Our favorite iOS 16 features and tips
Introduction
I am thrilled to dive into iOS 16 and highlight some of my favorite new features and tips! As an avid iPhone user, I eagerly await each iOS update to see what new capabilities Apple has added to enhance the user experience. With iOS 16, Apple has once again raised the bar with powerful improvements to notifications, Focus modes, lock screen customization, and more. After exploring the latest iOS extensively, I want to share the most exciting iOS 16 features and tips so you can get the most out of your iPhone.
Customizable Lock Screen
The freshly designed lock screen is one of my favorite iOS 16 upgrades. Apple has completely revamped the lock screen to offer extensive personalization and widgets.
With iOS 16, you can change the lock screen font, add widgets like calendar, weather, activity rings, battery level, and more. I especially like being able to integrate rich complications from Apple Watch faces into the lock screen for convenient access to information.
The new photo shuffle option is great for displaying your favorite photos in rotation. You can even create multiple lock screens with different backgrounds and widgets to switch between different looks.
My tips for making the most of the customizable lock screen:
- Use Focus modes to tie different lock screen designs to match your current activity or focus, like work or personal time.
- Tap and hold the lock screen to easily edit and modify it on the fly.
- Double tap a widget to open the related app for fast access.
Improved Notifications
Notifications have gotten a major upgrade in iOS 16 to look cleaner, provide more information, and require less managing.
My favorite new notification perk is the rollback option that allows you to undo a notification for up to 15 minutes after dismissing it by accident. No more regret over swiping away a message before you read it!
Notifications now have contact photos for people and larger app icons to identify notifications at a glance. Time-sensitive notifications rise to the top, and you can choose to have notifications count appear as a subtle number instead of badge icons.
To tame busy notification screens, I recommend:
- Turning off badges for less important apps.
- Using notification summary options to bundle non-time sensitive alerts.
- Customizing work/personal Focus modes to allow only priority apps.
Intelligent Dictation
Dictation in iOS 16 takes a huge leap forward with on-device dictation that is faster, more accurate, and works without an internet connection.
My favorite upgrade is the new ability to pause while dictating and to easily insert emojis, punctuation, and formatting by voice. I can simply say “pause”, “add happy emoji”, or “insert hyphen” to improve my dictation flow.
Tips to master intelligent dictation:
- Let Siri know if it made a transcription error so it learns from mistakes.
- Try natural voice commands like “send message to Sarah” instead of rigid dictation.
- Take advantage of seamless emoji and formatting insertion to streamline voice typing.
Focus Modes
Focus modes get even smarter in iOS 16 with the ability to tie Focus filters to your lock screen. This creates a sense of your digital environment automatically adapting to your current needs.
Focus can now filter system apps and widgets on your home screen to minimize distractions. You can set boundaries around app usage with Focus, like limiting app browsing and muting notifications from distracting apps.
My best practices for Focus utilization:
- Take time customizing Focus presets for common scenarios like work, sleep, exercise, social, and more.
- Enable Focus directly from apps like Calendar, Mail, and Safari for easy context switching.
- Use wallpaper differences and widgets to visually distinguish Focus modes.
In Summary
The customizable lock screen, improved notifications, intuitive dictation, and intelligent Focus modes are just some of the amazing features that make iOS 16 a standout upgrade. With each iOS update, Apple finds new ways to amplify the user experience through thoughtful innovation. I’m excited to continue discovering all the ways iOS 16 will boost my daily iPhone usage and recommend updating as soon as possible to start enjoying the benefits! Let me know which iOS 16 upgrades become your favorites.
