Apple

iOS 16: News, rumors, leaks, and release date

Here’s everything to know about Apple’s upcoming operating system.

by
Joe Rice-Jones
April 8, 2022

Image: KnowTechie

Apple has set the date for its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2022. In a virtual-only event, we’ll hear about everything Apple software from June 6 to 10. That means we’ll hear about iOS 16, as WWDC is the traditional time that Apple unveils its latest operating systems.

The yearly update is always a big one, with new features, tweaked system apps, and more. How will it compare to the last release; which brought some pretty big features like Universal Control and Live Text.

We’ll break down all of the news, rumors, leaks, pricing, and release date information we have available and continue to update this post as more news releases from Apple and other sources.

When will Apple release iOS 16?

When iOS 16 will be released depends on which version of the operating system you’re talking about. We’ll see an early version of it on June 6 at the WWDC keynote.

Then, Apple will roll out an early developer version in the weeks after WWDC. After that, we’ll get a public beta, with multiple rounds of updates before the final release.

The final release of iOS 16 will be in September or possibly the early part of October. Apple always releases the next major version around the time of the next iPhone release.

Which devices will run iOS 16?

iphone 13 pro camera — Image: KnowTechie

Apple hasn’t changed the device requirements for running iOS for a couple of years now. That’s every iPhone since the iPhone 6S, and the iPod Touch (Seventh generation).

A rumor heard by Digital Trends says that this year, that will change. The iPhone 6S, 6S Plus, and SE (2016) will lose out on the update to iOS 16.

That makes the iPhone 7 the oldest iPhone that will get the new operating system. Now, that’s just a rumor at this point so don’t read too much into this.

The only device that we can reliably say that Apple will put iOS 16 on is the upcoming iPhone 14 range.

What new features will Apple announce?

Ahh, new features. The thing about iOS is that it’s closed source, so we won’t hear much until Apple wants us to. There aren’t any public repositories of code that leak details, unlike Android.

The only leak we could find talks about interactive widgets coming to iOS. The leaker doesn’t have the best track record though, so this could be a legit leak or it could be a misfire.

🔴EXCLUSIVE: iOS 16.
Be prepared for interactive widgets! Apple is now working on these “big widgets” internally named InfoShack.
Will tell you more about them soon. pic.twitter.com/GZF9zYjOsw
— LeaksApplePro (@LeaksApplePro) January 26, 2022

The interactive widgets do look interesting though. Imagine finally being able to control things on your iPhone via widgets, instead of them only being informational.

What do we want iOS 16 to include?

Okay, we’re into wishlist land right now. The biggest thing we’d love to see in iOS 16 is an expansion of the 2FA system.

Right now, iOS can pick up 2FA codes from your SMS inbox, but that’s not as secure as it could be. Expanding that system to grab 2FA codes from Authy, Google Authenticator, or any of the other authentication apps would be great.

Adding RCS support to Messages would be great too. Why can’t we text emojis and other things to our friends on Android devices? Why do we have to put up with insecure messaging when it’s not to another iPhone?

We’d also love to see some of the system apps get an overhaul. The Home app is a cluttered mess and deserves some love. HomeKit is great but not every manufacturer supports it. Maybe Apple knows HomeKit is on the way out, as Matter takes over as the de facto smart home standard.

As more rumors and leaks come in the weeks leading up to WWDC 2022, we’ll keep adding to this piece.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.