iOS 16.4 update released - here's what's new in it
Apple has released the iOS 16.4 update for all users after testing 4 beta versions and a release candidate build over the past couple of months. Here are the new features that are available in the software update.
Notifications for pinned web apps
Websites (web apps) that you have pinned to the home screen can receive push notifications, and will display a badge for alerts. The notifications will also be displayed on the lock screen. You may set up Focus for web app notifications.
Voice Isolation for phone calls
Apple has added support for Voice Isolation for cellular calls. The feature, which was previously available in FaceTime, WhatsApp, etc., prioritises your voice and blocks out ambient noise around you, to help the person on the other end to hear you clearly. To use it, access the Control Center during a phone call, select the Mic Mode option and then tap the Voice Isolation.
Voice Isolation for phone calls appears to be a toggle which persists across calls, including incoming calls.
Crash Detection and Emergency SOS via Satellite
Apple says that it has optimized the Crash Detection algorithm on iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models. The Emergency SOS via Satellite feature has been expanded to 6 more Countries: Austria, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Portugal.
Page turning animation returns to Apple Books
Apple had removed the popular page turning animation from Apple Books when iOS 16 was released. The feature returns in iOS 16.4, to enable it, open a book, click on the button in the bottom right corner, then tap the Themes and Settings option. Click the page turn icon on the toolbar, and switch from the Slide option to Curl.
Podcasts and Music apps
The Apple Podcasts app now lets you continue where you left off by resuming or skipping episodes from the up next section. Car Play also lets you jump quickly back in, and also supports discovering new shows via the Browse section. The library page in the lists channels that you have followed.
The Apple Music app now displays a button to access your profile quickly. The app will now display a small button that says playing next, when you add more tracks, instead of displaying a large banner.
iOS Beta Updates
Apple has ended support for developer beta profiles that users could download off the internet to get the latest software. In case you didn't know, the iOS Developer Program costs $99/year. So users can't get the developer beta versions for free, but the public beta remains available at no charge.
The Cupertino company has simplified the beta access process by introducing a new option that users may toggle directly on their device. If you wish to test the beta versions of iOS, go to the Settings > Software Update section, and opt-in to the iOS 16 Public Beta or iOS 16 Developer Beta.
Note: Developers who have signed in to their personal Apple ID on their iPhone can log in to their official Developer Program account to get the beta.
Other notable changes in iOS 16.4
The Photos app will now detect duplicate photos and videos in an iCloud Shared Photo Library. iOS 16.4 adds a new Accessibility setting that will automatically dim the video when flashes of light or strobe effects are detected. The Visual Look Up feature, which you can use to identify objects and landmarks, is now available in South Africa. VoiceOver is supported for maps in the Weather app.
Apple says that it has fixed an issue where Ask to Buy requests from children were failing to appear on the parent's device. Matter-compatible thermostats should no longer become unresponsive when paired to Apple Home. 5G Standalone support is now available for T-Mobile users in the U.S. Users in Turkey can now connect to 5G mobile networks on their iPhone.
The Settings > General page has a new section called Coverage, that lists the AppleCare+ coverage for all your Apple devices that were paired via Bluetooth. Please refer to Apple's Security Updates page for information about vulnerabilities that were patched in iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4.
iOS 16.4 comes with 21 new emojis that were approved by the Emoji Consortium in September 2022: Shaking Face, Pink heart, Light Blue heart, Grey heart, Pushing hand gesture, Moose, Donkey, Wing, Goose, Black Bird, Jellyfish, Hyacinth, Ginger root, Peapod, Folding hand fan, Hair pick, Maracas, Flute, Khanda, and Wireless (Wi-Fi).
Image via Emojipedia
Apple Music Classical has been released, the app is available for free, though users will require an active Apple Music subscription to listen to pieces performed by various orchestras around the world.
Does the Voice Isolation have to be set for every call or can it be the default?
That’s a good question, I had never thought about that. Once you enable it, it stays that way for all calls. I just tried it by calling my other phone and a couple of other contacts. It also works for incoming calls.
Thank you @Ashwin for all these good articles about iOS and MacOS! :]
Thank you John. :)