After about a month and a half of testing, Apple has released iOS 16.5 and iPadOS 16.5, which should be the last iOS 16 update before the first iOS 17 beta arrives at WWDC in June. Like iOS 16.4, it’s a minor update with few new features as Apple focuses on delivering new features in iOS 17 this fall.
iOS 16.5: new features
Here are the main new features in iOS 16.5:
Apple News Sports tab: When you launch the Apple News app in iOS 16.5, you’ll see a new Sports tab at the bottom of the screen. It replaces the dedicated Search tab, which is now part of the Next tab. In iOS 16.4 and earlier, My Sports was located under the For You section of the Today screen.
Siri Screen Recording: You can start a screen recording by saying, “Hey Siri, start a screen recording.” Similarly, you can stop the recording with: “Hey Siri, stop the screen recording.”
Lock screen wallpaper: Along with the Apple Watch watch face and band, Apple has released a new Pride Celebration lock screen wallpaper.
iOS 16.5: Release Notes
This update contains the following improvements and bug fixes:
- A new Pride Celebration lock screen wallpaper that celebrates the LGBTQ+ community and culture
- The Sports tab in Apple News provides easy access to stories, scores, standings and more for the teams and leagues you follow
- My Sports score and schedule cards in Apple News take you directly to game pages where you can find additional details about specific games
- Addresses an issue where Spotlight may become unresponsive
- Resolves an issue where podcasts in CarPlay may not load content
- Resolves an issue where Screen Time settings may reset or not sync across all devices
Some features may not be available in all regions or on all Apple devices.
iOS 16.5: How to install
To install iOS 16.5.iPadOS 16.5 on your iPhone or iPad, go to the Settings app, tap GeneralThan Software update. Then tap the Download and install button and follow the prompts.
iOS 16.6: Install the public beta
We expect Apple to release iOS 16.6 beta soon. If you want to be one of the first to test it, the process for installing a beta has changed in iOS 16.4. This is how the new process works:
- Click Sign Up on the Apple Beta page and register with your Apple ID.
- Sign up for the beta software program.
- Click Register your iOS device.
- Open the Settings app, tap GeneralThan Software update.
- In the Beta updates section, select the iOS public beta.
It may take a while after registration for the beta option to appear Software update.
iOS 16.6: Download the developer beta
You must be registered as an Apple developer. Joining the Apple Developer Program costs $99 per year.
- Register for the Apple Developer Program at developer.apple.com.
- Open the Institutions app, tap GeneralThan Software update.
- In the Beta updates section, select the Beta for iOS developers.
Registered developers can choose to get the public beta instead by selecting iOS public beta from the Software Update screen. After registering as a developer, it may take some time for the option to appear in Software Updates.
Some developers have registered an Apple ID for developer access that is different from the Apple ID associated with their personal Apple account and data. To use a different Apple ID for beta access than the rest of iOS, open Institutions > General > Software update > Beta updates and select the Apple ID at the bottom of the screen.
iOS 16.6: Risks and Precautions
First of all, note that betas are test versions of upcoming software. They are unfinished by definition, and while they should contain most or all of the features of the final product, there will be cosmetic differences and, inevitably, some glitches and issues to fix. The glitches and issues are why Apple makes the effort to beta test iOS in the first place.
In other words, don’t expect a perfect user experience. In particular, don’t expect existing apps (including apps you may rely on) to work perfectly with the new version. In extreme cases, you may even find that your device has been bricked by the beta and cannot be used until the next beta comes along and hopefully fixes the problem. It is not uncommon for early beta software to also show problems such as excessive battery drain.
The closer we get to the final launch and iOS version, the more polished and complete we can expect the available betas to become. The opposite of that, of course, is that there’s less time left to wait for the official launch, so you won’t gain as much by installing a beta.
Assuming you decide to proceed, we can’t stress enough the importance of backing up your iPhone before installing an iOS beta, or better yet, use a secondary device instead of your main iPhone. You won’t lose everything if something goes wrong while the beta is being installed, and you can roll back to the latest version if you find you don’t like the new software or it contains too many bugs.
