5 Reasons Why Youll Want To Update To IOS 16.2 Right Away
© MacworldOn Wednesday, December 7, Apple released the iOS 16.2 release candidate to beta testers. This means, unless something goes wrong, iOS 16.2 will arrive on all phones next week, probably on December 12 or 13.
Once you see it's available for your iPhone (go to Settings > General > Software Update ), you'll want to immediately hit the Download and Install button. In fact, you'll want to update all your Apple devices with next week's operating system update, including your Mac, Apple TV, and more. This is a pretty big update, with some major features you won't want to sleep on.
End-to-end encryption for all your iCloud content
Earlier this week, Apple introduced new security features in iOS 16.2, the biggest of which is the ability to end-to-end encrypt almost all iCloud data. Of course, Apple has to rename everything, so they call this feature Advanced Data Protection. It is not turned on by default, but we recommend that you turn it on now. Open the Settings app, tap your Apple ID at the top, then select iCloud. Scroll down the page until you see Advanced data protection and tap it to get started
You have to go through a few steps to set everything up, which is probably why it's not enabled by default. To begin, all your Apple devices must be updated to the latest operating systems (iOS 16, iPadOS 16 and macOS 13.1). Next, if you lose your device or password, you'll need to create a way to regain access to your account, because Apple won't have the key to encrypt your data, which could be a trusted contact or a recovery key.
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Why are you going to fight so much? Simply put, it takes your data keys out of Apple's hands and gives them back to you. Currently, Apple encrypts some data on your device with a key that you have but don't have , such as your health, passwords, keychains, payment information, and Apple Card transactions. But many important sections, including backups, are encrypted in transit and on Apple's servers using an Apple-controlled key. This means that if a hacker gets into your servers, they can access your data. If a government agency wants this data from Apple, they can decrypt it and give it to them.
Advanced data protection adds end-to-end encryption (only your key on your device) to your iCloud backups, photos, notes, reminders, voice memos, Safari bookmarks, and more. In fact, the only data in the cloud that isn't encrypted with your private keys is your iCloud mail, contacts, and calendars. It's worth taking the time to prepare!
Free Karaoke with Apple Music Sing
If you're an Apple Music subscriber, you'll get a free update for Karaoke in iOS 16.2. The feature is called Apple Music Sing, and all you have to do is open any song's lyrics, like you did before, and look for a little microphone icon. If you can see it, you'll be able to adjust the volume of the sound, even automatically if you want, and follow the songs in real time like a real karaoke. The lyrics displays have also been updated with better animations to help you out.
Not all songs with lyrics are compatible with Apple Music Sing, but many are, and the number will increase over time. It works on machine learning instead of playing separate tracks without vocals, so many upgrades won't understand it; Limited to iPhone 11 and later, the new Apple TV 4K and the latest iPads.
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There is a new foundation for the house
You may not see this feature, but if you use smart home devices, you'll probably hear it With iOS 16.2, Apple rewrote the Home app and HomeKit infrastructure to make it faster and more reliable. If you've ever been frustrated by long delays in turning your lights on or off, or if your automation hasn't been resolved in time, this could be the solution you've been looking for.
You may have to initiate the update yourself, and it's a good idea to make sure everyone in your family and all your devices like the HomePod and Apple TV are updated first. Open the Start app, tap the (...) button in the top right, then select Startup Settings. Scroll down and select Software Update. You may see a banner at the top of the screen that says "Updates available for Home"; You start here.
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There are other great things for your lock screen
Customizable lock screen is one of the best features of iOS 16 With iOS 16.2, you can choose between two new helpful widgets: Medicines to remind you when your next dose is due, and Sleep to help you see how well you're doing. At rest (while tracking Apple Watch or other accessories).
If you have an iPhone 14 Pro, you'll get one big change to the always-on display: the ability to hide wallpaper and/or notifications. These will come in handy as they make it easier to see and read when your phone is idle
Follow live sports with live action
Live Activity is rich notifications that update in real time. So instead of getting a new notification every time your food delivery status is updated or the baseball score changes, you'll see a widget-like notification that keeps you in the loop. Those with the iPhone 14 Pro also get to experience a new Dynamic Island, allowing them to control things while using other apps.
Sports fans have been waiting to follow their favorite teams using Live Events since iOS 16 was launched in September, and the feature finally arrives with iOS 16.2. Open the TV app, tap the Watch Now tab, scroll down to the Sports row, and tap Live Sports . Scroll down and tap Follow Your Team . Choose your favorite teams and you'll automatically see information about them in the news, as well as real-time activity score updates for the matches they're playing.
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More garbage
Of course, iOS 16.2 has a lot of other little things you might like. In addition to ubiquitous security updates, there's improved message search (you can find images by searching content), the shared Freeform Whiteboard app, and the Weather app with related news articles. Also, Game Center finally gets SharePlay for multiplayer games and new home screen widgets to show your friends' activity.