iOS 16.2 beta is out — here's the new features for your iPhone - Tom's Guide

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iOS 16's logo connected  an iPhone, with an iOS graphic successful  the background
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iOS 16.1 brought immoderate large changes to the iPhone erstwhile Apple released that bundle update earlier this week. But different iOS 16 update is already successful the works that volition bring a caller app to the iPhone on with different enhancements.

Right aft the iOS 16.1 update's release, Apple rolled retired iOS 16.2 Beta 1 to developers. That means the bundle volition beryllium disposable arsenic a nationalist beta soon, with a afloat merchandise apt retired earlier the extremity of the year.

The accomplishment of a caller Freeform app leads the changes successful iOS 16.2, which besides includes immoderate different under-the-hood changes to different apps and features.

Here's what we cognize truthful acold astir iOS 16.2 successful presumption of the features this update introduces.

iOS 16.2 beta 1 download surface  connected  an iPhone successful  beforehand   of a plant

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iOS 16.2: Freeform

Maybe you forgot astir Freeform, an app that Apple archetypal previewed during its Worldwide Developer Conference successful June. Apple touts Freeform arsenic a brainstorming and collaboration tool, with the app serving arsenic a benignant of mobile whiteboard that radical tin enactment connected unneurotic successful real-time.

freeform app moving  connected  an iPad

Freeform moving connected an iPad (Image credit: Apple)

Freeform seems to beryllium chiefly geared toward the iPad, taking vantage of that device's larger surface space. Indeed, Freeform besides debuts connected the iPadOS 16.2 Beta 1 release, which arrived astatine the aforesaid clip arsenic the iOS 16.2 update. However, Freeform is designed to enactment connected aggregate Apple devices, which is wherefore it's besides included successful some iOS 16.2 and the caller macOS Ventura beta.

Apple's merchandise notes for iOS 16.2 Beta 1 (opens successful caller tab) pass of immoderate known issues with Freeform that necessitate workarounds for deleting boards portion offline and adding oregon removing collaborators erstwhile changing stock settings. It's a reminder that this is precise overmuch a beta release, with a batch of fine-tuning successful the works betwixt present and erstwhile iOS 16.2 gets a wide release.

iPhones with 120Hz displays — that's the assorted iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro models — get a show boost. Apple's merchandise notes accidental that animated layout changes present hap astatine 120Hz connected ProMotion displays.

iOS 16.2: New Home app architecture

Home has received a batch of attraction successful iOS 16, archetypal with an all-new plan that makes it easier to presumption and power astute location accessories. The iOS 16.1 update brought enactment for Matter, an interoperability protocol backed by Google, Amazon and Apple that should assistance antithetic devices enactment together.

The changes support coming successful iOS 16.2, which is going to usher successful a caller architecture for the Home app. Apple says the alteration volition bring faster, much reliable performance, though we'll person to spot it successful enactment earlier we tin spot what that means for mundane use.

iOS 16.2: Live Activities changes

Live Activities besides conscionable appeared successful iOS 16.1, but determination volition beryllium immoderate enhancements to the diagnostic successful iOS 16.2. As a reminder, Live Activities are alerts that look connected the fastener surface (or astir the Dynamic Island if you've got an iPhone 14 Pro oregon iPhone 14 Pro Max) that springiness you ongoing updates for things similar sports scores, transportation statuses and timers.

iOS 16 Live Activities

(Image credit: Apple)

9to5Mac reports (opens successful caller tab) that it's seen codification that volition let Live Activities to petition updates astatine shorter intervals, which would boost the frequence of updates to the alerts. Apparently, that diagnostic isn't yet unrecorded successful iOS 16.2 Beta 1, though.

Another report, this 1 from MacRumors (opens successful caller tab), claims that Live Activities integration with selected sporting events successful the TV app has returned successful the iOS 16.2 beta; it had concisely been a portion of the iOS 16.1 beta. 

According to MacRumors, you'll beryllium capable to pat a Follow fastener connected supported games successful the TV app to person people updates displayed connected the fastener surface oregon successful the Dynamic Island. Supported events see MLB and NBA games arsenic good arsenic Premiere League matches successful the U.S. We've conscionable started poking astir iOS 16.2 Beta 1 and haven't spotted that diagnostic conscionable yet.

iOS 16.2: Accidental Emergency SOS telephone reporting

New iOS 16.2 accidental Emergency SOS telephone study features, I accidentally triggered exigency SOS and the constabulary 👮‍♂️ really ended up successful my house. 😳 @9to5mac @MacRumors pic.twitter.com/w0OOaK9W7EOctober 25, 2022

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If you accidentally trigger your iPhone's Emergency SOS telephone feature, iOS 16.2 Beta 1 seemingly adds a mode to study an unintentional call. An iOS 16.2 idiosyncratic took to Twitter (opens successful caller tab) to accidental that specified a diagnostic appeared erstwhile they inadvertently launched an Emergency SOS telephone connected their iPhone.

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Philip Michaels is simply a Managing Editor astatine Tom's Guide. He's been covering idiosyncratic exertion since 1999 and was successful the gathering erstwhile Steve Jobs showed disconnected the iPhone for the archetypal time. He's been evaluating smartphones since that archetypal iPhone debuted successful 2007, and he's been pursuing telephone carriers and smartphone plans since 2015. He has beardown opinions astir Apple, the Oakland Athletics, aged movies and due butchery techniques. Follow him astatine @PhilipMichaels.

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