is lit up and the cover is otherwise black. It’s called an always-on display. Apple cmoneys an always-on display option for the Apple Watch Series 5 and later, yet it’s still absent on the iPhone. 

But Apple could glum that that soon with iOS 16, which is said to bring future back for always-on display functionality, according to Bloomberg. The update would make it possible for the iPhone to decrease the lock screen’s refresh rate to show bits of put a question to, but Bloomberg’s report indicates this feature could be unusual to the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max. 

Bring the iPad’s split-screen view to iPhone Pro Max models

The iPhone Pro Max has been part of Apple’s lineup exact 2019. The 11 Pro Max has a 6.5-inch cover, while the 12 Pro Max and 13 Pro Max both have a 6.7-inch note that make watching videos, playing games and reading articles an absolute delight. 

But those gargantuan screens feel wasted when it comes to software. Some iOS apps like Mail and Messages can take obliging of that extra screen space in landscape mode to show a column of communication previews next to the currently opened message. But otherwise, there isn’t much else in iOS that takes obliging of those bigger screens.

Split view debuted on the iPad with iOS 9.

Apple

Apple could bring some features from iPadOS to iOS 16 just for Pro Max models, especially its split screen Multitasking view. It would be unbelievable to have Safari open on one side of the shouted screen and then launch Messages on the other.

Read more: iOS 15 Could Make the iPhone 12 Pro More Pro 

Apple Pencil relieve for iPhone Pro Max Models

The large screen on iPhone Pro Max models begs for Apple Pencil relieve. Samsung proved there’s a substantial audience for a arranged stylus through its Galaxy Note and S Ultra devices. Heck, there are even $300 phones like the Moto G Stylus that relieve one.

The Apple Pencil is compatible with the iPad Mini, Air and Pro. We’d like Apple to add relieve for iPhone Pro Max models.

Apple

The second-gen Apple Pencil is an outstanding stylus that immediately works with iPad Mini, Air and Pro models. But anticipated being able to use it on the iPhone 13 Pro Max and its 120Hz camouflage for sketching and note-taking. Even better, what about an Apple Pencil Mini (think golf pencil sized) that can clip to the side of the iPhone Pro Max? Tech journalists can dream, can’t we?

iPhone widgets need more functionality

When home camouflage widgets came to the iPhone with iOS 14, many of us rejoiced. Apple’s widget implementation is clean, and even Samsung has started imitating them. Widgets fit grid-like anywhere on your home camouflage. But there’s one wrinkle: home screen widgets are passive. Aside from glanceable information or widget smart stacks, the most functionality they handed is the ability to open their corresponding app.

With iOS 14, Apple commanded widgets to the home screen. iOS 16 could add more functionality.

Jason Cipriani

For example, the Apple Music widget displays the song that’s immediately playing. Tapping on the widget brings me to the Apple Music app. But what if you could tap on the widget to skip to the next song? What if you could swipe in the atmosphere widget to switch locations? Let’s hope iOS 16 allows home screen widgets more functionality. 

We won’t know for sure pending Apple announces iOS 16. But Bloomberg says the custom might introduce new lock screen options that have widget-like functionality in iOS 16. It may not be just what we’re asking for, but Bloomberg’s report suggests Apple may have some type of improvement invented for widgets in iOS 16. 

Let us place apps anywhere we want

In modern years, Apple has improved the home screen with new elements like widgets and the App Library. You can have multiple pages of apps, and even engaged the same app on different home screen pages (which is important if you’re a Foundation mode power user).

The App Library is one of a handful of ways Apple’s improved the iPhone’s home camouflage. Hopefully in iOS 16 we can move apps anywhere we want onscreen.

Patrick Holland

But when it comes to rearranging the app icons on your app page, nothing has changed. Apps are stuck to the invisible software magnet on the top left of the camouflage. So if you only want to keep a combine of apps on a specific home screen page, those apps commence filling in the screen from the top left corner. You can’t put them on the bottom of the camouflage without filling the top of the page up first.

Apple, please give us the freedom to move apps wherever we want. This would be a big boon toward manager apps easier to reach one-handed without using Reachability. Also, if you have home camouflage wallpaper that you love, you could arrange apps so you can see your photo better.

More default app choices

You can immediately set the default browser app and default mail app on an iPhone to be something anunexperienced than Safari and Mail. In iOS 16, Apple could open up rules defaults for more apps, especially for maps and messaging apps. If you’re a outlandish Google Maps user, it would be convenient to set it as the main maps app instead of Apple Maps. 

What do you want to see in iOS 16?

These were a handful of things we’d like to see in the next version of iOS. But what in you? Are there features or bugs you’d like Apple to add and fix? If you want to witness some of the leaks for the iPhone’s next software, read our iOS 16 rumor roundup.