Just one day after releasing iOS 16.1 to the public, Apple released iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 Beta 1 to developers. The second major point release of iOS 16 comes with many new features and changes. In this article, let’s take a look at everything new that we have found in iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 Beta 1.
iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 Features: What’s new
Table of contents:
- Freeform App
- External Display Support for Stage Manager
- Report When Emergency SOS is Accidentally Triggered
- Revamped Home App Architecture
- 120Hz ProMotion Support for SwiftUI
- Updated Software Update Section in Settings
Freeform App
Announced back in WWDC 2022, Apple has finally added the much-awaited Freeform app to iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2. The new collaboration tool from Apple gives the user access to an infinite whiteboard for jotting down notes, sketching, drawing, saving links, and more. People with Apple devices can join the board and collaborate in real-time. You can read more about the new Freeform app right here.
According to Apple, the first release of Freeform today contains some bugs:
- Can’t delete boards while offline, or if iCloud data is disabled for Freeform. (100294085)
- Adding or removing collaborators can fail while attempting to change share settings. (101186059)
External Display Support for Stage Manager
Stage Manager now supports external displays. You can connect your M1 or M2 iPad to an external display on iPadOS 16.2 and enjoy up to eight apps for multitasking purposes rather than four. Even though Apple expanded support for Stage Manager to older iPad Pro models with A12X and A12Z chips, the external display functionality is limited to only M1 and M2 iPads.
Report When Emergency SOS is Accidentally Triggered
New iOS 16.2 accidental Emergency SOS call report features, I accidentally triggered emergency SOS and the police 👮♂️ actually ended up in my house. 😳 @9to5mac @MacRumors pic.twitter.com/w0OOaK9W7E
— iDeviceHelp (@iDeviceHelpus) October 25, 2022
iOS 16.2 asks users when they cancel Emergency SOS mode. The system shows a notification with the text, “Did you intentionally trigger Emergency SOS on your iPhone?” Tapping it opens Feedback Assistant to send Apple data about what happened.
<h3id=”home-app-new”>Revamped Home App Architecture
Apple has upgraded its devices and Home app architecture to support the newly introduced Matter Smart Home Standard. Apple says that the new Home app architecture is faster and more reliable performance in homes with many smart products. The upgrade, for now, is optional. This is because the new architecture affects some users. For instance, all devices, such as the HomePod must be installed with Software 16.2.
120Hz ProMotion Support for SwiftUI
Apps using SwiftUI animated layout now support 120Hz ProMotion displays of the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro models. This functionality was previously missing.
<h3id=”software-update”>Current Version in Software Update
The Software Updates section in the Settings app has been updated to make it easier to identify the installed version of the OS. The font of the installed version has been bolded to make it easier to read.
Have you installed the latest iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 builds on your iPhone and iPad? How’s your experience been? Have you noticed other changes in the build that aren’t listed here? Drop a comment down below and share them with us.
