Here’s what’s new and how to get it

Apple released its major new iOS 16 software update for iPhones on Monday. It has many new features and is available to anyone with an iPhone 8 or newer.

Apple releases major software updates every year to keep iPhone up to date. And unlike Google’s Android, it’s available for all supported devices at once. This year’s update is a big one, with an all-new lock screen that’s customizable with fonts and widgets that were previously relegated to the home screen.

There are many changes, but here are some of the highlights you need to know about.

• Edit and send iMessages. Users can edit or undo a message in iMessage within 15 minutes of sending it. The other user can see that the message has been edited or removed.
• Schedule emails in advance. The built-in Mail app on iPhones allows users to schedule emails to be sent later. It also has a new, more functional search feature that Apple says offers “more accurate and complete results”. It also has a new option to undo sending.
• Better group SMS with Android users. Android users will finally see iMessage users’ tapback reactions, like laughter, hearts, and more, in text strings. This means that you will not receive the reactions as separate messages. It should be a huge improvement for iPhone users texting with Android users.
• Dictate smarter. With Smarter Dictation, you can speak text and automatically punctuate it with commas, periods, question marks, and even emojis — say something like “happy face emoji” and it’ll be added.

• security check. This allows users to quickly disable all services and apps, e.g. B. the location shared with others, e.g. B. family members are shared. Apple said Safety Check was developed in partnership with women’s groups and will make it easier for users to stay private or protect personal information and safety when leaving abusive relationships.
• Control notifications in new ways. Notifications now appear at the bottom of the screen when your phone is locked, and you can easily hide them to keep them out of the way. Likewise, you can change your focus mode to silence certain notifications when you’re sleeping, at work, or on vacation by tapping and holding the lock screen.
• Customizable lock screens. Users can add smaller widgets to their lock screen with real-time data.

• Add multiple stops in Apple Maps. Users can now add different stops to a route in Apple Maps, meaning you can add a coffee shop pit stop on your commute. It’s a feature that’s already available in Google Maps but will be welcomed by iPhone users. Maps also has a new public transport map feature that lets you top up your card, see the cost of your trip, and more.

• Medication and sleep tracking in the health app. Apple’s Health app now allows users to enter their medications and notify them when it’s time to take medication. Apple Watch owners can also monitor their sleep and heartbeat in the iPhone Health app.

• Artificial intelligence automatically sorts, edits and translates photos. Apple uses artificial intelligence to translate text in photos or videos that the user takes. You can also cut out a subject from an image, e.g. B. a person and paste it as a sticker in pictures or other apps. In a later update, iOS 16 will also automatically share pictures with people it recognizes in the picture, such as friends or family members.

• Apple Pay later. This feature allows users to cash out purchases made with Apple Pay in four payments over six weeks. Apple Wallet in iOS 16 will also make it easier to share digital cards or house keys via messaging.
• Updated Apple Home app. Apple redesigned the Home app to better show things like multiple cameras in and around your home. The company said it also supports Matter, an open standard for smart home hardware like locks, lights and blinds.

• Use your iPhone as a webcam. Users can now use their iPhone as a webcam in a feature called Continuity Camera with the right laptop mount and the new version of macOS. However, the new version of macOS is scheduled to arrive later this fall, so this feature won’t work until it comes out.
• “Hey Siri, hang up.” Siri hangs up a FaceTime or phone call for you. All you have to do is say, “Hey Siri, hang up.”
• Fitness+ on iPhone. You don’t need an Apple Watch to use Apple’s premium subscription, Apple Fitness+, which costs $9.99 a month. It offers many workout and meditation videos, including bike classes, high-intensity interval training, and more.
• Handover with FaceTime. With this feature, you can move your FaceTime call from your iPhone to another device like your Mac or iPad without hanging up. Also, any Bluetooth headphones you have connected to your iPhone will automatically switch to the new device. It does however require the latest Mac and iPad updates, coming later this fall.
• Come later: live activities. This feature, which lets you place widgets on your home screen, will go live in a minor iOS 16 update later this year. For example, you can see exactly when your food order is coming, or check the current score for a team you follow without unlocking your phone.

• Open Settings on your iPhone.
• Tap on “General”.
• Select “Software update”. The update will download and your iPhone will automatically restart when ready.

— CNBC’s Kif Leswing contributed to this report.

Correction: This article has been updated to reflect that Apple released its new iOS 16 software on Monday. An earlier version gave an incorrect date.