In September, after months of beta testing, Apple released iOS 16. Today, Apple has seeded release candidate versions of iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 to developers today for testing.
The iOS 16.2 Release Candidate (RC) is currently available to all enrolled developers worldwide. Those who have registered and activated their beta profile can directly download and install this build.
Today’s Release Candidate Version update adds end-to-end encryption to more iCloud features, which will be available to all U.S. users when iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 come out.
End-to-end encryption is added to iCloud Backup, Notes, Photos, iCloud Drive, and more by Advanced Data Protection for iCloud. When Advanced Data Protection is turned on, the only parts of iCloud that aren’t encrypted from end to end are iCloud Mail, Contacts, and Calendar.
Freeform is part of iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2. You can use it to take notes, sketch, draw, come up with ideas, make mood boards, and more. People can work on the same Freeform board at the same time, and the changes are shown to everyone in real time.
With iPadOS 16.2, the Stage Manager multitasking feature now works with an external display. This means that up to eight apps can be used at the same time. Both the M1 and M2 iPad models can connect to an external display.
Apple has added a new home app architecture that will be part of iOS and iPadOS 16.2. Apple says this is meant to make the apps run faster and more reliably, especially in homes with a lot of smart home devices.
The HomePod 16.2 beta software is needed for the new architecture, and the Home app won’t work on devices that have been updated to iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, or macOS Ventura 13.1.
In iOS 16.2, users can inform Apple about accidental Emergency SOS calls. There’s also a new widget for sleep, live sports scores are back in the TV app, and there are changes to the always-on display.
Here are the full release notes from Apple for the update:
iOS & iPadOS 16.2 Release Notes
Freeform
– Freeform is a new app for working creatively with friends or colleagues on Mac, iPad and iPhone
– A flexible canvas lets you add files, images, stickies, and more
Drawing tools let you sketch anywhere on the canvas with your finger
Apple Music Sing
– A new way to sing along with millions of your favorite songs in Apple Music
– Fully adjustable vocals let you duet with the original artist, sing solo, or mix it up
– Newly enhanced beat-by-beat lyrics make it even easier to follow along with the music
Advanced Data Protection for iCloud
New option expands the total number of iCloud data categories protected using end-to-end encryption to 23 — including iCloud Backup, Notes, and Photos — protecting your information even in the case of a data breach in the cloud
Lock Screen
– New settings allow you to hide wallpaper or notifications when Always-On display is enabled on iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max
– Sleep widget lets you view your most recent sleep data
– Medications widget lets you view reminders and quickly access your schedule
Game Center
– SharePlay support in Game Center for multiplayer games so you can play with the people you are on a FaceTime call with
– Activity Widget allows you to see what your friends are playing and achieving in games right from your Home Screen
Apple TV
– Live Activities for Apple TV app let you follow your favorite teams with live scores right on your Lock Screen or in Dynamic Island on iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max
Home
– Improved reliability and efficiency of communication between your smart home accessories and Apple devices
This update also includes the following improvements and bug fixes; to know more, visit here.
- Improved search in Messages allows you to find photos based on their content, like a dog, car, person, or text
- Turn Off Hide IP Address setting enables iCloud Private Relay users to temporarily disable the service for a specific site in Safari
- News articles in Weather display information relevant to the weather in that location
- Participant Cursors in Notes allow you to see live indicators as others make updates in a shared note
- AirDrop now automatically reverts to Contacts Only after 10 minutes to prevent unwanted requests to receive content
- Crash Detection optimizations on iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models
- Fixes an issue that causes some notes not to sync with iCloud after updates are made
Availability
iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 RC update is now available to developers globally, and those registered with a beta profile can download and install this build starting today. The new changes are expected to be released to the public next week.