Apple is rolling out the Release Candidate of iOS 16.5 to testers and developers today. The availability of the RC firmware means that Apple could likely release the public and final iOS 16.5 version to compatible iPhone models or iPad via iPadOS 16.5 as early as next week. Here’s what’s new with this update.
Similar to the iOS 16.4 that was released over a month ago, the iOS 16.5 is intended to bring optimizations and bug fixes to iPhones. In addition, there are also minor to modest changes and new features added in this software update.
Fix for laggy Spotlight and CarPlay on iOS
In the iOS 16.4 there were reports of users facing unresponsive Spotlight, even to the point of the keyboard not showing up when tapping the search bar. Apple has addressed the issue through iOS 16.5. The same goes for Screen Time where in some instances the data and settings won’t sync across other connected Apple devices, the iPhone-maker is now resolving this problem.
Another notable issue that has been rectified is the jerky operation or sometimes content that won’t show on the PodCasts app for Apple CarPlay displays. Evidently, Apple is improving the operation of the service while also layering out necessary fixes.
What are the new features on iOS 16
The biggest features of iOS 16.5 include the hands-free activation of screen recording via Siri. Unlike before, you can only start recording by first activating the feature from the settings and manually going to Control Center. In this latest build, users can now summon the assistant to initiate and end screen recording without fiddling on the iPhone or iPad.
Furthermore, Apple is enabling installing of software updates when your iPhone’s battery falls below 50 percent. It also not necessarily needed to plug your device during the downloading and installing process as long as its battery is above 20 percent.
Tagged along with this iOS 16 update is a collection of static and animated Pride Celebration wallpapers to highlight and support the LGBTQ+ community. These wallpapers are customizable and will work for iPhone’s Lock Screen. There are also watch faces based on the same wallpapers intended for the Apple Watch.
Already available in the early beta versions of iOS 16.5, the official News app of Apple is getting a dedicated Sports section. Besides getting live updates and scores for different sports, opening and watching current games can be automatically cast to a connected Apple TV or TV 4K device.
Which Apple iPhone can update to iOS 16.5
The final iOS 16.5 is compatible with iPhones that run on the iOS 16, which means that support is available for iPhone 14 (review) and iPhone 14 Pro (review) all the way to iPhone 8 and iPhone X. You can check our iOS 16 tracker to see all models that will receive this update.
Do you anticipate to install the iOS 16.5 right away when it becomes available? Which features are you looking to see and try most? Tell us in the comment section.
