Apple today seeded the third betas of iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 to developers for testing purposes, and as expected, the betas refine some of the features that Apple has added in iOS 16, and there are also some new additions. Everything new in the third beta of iOS 16 is outlined below.
AFib History
Apple in iOS 16 and watchOS 9 is adding an AFib History feature for those who have atrial fibrillation, with the aim of tracking how long a person is in atrial fibrillation and how often. In iOS 16 beta 3, the AFib History section has been added to the Health app, and the AFib feature is activated in watchOS 9 beta 3. For now, AFib History is limited to those in the United States.
iCloud Shared Photo Library
The third beta of iOS 16 introduces support for iCloud Shared Photo Library, which is designed to make it easier for you to share photos with friends and family members. You can invite up to five people to share a photo library with you, and all participants can add, delete, and edit images.
Lockdown Mode
Added as an extreme security measure, Lockdown Mode is available in iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and macOS Ventura. It is an optional security feature that is aimed at protecting a small number of high-profile users who are at risk of targeted cyberattacks from state-sponsored spyware.
Lockdown Mode is aimed at journalists, activists, government employees, and others who might be targeted by sophisticated cyberattacks. It is not for the everyday user, and it restricts many iPhone features. In Messages, for example, attachments other than images are blocked, and in FaceTime, calls from people you have not previously contacted are blocked.
Complex web technologies and browsing features are blocked in web browsers, shared albums are removed from the Photos app, wired connections are blocked, and configuration profiles cannot be installed. More on Lockdown Mode can be found in our article outlining the feature.
Lock Screen Time Font
There are now 12 fonts to choose from for the time on the customizable iOS 16 Lock Screen, including one option that is thinner than prior fonts, and another that is a thicker version of the previously available serif font.
Calendar Lock Screen Widget
For privacy purposes, the Calendar Lock Screen widget no longer provides details on the next upcoming event while the iPhone is locked. It blurs out the information until the iPhone is unlocked by its owner.
Reminders
Theres a new “Include Due Today” option in the Settings section of the Reminders app. It is designed to include both overdue and due today items in the badge count, rather than just due today items.
Earth Lock Screen Wallpaper
With the Earth Lock Screen wallpaper, widgets will no longer block the view of the earth. The earth image moves down when widgets are used, and up if there are no widgets placed. In prior versions of the beta, widgets overlapped.
iOS Version Interface Update
In the Settings app under About > iOS Version, if you tap on the version number, the interface has been updated. It’s simpler and is no longer a pop-up card, plus it no longer links to Apple’s security website.
Clownfish Wallpaper
Some iOS 16 users who installed the third beta are seeing a Clownfish wallpaper option. This wallpaper was on the original iPhone when it was introduced by Steve Jobs in 2007, but it has never officially launched. It is not showing up for everyone, but it could be added as a wallpaper option in a future beta.
Stage Manager
On the iPad, there is a new splash screen for the Stage Manager feature. There are also new tutorials for walking you through how to use it, along with an updated multitasking menu with improved labeling.
iCloud Splash Screen
When choosing an iCloud+ subscription option, there’s a new splash screen that explains the features.
Virtual Card Support
iOS 16 adds support for virtual cards for shopping using Safari. Some banks and card providers allow customers to generate virtual card numbers (similar to how Apple Card works) to use online to avoid having their credit card details stolen. Safari in iOS 16 will support this feature based on code in the beta.
