After six weeks of beta testing, Apple is set to release iOS 16.5 to the general public next week. This will mark the final major iOS 16 update that’s released prior to Apple’s announcement of iOS 17 at WWDC in June. Head below for a rundown of what’s new in iOS 16.5 and when you can expect it to be released.
iOS 16.5: New features and changes
iOS 16.5 includes a combination of bug fixes and new features. The headlining new feature is the addition of a new “Pride Celebration” wallpaper, which Apple says is designed to “honor the LGBTQ+ community and culture.” This wallpaper pairs with the addition of a new Pride Celebration watch face and a new Pride Sport Band for Apple Watch.
Earlier iOS 16.5 betas included the addition of a new Siri command for starting and stopping a screen recording. Apple removed this feature in subsequent iOS 16.5 betas, and it’s not included in the final version of the update.
iOS 16.5 also adds a new dedicated “Sports” tab in the Apple News app, as well as other enhancements to make it easier to follow along with games. There are also bug fixes for Spotlight Search, CarPlay, and Screen Time.
- A new Pride Celebration wallpaper for the Lock Screen to honor the LGBTQ+ community and culture
- Sports tab in Apple News gives easy access to stories, scores, standings, and more, for the teams and leagues you follow
- My Sports score and schedule cards in Apple News take you directly to game pages where you can find additional details about specific games
- Fixes an issue where Spotlight may become unresponsive
- Addresses an issue where Podcasts in CarPlay may not load content
- Fixes an issue where Screen Time settings may reset or not sync across all devices
According to Apple, iOS 16.5 will be released next week. Given Apple’s history, the update will likely be released on Tuesday, May 16, at around 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT.
iOS 16.5 will be the final major point-release update to iOS 16 before WWDC in June. This is where Apple will debut iOS 17 and release the first developer betas. Apple is, however, expected to continue releasing updates to iOS 16 through the summer and likely even alongside iOS 17.
What are you most excited to try in iOS 16.5? Let us know in the comments below.
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