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The iOS 16 developer beta is currently accessible. It will be made accessible to everybody who has signed up for Apple’s beta software program sometime in July. The corporation has not made a formal date announcement. The majority of the features in the iOS 16 beta were those the Apple previewed at WWDC 2022. These include new Emoji patterns and stickers, widgets and Lock Screen customizations, enhanced Collaboration, and numerous more enhancements.
During today’s (Monday) WWDC keynote, Apple did not reveal iOS 16 supported devices, although the iOS 16 preview page(opens in a new tab) on Apple’s website clearly mentions all the supported models. You can experience a major letdown if you own an iPhone 7.
According to Apple, iOS 16 supported devices included the iPhone 8 and, later basically, every Apple phone released since the fall of 2017. The second-generation iPhone SE debuted in 2020, and both the iPhone X and the iPhone SE were released in the same year, along with the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus.
The iPhone 7, which was released a year before the iPhone 8, is likewise left on the outside looking in. In a way, that comes as a surprise because the iPhone 7 was not on the list of gadgets that were not expected to be iOS 16-supported devices before WWDC.
The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, on the other hand, will be six years old this fall, putting them on the edge of Apple’s software support. As anticipated, Apple is discontinuing support for the first-generation iPhone SE, the iPhone 6s, and the iPhone 6s Plus, all of which ran iOS 15.
To be clear, even without the upgrade with all the glitzy new features, your older device and all of your installed apps should continue to function for the time being. But since you would not be receiving new iOS upgrades, that could leave your device open to malware and attacks as software updates frequently also include bug fixes.
Read More: 16 Amazing iOS 16 Features iPhone Users Will Get This Year
As it did with iPhone 5 and iPhone 6 devices, Apple may still provide security upgrades for some of these more outdated devices. But even if it does, it seems likely that only serious vulnerabilities will be fixed by the updates, leaving devices vulnerable to attack. Keep a watch on Apple Security updates to be aware of any potential flaws and to learn whether any security patches will be made available to you.
Additionally, iOS 16 will not support the iPod touch, which is not surprising given that Apple stopped making the music player earlier this year.
iOS 16 Supported Devices
Here’s the list of iPhone models compatible with iOS 16.
- iPhone 13
- iPhone 13 mini
- iPhone 13 Pro
- Phone 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 12 and 11 series
- iPhone Xs, Xs Max, and XR.
- iPhone X
- iPhone 8 Plus
- iPhone 8
- The iPhone SE second and third-gen are also iOS 16 supported devices.
Incase you’re uncertain about your iPhone’s model and the iOS it is running on, you may check it in the ‘About’ section of the ‘General’ category, in the ‘Settings’ app. The software can also be checked about via opening the ‘Software Update’ section in the ‘Settings’ app.
Also Read: iOS 16: Everything You Need to Know
watchOS Compatible Watches
Similar to iOS 16, watchOS 9 is restricting compatibility for earlier Apple Watch models. The Apple Watch Series 3 will continue to run on watchOS 8, but support for it has ended. Apple’s watchOS 9 will support Series 4 and later. To access watchOS 9, users must be using an iPhone 8 or later (iPhone SE 2 and later) running iOS 16.
One of Apple’s most popular and well-supported watch models is the Series 3. It was first introduced in September 2017.
iPadOS 16 Compatible iPads
Compatible devices with the latest iPadOS 16 include the iPad Pro (all models), iPad Air (3rd generation and later), iPad (5th generation and later), and iPad mini (5th generation and later). The iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 4th generation, which are no longer supported, were included in the list of supported devices from the previous year.
iOS 16 Release Date
Every time Apple introduces a new iPhone, a new version of iOS is also released. So it only makes sense that we anticipate the official iOS 16 to be released in the first half of 2022. If all goes smoothly with the iPhone launch, September will be the precise day.
The beta versions of iOS 16 will be available for testing this Summer, meanwhile, for anxious fans. For participants in the Developer Program, the Developer Beta is presently available. The Public Beta should arrive somewhere in early July, and other people can wait for it.
iOS 16 Features
- Customize your lock screen with widgets, animated graphics, and clearer alerts.
- Increased Focus Mode filters
- More accurate voice dictation
- Live Text
- Apple Pay
- Apple Maps update to more regions
- Apple News and the lock screen’s integration of sports scores
- Greatly enhanced Shared Photo Library in iCloud for Families
- A new platform called Matter expands the number of partners for HomeKit.
- Personalized Spatial Audio lets you develop a personalized profile of your ear shape using the iPhone’s camera.
- Quick Note, an iPadOS function for quickly composing notes
Check here all the new iOS 16 features
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you think iOS 16 has more security features for devices?
iOS 16 is likely to include extra security features for devices. Security is one of Apple’s top objectives; therefore, security and privacy upgrades are almost certain.
What is iOS 16 new privacy feature?
When you find yourself in peril, the future Safety Check is intended to serve as an emergency reset. With Safety Check, you may disable iCloud on all of your devices, revoke and reset access you have granted to others, and only allow messages to be sent to the device you are holding.
In the unfortunate circumstance, if you do not want an abusive partner to discover you, it also stops publishing your whereabouts.
What updates is iOS 16 bringing in iPhone’s iMessages app?
You may now edit and even go back and amend recently sent messages. As a reminder to return to chats later, you can mark conversations as unread and recover recently deleted messages.
Bottom Line
If you have an iPhone 8 or later, you can take advantage of the iOS 16 beta right now, and it will be ready for the official version in September 2022. But not every feature of iOS 16 will be supported by the gadgets on this list. Because of hardware constraints, some older iPhones can be missing some functionalities.