Apple

iOS 16.1 – new features and changes in the update

February 14, 2024

iOS 16.1 – new features and changes in the update

Introduction

Apple’s latest iOS 16 update brings some great new features to my iPhone. However, it’s the iOS 16.1 update that I’ve really been looking forward to, as it adds even more useful capabilities. In this article, I’ll walk through all the key additions in iOS 16.1 and how they impact my daily iPhone use. There’s a lot to cover, so let’s dive in!

Live Activities API

One of the most exciting new things in iOS 16.1 is the Live Activities API. This allows apps to display ongoing activities right on the Lock Screen, keeping me up to date at a glance.

For example, I could see sports scores or ride sharing car tracking without needing to open any apps. The Live Activities snapshots even persist after I unlock my iPhone, remaining conveniently in view.

Developers like Uber and Apple themselves are already taking advantage of Live Activities. I’m sure more apps will add support over time as well. It’s a huge upgrade to my Lock Screen!

iCloud Shared Photo Library

I take a ton of pictures, so I’m thrilled iOS 16.1 finally brings iCloud Shared Photo Library. This lets me effortlessly share a collection of photos with up to five other people, like family or friends.

Everyone gets their own library plus the shared one. Any photos added to the shared library automatically sync across the group. But I can still manage my personal library separately if I want to keep certain pics private.

Setting up Shared Photo Library is simple and secure. I just need to invite people via Messages. There’s even a toggle to easily turn it on or off whenever I want.

Fitness+ without an Apple Watch

I’ve been wanting to try Apple Fitness+ for a while, but I don’t actually own an Apple Watch. Thankfully, iOS 16.1 now allows Fitness+ to work on my iPhone even without an Apple Watch.

I can browse workout routines, follow trainers, set goals, track fitness metrics and progress, and more – all from my phone. It really opens up the Fitness+ experience to millions of additional iPhone users.

The only major limitation is that without an Apple Watch, my real-time health/workout metrics won’t display. But I’m still excited to access all these routines and features without needing another device.

Clean Energy Charging

iOS 16.1 brings a new Clean Energy Charging feature (in the US only for now). This aims to reduce my iPhone’s carbon footprint by optimizing charging times for when the grid is using cleaner energy sources.

I simply enable Clean Energy Charging and my iPhone learns my charging habits. Then it waits to finish charging past 80% until cleaner energy is available, while still ensuring my phone is fully charged when I need it.

It’s an easy way to make my charging greener without having to think about it. I appreciate Apple looking out for the environment with smart charging optimizations.

Matter support

Matter is an upcoming new smart home standard that aims to improve compatibility across brands and platforms. iOS 16.1 adds Matter support so that my iPhone will be ready to control and interact with Matter-enabled devices.

This way, when Matter smart home products start rolling out, I’ll be able to set them up and control them right from my iOS devices. It’s going to make building out a smart home a lot more straightforward.

Though Matter is still ramping up, it’s nice to see Apple already laying the groundwork in iOS 16.1. This will hopefully prevent any compatibility issues down the road.

Key bug fixes

Alongside the new features, iOS 16.1 also squashes some notable bugs. For me, the most important fixes are:

Improved reliability of some third-party apps like Twitter crashing.
Resolved issue with iPhone 14 Pro camera shaking in some third-party apps.
Fixed Copy and Paste between apps not working correctly.
Addressed CarPlay bugs causing connection issues or displays not working right.

It’s good to see Apple patching up some of these more annoying iOS 16 problems with this first major update. The iOS experience feels more polished and stable already.

Conclusion

iOS 16.1 brings some fantastic new capabilities that tangibly improve my daily iPhone use. The Live Activities, iCloud Shared Photo Library, and Clean Energy Charging features are absolute game-changers. And support for upcoming innovations like Matter smart home devices lays the foundation for the future.

Even if the updates are more minor, I appreciate all the bug fixes too. It’s clear Apple is listening to user feedback and fine-tuning the iOS 16 platform. So far, iOS 16.1 feels like an essential update for any iPhone owner. The future of iOS is only getting brighter from here!