iOS 16 brings some major changes to the iPhone, including a customizable lock screen that now supports widgets, new message editing tools and a new fitness app, as well as updates to many existing iPhone apps.
But iOS 16.1 is a major update because it offers more than improvements and bug fixes. Not only are we getting features that Apple promised in the iOS 16 preview released in the summer but have been delayed until now, but we’re also seeing some new features.
Delayed features include the new iCloud Shared Photo Library and Live Activity. In addition, we also get the new clean energy charging feature that appeared in the iOS 16.1 beta.
iOS 16.1 was released alongside iPadOS 16 and MacOS Ventura. Here’s an overview of all the new features and upgrades for iPhones with iOS 16.1.
iCloud Shared Photo Library
iOS 16.1 brings a new way to share photos with family and friends. iCloud Shared Photo Library will be a separate library where users can share photos and videos with up to five people. Anyone with access to the shared library can share, edit, caption and delete photos. Additionally, the Camera app now has a toggle that lets you add photos to the iCloud Shared Photo Library as you take them.
iCloud Shared Photo Library was part of the iOS 16 public beta this summer, and Apple later delayed the feature until later this year. We’ll soon see what changes Apple makes to its new approach to photo sharing.
Real-time activity of third-party applications
This is another feature Apple showed off earlier this year, but didn’t make it to iOS 16. Live Activity is an interactive notification that stays up to date on the lock screen. Think sports scores, delivery status reports, and other activities you monitor from your phone’s lock screen.
iOS 16.1 opened up the feature to third-party apps, so expect a lot of app updates on Monday, including real-time activity alerts. If you own an iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max, live activity isn’t limited to the lock screen. On these phones, Live Activity will replace the iPhone’s bangs along with other alerts and notifications in Dynamic Island.
Clean energy charging
Included in the battery settings in iOS 16.1, Clean Energy Charging is designed to reduce the iPhone‘s carbon footprint by optimizing the charging time when the grid is using clean energy. This feature is only available to US users; Apple first promised it in September.
Apple Fitness Plus
With the release of iOS 16.1, Apple Fitness Plus can be used on iPhones even without an Apple Watch. That’s in line with Apple’s earlier move to add the Fitness app to iOS 16, whether or not you own one of the company’s watches.
During a workout, users without an Apple Watch will not be able to view real-time metrics such as heart rate and calories burned. Instead, they’ll see estimated calorie consumption.
Anyone running iOS 16.1 in one of the 21 countries where Apple’s fitness subscription service is available will have access to all of Apple Fitness Plus, which includes over 3,000 studio-style workouts and meditations.
Changes to Apple Card and Wallet
Apple Card users will be able to open a “high-yield” savings account from Goldman Sachs using iOS 16.1. You can then manage the account from the Wallet app and have your daily cashback rewards automatically credited to it with no fees, minimum deposits and minimum balance requirements.
As promised in the iOS 16 preview, Apple’s Wallet app will also allow people to securely share keys to cars, hotel rooms and more with friends and family using messaging apps like Messages and even Whatsapp, though the feature requires automakers and Hotel support.
Reachability support for dynamic islands
While talking about Live Activities, we noticed Dynamic Island on the iPhone 14 Pro models. iOS 16.1 brings another improvement to this particular feature – Reachability support. Basically, iOS 16.1 will make it easier to access dynamic islands with one hand. You can enable this feature in Settings.
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