Janet Ingber
iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 became available on September 12, 2022 and they are packed with new features, both mainstream and for the visually impaired. In this article, I will describe many of the new mainstream features.
Since September 12, Apple has issued several updates to this operating system, as is common with major software releases. I recommend waiting at least a week from a first release to give Apple time to correct bugs. The AppleVis website has information on bugs and fixes.
I will describe updates to major apps including Messages, Mail, and Siri. As you go through the article, I recommend going through each app’s Settings. For this article, I used an iPhone 13 mini.
Before updating your device, make sure it is fully backed up.
Lock Screen
On the newly designed lock screen, notifications have been moved lower down. There is a Show Notifications button that will open the Notification Center. The Flashlight is at the bottom left corner and the Camera is in the lower right corner. If you flick left and right, you can explore the whole screen. Scheduled summaries will appear in the same place they were previously. The same is true for text messages. You can now add widgets to your lock screen. Unfortunately, at this time, it is a complicated procedure when using VoiceOver. To give it a try, use the excellent description on the AppleVis website. The author of the post is screen name HEXAGON.
I put a widget on my lock screen and now text messages are displayed below the widget.
Messages
The Messages app now has some very useful features including the ability to recall a message, to mark it as unread after reading, and to edit a message after it has been sent. If you swipe through message choices, there is a new choice, whether to mark it as unread. This might be useful if you want to revisit the message. If the Delete option is selected, VoiceOver will say that the message will be deleted from all your devices.
If you accidentally delete a text message, go to the main messages screen and activate the Edit button in the upper left corner. Swipe right until you hear VoiceOver say “Show Recently Deleted.” A list of your deleted conversations will appear. Swipe down to the Recover option and select it. Select the Done button in the upper right corner.
Have you ever sent an iMessage and then wish you could unsend it? In iOS 16 you can do that and can also edit the message once it has been sent. Unfortunately, these new features only work with iOS 16 and both the sender and recipient must be using iOS 16. Also, both must be using iMessage. Unsend a message by doing a one-finger double tap and hold on the message area. You will hear three notes. Select the Undo option. Be aware that you only have two minutes to unsend a message.
Edit a message that has been sent by first doing a one-finger double tap and hold on the message. This time, select the Edit option. Make your edit and re-send the message. You can do up to five edits per message.
There is another very useful feature, the ability to report junk texts. If you receive a text from someone not in your contacts or from a number you don’t recognize, you can report it to your carrier and Apple. That option will appear when you go to delete the text.
When dictating a text, you can bypass Siri asking you whether you want to send the message. Go to Settings>Siri Search and select the Automatically Send Messages button.
Unfortunately, audio messages are not as easy to do in iOS 16 as in iOS 15. I quickly realized that on the message screen there was no button for dictating an audio message. To send an audio message after adding recipients, swipe to the Apps button and select it. Next, swipe right until you hear Audio. Select that option. The Record button is at the bottom of the screen.
There are two ways to activate the Record button. The first is to double tap on the button to start the recording and double tap again to stop recording. The other method is to double tap and hold on the Record button. When you are finished recording, release the button. Be aware that if you use this method, the message will be sent automatically. In either case, VoiceOver’s instructions will be heard on your message.
Mail now has some of the same features as Messages. For example, you can now undo an email. Be aware that the time you have is very short, much less than the allotted time in messages, approximately 12 seconds. The Undo Send button is just before the Compose button in the lower right corner of the screen. Once time is up, it goes away.
When an email is open, the following buttons will be at the bottom of the screen: Delete, Move, Reply, and Compose. Selecting the Reply button brings up the standard list of options including Reply, Reply All, Forward, and Move Message.
Mail has some new options that are available by swiping up or down on the closed email. The Read Later option lets the Mail app remind you about the email. Select the Read Later option and a new screen will load with options to receive a reminder about the email. Options include Remind Me in One Hour and Remind Me Tonight.
Mail now has the ability to schedule what time an email is sent. After completing your email, triple tap the Send button. A menu will appear. There are several time options and a Send Later button. This button did not work well: I was able to set the date but not the time.
If you receive an email containing a rich link, it can be opened within the Mail App. Double tap and Hold on the link.
Siri
When Siri is activated, the tone you will hear is lower pitched and not so intrusive as in iOS versions. You will hear this new tone whether you use the side button, Hey Siri, or use dictation. It is now possible to add more emojis to your dictation. First, say the name of the emoji you want to add, followed by the word ‘emoji.’ You will need to know the exact name of the emoji. I tried this feature with the following emojis: birthday cake, musical notes, red heart, and guide dog. It took several attempts to get the guide dog emoji. You really need to enunciate the word ‘guide.’
In iOS 16, you can now ask Siri which commands you can use in a particular app. This is called Siri Command Guidance. Ask Siri, “What can I Do Here?” Siri will tell you what Siri can do in the app. For example, in the Messages app, Siri told me that I could make a call, make a FaceTime call and read my messages.
Siri’s new Automatic Punctuation feature will add punctuation. When dictating, you will not have to say the name of the punctuation you want. This feature works well most of the time. You can enable or disable it by going to Settings>General>Keyboard>Dictation>Auto-Punctuation. This feature is on by default.
Safety Check
Safety Check settings can be found by going to Settings>Privacy & Security>Safety Check. Here is Apple’s description of what Safety Check does. “If circumstances or trust levels change, Safety Check allows you to disconnect people, apps, and devices you no longer want to be connected to.” Below the description is a button labelled “Learn More.”
There are two ways to use Safety Check. The Emergency Reset button will remove access for all people and apps, and you can also review account security.
The other option is Manage Sharing Access: you can choose who has access to your information. You can also review your account security. If you choose this option, a new screen will load with information about who has access. At the top of this screen are two buttons, People and Information.
In another effort to increase security, Apple will automatically download and install security updates.
Apple Music
Apple Music now lets you choose an artist as a Favorite. By doing this, you get personalized recommendations based on that artist as well as any new releases from the artist. Go to the Search tab and put the artist’s name in the Search box. Select the artist’s name in the results. On the next screen, near the top, is a Favorite button. Select the button and it will now say “Unfavorite.” Therefore, you can always change your mind.
There are new sorting options for playlists. Go to your library and select Playlists. On the next page, flick right to the Sort button and select it. Sorting options include By Title, Recently Played, and Recently Updated. Make your selection.
You also have the ability to sort the order of a specific playlist. Open the playlist and when the new screen loads, flick right to the More button and select it. On the next screen, flick right to the Sort By button and select it. Sorting options for the playlist include Title, Artist, Album, and Release Date.
Focus
The Focus app has been significantly upgraded. Go to Settings>Focus. There are specific kinds of focuses including Sleep, Personal, and Workout. Do Not Disturb is also an option. There is a Set Up button next to the name. Below the list are two buttons that are on by default: Share Across Devices and Focus Status. The first button lets the Focus be activated on all your devices. If you activate or turn off a focus on one of your devices, it will be the same on all your devices. The Focus Status lets recipients know that you have notifications silenced.
You can also create a Focus by selecting the Add button in the upper right corner of the screen. When the new screen loads, there is another list of options including both Fitness and Mindfulness. Make your selection. The app will then guide you through creating your Focus. The Back button is in the upper left of the screen and the Done button is in the upper right.
Conclusion
Upgrading to iOS 16 or iPadOS 16 is very worthwhile. Remember to backup your device first.
This article is made possible in part by generous funding from the James H. and Alice Teubert Charitable Trust, Huntington, West Virginia.
