Ditch your old lock screen and enter a new era of phone customization when iOS 16 arrives on Monday, September 12. Apple revealed the iOS 16 release date on Wednesday as part of its fall iPhone event. It’s an annual tradition for Apple: Announce the next version of iOS in the spring at the WWDC conference, spend the summer testing the new operating system with developers and other beta testers, then release the operating system alongside the newest iPhone in autumn. CNET has been testing the iOS 16 beta for months, so we already have a good idea of what to expect. The biggest features of iOS 16 are the more customizable lock screen, the ability to edit and unsend iMessages (with restrictions), some changes to lock screen notifications, improvements to Apple Wallet, and the ability to use SharePlay from messages. The new operating system will be available on the iPhone 8 and the second-generation iPhone SE and all later models — X, 11, 12, 13 and 14, including the Pro, Plus and Max models.
Apple Event: Full coverage
These annual iOS updates are important opportunities for Apple to make larger revisions to its operating system, which it has been doing since 2007. Users can still expect smaller updates throughout the year — iOS 15.6.1 is the latest version and includes a major security patch — but the September updates that upgrade iOS by an entire version usually include the biggest changes. The iOS 16 release date wasn’t the only thing announced on Wednesday. Apple also introduced the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 8 and the new Apple Watch Ultra. For more on iOS 16, check out our favorite iOS 16 hidden features if your iPhone is compatible with iOS 16 and our guide to unsending and editing texts.
