After rolling out iOS 16.1 and iPadOS 16.1, Apple is set to release iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2. Here’s when the updates are expected to roll out.
Apple is already testing iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2, and the new software has a rumored release date. Apple started rolling out iOS 16.1 last week with a plethora of new features and bug fixes. The highlight feature of iOS 16.1 is the Shared iCloud Photo Library, which lets up to six users share a photo library across iPhones, iPads and Macs. Other notable features in iOS 16.1 include the Live Activities API and a battery level indicator that now decreases over time. In the original iOS 16 release, the icon stayed full until the battery dipped below 20 percent.
Apple rolled out the iOS 16 update in September for all eligible iPhones. The update brought several new features, including a customizable lock screen, the option to edit or ‘unsend’ messages, the ability to bypass captchas on supported websites, a background removal feature from images, SharePlay in messages, and more. In addition, iOS 16 also saw Apple reintroducing the battery level indicator in the iPhone’s status bar. The feature was deprecated with the iPhone X in 2017 and was missing in all subsequent iPhones until now.
In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman claimed that Apple will release the iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 updates „around mid-December.“ The software is already available for beta testers, meaning many of its features are already public knowledge. One of the main features of the incoming update is Apple’s in-house Freeform whiteboard app that works across iPhones, iPads and Macs. iOS 16.2 also brings Live Activities integration for select games, a Sleep widget option for the lock screen and more.
iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 Are Coming Next Month
Following the roll-out of iOS 16.2 next month, Apple is reportedly aiming to release iOS 16.3 and macOS Ventura 13.3 „between early February and the beginning of March (2023).“ Gurman further claimed that Apple would also launch its M2-powered 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros alongside the iOS 16.3 and macOS Ventura 13.3 roll-out next year. The devices were initially expected to be launched before the end of this year, but the release date has been pushed back by a few months for unspecified reasons.
Alongside iOS 16.1, Apple last week also rolled out iPadOS 16.1 after skipping the release of iPadOS 16 earlier in the year. Apple didn’t reveal the reason behind its decision to skip ahead to iPadOS 16.1 instead of rolling out iPadOS 16 first, but Gurman claimed that the company needed more time to fine-tune the new Stage Manager feature. Announced at the Worldwide Developers Conference 2022, Stage Manager improves the multitasking experience on compatible iPads by adding true multi-window support to Apple‘s tablets for the first time.