Skip to main content

Want an early look at iOS 16? The public beta is finally here

Apple is finally releasing the first iOS 16 public beta after three developer betas. Public beta testers can now download beta profiles for both iOS 16 and iPadOS 16. It brings a ton of new features — from a customizable lock screen to removing backgrounds from photos with a tap. Here’s what you can expect to change on your iPhone with the new OS.

New-look lock screen

iOS 16 brings a major overhaul to the lock screen of your iPhone. You can now customize them to your liking. Moreover, it will be tied to the Focus mode, so you can assign wallpapers and lock screen widgets to your gaming, personal, or work Focus modes. The Focus feature is also going system-wide, allowing you to tie things like Safari websites and certain emails to specific Focus modes. This lock screen is likely to be the base of the upcoming always-on display feature on the iPhone 14 Pro.

Examples of Apple's iOS 16 lock screen customizations.

Updated Messages

Apple is improving its Messages app by adding the ability to unsend or edit text messages within 15 minutes of sending them. The short time window is meant to prevent you from using this feature for mischief or malice. Apple is also killing off Tapback spam in cross-platform group messages. The company is rolling out more sharing features with SharePlay so users can watch movies and listen to music together within the Messages app. There is a new email standard with support for Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) that hopes to make it clear where a message is coming from.

Health and security

Apple is adding a Medications feature to its Health app. It might be the most important feature for you if you need medicines on a daily basis. It allows you to keep track of your medicines, vitamins, and supplements by letting you create a medications list. You can then set up schedules and reminders, and view all the medicine-related information in the Medications section of the Health app.

With iOS 16, Apple is also eliminating the use of captchas. Plus, Safari is killing passwords for good by introducing passkey. iOS 16 may not be the revolutionary upgrade some people were hoping for, but there’s still more than enough to sink your teeth into.

The iOS 16 public beta is available on iPhone 8 and above, including the second-generation iPhone SE. The iPhone 6s, first-gen iPhone SE, and iPhone 7 series are things of the past with this release. If you want to try the iOS 16 public beta for yourself, you can sign up on Apple’s website right now.

Editors' Recommendations

Prakhar Khanna
Prakhar writes news, reviews and features for Digital Trends. He is an independent tech journalist who has been a part of the…
I finally found an Android phone that makes me want to ditch my iPhone
Someone holding the Motorola Edge Plus 2023.

The iPhone 14 Pro is an incredible smartphone. It's been my phone of choice for the last few months — and there's very little I dislike about it. The size is perfect, it's ridiculously fast, the display looks great ... I could go on and on. Simply put, it's a phone that's done everything I've asked of it, and it's given me very little reason to look for a new go-to smartphone.

But that's starting to change. I recently wrapped up my review of the Motorola Edge Plus (2023), and the more I sit back and reflect on my time with the Android phone, I've started to realize something. I barely touched my iPhone while reviewing the Edge Plus, and even now that the review is published, I still find myself grabbing for the Motorola handset over the iPhone.
The Edge Plus feels like it was made just for me

Read more
5 things the iPhone 15 Pro Max needs to fix before I’ll buy it
iPhone 14 Pro Max in hand.

I’ve been using the top-of-the-line big iPhone for two years now. I shifted to the iPhone 13 Pro Max due to its amazing battery life – which inspired my favorite phone of 2022 article. I tried getting back to the non-Max iPhone 14 Pro, but I couldn’t stay long due to the weak battery life. Since then, I've shifted to the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

After using the Pro Max iPhones for over 18 months, here’s what I think the next big Pro iPhone — the iPhone 15 Pro Max — must improve on to deserve the best phone of the year tag again.
The design needs a lot of work
Flat edges make the iPhone 14 Pro Max uncomfortable to hold. Prakhar Khanna / Digital Trends

Read more
Your iPhone could steal this Pixel Tablet feature when it gets iOS 17
iPhone 14 Pro with always on display no wallpaper or notifications

With iOS 17 coming in hot for its expected June reveal during Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference, iPhone owners are anxious to hear about any big features coming with the update. According to Bloomberg, a major change is coming in the form of a complete interface overhaul for locked devices that effectively turns your iPhone into a smart display.

The new interface will supposedly display a plethora of information like the weather, push notifications, upcoming significant calendar dates, and more. Per the report, this new interface displays automatically when your iPhone is locked and laying horizontally with its screen facing up.

Read more