iOS 16: Release Date, Supported iPhones, and Everything You Need to Know

Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2021 was streamed via the company’s YouTube channel where they announced the iOS 15 software update for iPhones. It is a major OS upgrade with powerful features that enhance the iPhone experience. The latest iOS 15 brings more natural facetime calls and shared experiences with shareplay. We also see tools to find focus, new notifications experience, on-device intelligence powers live text, advanced spotlight search, a redesigned browsing experience with safari, redesigned weather, redesigned notes apps and more. In this article, we will discuss everything we know so far about the next-generation iOS 16.

What is iOS 16?

iOS is a mobile operating system which is developed by Apple Inc. iOS 16 will be the sixteenth major release of iOS (formerly iPhone OS) that is in development to succeed iOS 15. It is the operating system that will power many of the company’s devices, including the iPhone. The iOS 16 could bring user interface changes, redesigned browsing experience, AR/ VR capabilities, new privacy features and more.

• Download iOS 16 Wallpapers from here.
• How to Downgrade from iOS 16 to iOS 15?
• iOS 16 Problems

Latest News

June 25: Apple seeded the iOS 16 beta 2 for testing with several new features and changes.

June 6: Apple announced iOS 16 at the WWDC 2022 event. The iOS 16 features include New Lock Screen with Widgets, Better Notifications, Live Text in Video with quick actions, Updated Focus customization, Enhanced Messages (undo or edit them after being sent), Better SharePlay, Enhanced Dictation, Upgraded Visual Lookup, and Updated Wallet/Apple Pay. You can read the details here.

June 1: iOS 16 will bring Always-On Display, lock screen widgets and more.

May 19: iOS 16’s first public beta is scheduled alongside iOS 16 developer beta 3 in July 2022. First iOS public betas are typically released alongside beta 2. That means the public beta may be running behind.

May 17: Apple unveils new accessibility features such as Door Detection, Live Captions, Apple Watch Mirroring, and more. These features will come to the iPhones later this year

May 11: iOS 16 may include the InfoShack feature which will allow users to experience interactive widgets.

April 6: Apple has revealed the date for WWDC 2022 (its annual conference for developers). The event will be held from June 6 to June 10. The company will stream it live on its website and official YouTube channel. The most likely announcement at the WWDC 2022 is iOS 16.

March 28: Apple WWDC 2022 event dates (for new iOS, macOS, and iPadOS versions announcement) could be revealed this week. The company will likely host the event around June 13, which falls on a Tuesday.

January 31: A leakster (@LeaksApplePro) has shared a sketchy photo of iOS 16 that shows interactive widgets and redesigned icons. The interactive widgets pack apps, Control Center widgets, and other shortcuts. Apple may refer to this new widget as InfoShack. With InfoShack users can experience more control on the screen and can access their favourite features faster with more details at a glance.

iOS 16 release date

iOS 16 will be announced on June 3 2022 at the Worldwide Developers Conference. But the software update itself won’t actually launch for another three months. So, it could be released to the public in September 2022.

Apple Beta Software Program

You can join the iOS beta program to try out pre-release software. The Program is open to anyone with a valid Apple ID who accepts the Agreement during the sign-up process. Initially, Apple will release the first developer beta of iOS 16 which is intended for developers only. However, they will also announce a public beta of iOS 16 later.

Once you become a member of the Apple Beta Software Program, you will be able to enrol your devices to access the public betas and try out the latest features. And using the Feedback Assistant app you can provide feedback directly to Apple.

How to install the iOS 16 public beta?

When the iOS 16 public beta is released, you’ll be able to download it using the following instructions.

• Visit the Apple Beta page and click on Signup and then register with your Apple ID.
• Now you need to log in to the program and enrol your iOS device.
• Now head over to beta.apple.com/profile on your iOS device.
• Download and install the configuration profile.
• Your beta version will available in the Settings app, under the Software Update section.

Usually, apple offers software updates to old iPhones for up to 5 to 6 years. We expect next year will be no different. Wondering if your iPhone will be able to experience the upcoming iOS 16 update? then check out the below expected compatible device list.

Here is the expected list of iOS 16 supported iPhones

• iPhone 7
• iPhone 7 Plus
• iPhone 8
• iPhone 8 Plus
• iPhone SE (2020)
• iPhone X
• iPhone XR
• iPhone XS
• iPhone XS Max
• iPhone 11
• iPhone 11 Pro
• iPhone 11 Pro Max
• iPhone 12 mini
• iPhone 12
• iPhone 12 Pro
• iPhone 12 Pro Max
• iPhone 13 mini
• iPhone 13
• iPhone 13 Pro
• iPhone 13 Pro Max

The upcoming Apple iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Max, and iPhone 14 Pro Max smartphones will ship with iOS 16.

Will iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus and iPhone SE 2016 get the iOS 16 Update?

No, Apple is known for providing software support to its older iPhones. The iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, and iPhone SE 2016 came with iOS 9 and are now eligible for the iOS 15 upgrade. But it looks all of them will be missing out on iOS 16 support next year. In order to run iOS 16, Apple’s A10 chipset could be the minimum requirement.