iOS 16 beta 6 now available as Apple finalizes features ahead of September launch
iOS 16 beta 6 and iPadOS 16 beta 6 are now rolling out to developers, one week after the fifth beta was released. iOS 16 brings a number of changes, including updates to the Lock Screen, new wallpaper options, and more. iOS 16 beta 6 will continue refining these new features…
Update: Also now available to public beta testers.
Each new iOS 16 beta usually includes a number of changes, bug fixes, and even new features. Apple keeps a keen eye on the feedback it receives from iOS 16 beta testers, and each subsequent beta aims to address complaints, bug reports, and performance issues.
Notably, Apple has switched to a one-week cycle with this beta, indicating it is ramping up beta testing ahead of next month’s public release.
One thing we’ve learned recently that Apple is planning to delay releasing this update to the public. iPadOS 16 was initially slated to launch in September alongside iOS 16, but it’s now scheduled for sometime in October.
iOS 16 beta 5 was released last week with the notable addition of a new battery percentage icon for the menu bar.
iOS 16 beta 5 finally adds the battery percentage to the status bar
Find My has a new sound alert with iOS 16 beta 5, here’s how it sounds
iOS 16 beta 5 adds ‘Copy and Delete’ option for sharing screenshots without clutter
watchOS 9 beta 6 is now available to developers
watchOS 9 beta 6 is here. As Apple polishes the Apple Watch’s upcoming operating system after more than two months of beta testing, the company seems to be getting ready for the launch of watchOS 9 in September. Here’s everything new with it.
Today’s build is 20R5353a. watchOS 9 is the biggest update on the Apple Watch software in years and beta testers can take advantage of the features before everyone else.
Now that watchOS 9 doesn’t support Apple Watch Series 3 anymore, the operating system will revamp old Watch Faces, while adding four new ones. With these new faces, Apple makes them look better on bigger displays. In addition, the company is adding QWERTY keyboard support for more languages for the Apple Watch Series 7 and new QuickType technology with watchOS 9.
watchOS 9 beta version also brings a significant update to the Workout app with a lot of new features for people who love to exercise. For runners, there’s a new Workout Views where they just need to turn the Digital Crown in order to see lots of metrics, which are available during the run:
Activity rings
Heart Rate Zones
Power
Elevation
Apple is also improving the Sleep app with watchOS 9, which beta testers can now take advantage of. It now brings more sleep data and there’s a new Medications app that helps you track all the pills and vitamins you take every day.
Alongside watchOS 9 beta 6, Apple is seeding iOS 16 beta 6, iPadOS 16 beta 6, and tvOS 16 beta 6
In a report by Bloomberg, the publication says Apple will likely delay the launch of iPadOS 16 by a month, which could mean this software will be available closer to the launch of macOS Ventura, also expected for October. watchOS 9 and iOS 16, on the other hand, are expected to launch next month.
A handy new feature Apple is bringing with iOS 16 is iPhone battery percentage in the status bar that shows at all times on the Home screen, app pages, in apps, and more. However, there are a few caveats, read on for what to do if the iOS 16 iPhone battery percentage isn’t showing on your device.
Interestingly, the iOS 16 iPhone battery percentage feature didn’t arrive until beta 5 (public beta 3). While some users have seen it turned on by default when installing the latest beta, you may have to manually enable it on your iPhone.
This marks the first time the battery percentage has been in the status bar on modern iPhones since it was dropped with the iPhone X back in 2017.
iOS 16 iPhone battery percentage: How to enable on your device
iOS 16 is currently available as a free public or paid developer beta. Learn more about installing iOS 16 in our full guide.
Make sure you’re running iOS 16 beta 5 (or public beta 3)
Open the Settings app on your iPhone (see below for compatible models)
Swipe down and tap Battery
At the top, tap the toggle next to Battery Percentage
If it’s not showing, you either aren’t running iOS 16 beta 5 (public beta 3) yet or the feature isn’t compatible with your iPhone
Here’s how those steps look:
Compatible iPhones
Currently in the iOS 16 beta 5/public beta 3, these are the models that appear to work with the new feature:
iPhone 13, 13 Pro, and 13 Pro Max
iPhone 12, 12 Pro, and 12 Pro Max
iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max
iPhone XS and XS Max
iPhone X
For now, that means it’s not available for iPhone 13 and 12 mini, iPhone 11, or iPhone XR.
A few other details about the iOS 16 iPhone battery percentage:
When your iPhone is not charging, you’ll see the normal battery icon but with the percentage number inside (it will show fully white with the number until it’s below 20%)
If your iPhone is in low power mode, the battery icon turns yellow but still shows the percentage
When charging, you’ll see the percentage with a small charging icon
If your iPhone is below 20%, you’ll see the icon turn red with the percentage number
One of the new features of iOS 16 is Lockdown Mode, which helps users protect themselves against targeted cyber attacks by disabling multiple device features. Among everything Lockdown Mode changes, it also restricts web browsing – and now software engineer Alexis Lours details how exactly that happens.
Lours shared on his personal blog how he ran multiple tests to find out which web features are disabled when Lockdown Mode is turned on. Thanks to Modernizr, a JavaScript library that detects features available in a web browser, the engineer has obtained a list of WebKit features that can potentially be used to spy on users.
Lockdown Mode’s impact on web browsing
The first thing noticed by the engineer is that Lockdown Mode disables just-in-time JavaScript compilation (JIT), which compiles code on the fly during its execution. Without JIT enabled, web browsing performance drops by up to 95% based on benchmark tests. This results in longer loading times and even higher battery consumption.
Lockdown Mode in iOS 16 disables also disables WebAssembly. WASM a powerful binary code format that enables high-performance apps on web pages. However, it can also be used to create a digital “fingerprint” of users, which helps third parties track people across websites and apps.
Interestingly, support for MP3 players on webpages is also disabled with Lockdown Mode. Lours believes that Apple wants to prevent attackers from using MP3 decoding for malicious purposes. Of course, this ends up breaking any website with MP3 playback without a fallback to the AAC or OGG formats.
The Gamepad API, which was created to let users interact with game controllers on websites, doesn’t work with Lockdown Mode enabled. This is because malicious websites can use details like the controller ID to track users. Unsurprisingly, this breaks down web games and platforms that rely on an external game controller.
Previewing files in web browsers is also restricted with Lockdown Mode. For instance, JPEG 2000 images and SVG fonts, which are exclusively supported by Safari, are disabled so websites can’t use these formats to target iOS users. PDF previewing for websites is also disabled, as multiple PDF-related exploits have been found in the past.
Other disabled features include WebGL, Speech Recognition API, and the Web Audio API.
What else does Lockdown Mode restrict?
In addition to restricting web browsing, Lockdown Mode in iOS 16 also blocks most message attachments and link previews in Apple’s Messages app. Users with Lockdown Mode enabled only get FaceTime calls from known numbers and iCloud Shared Albums are removed from the Photos app.
Apple also blocks configuration profiles and access to the device over a wired connection with Lockdown Mode turned on.
Of course, Apple emphasizes that Lockdown Mode is intended for a specific group of users who may be targeted by sophisticated espionage threats. These users include journalists, activists, and members of governments. This came after the company filed a lawsuit against ‘Pegasus’ spyware creator NSO Group last fall.
Lockdown Mode is available as part of iOS 16, which is expected to be released this fall. Developers and users registered in the Apple Beta Software Program can now try out iOS 16 beta.
Curious how much RAM Apple has put in its iPhones over the years or how much memory your current iPhone has? While the company doesn’t publicly share the information, memory details surface in teardowns and from other sources like Apple’s supply chain. Read along for a look at the complete iPhone RAM list for how much memory comes with every iPhone model..
Apple doesn’t publish or put any focus on iPhone RAM for a number of reasons. One of the biggest is iPhone performance outpaces the competition like Android phones with less RAM. Apple is able to do that as it makes both the hardware and software and precisely fine tunes its devices to perform as efficiently and powerfully as possible.
So in the big picture, Apple focuses on what its iPhones can do rather than the specs powering them.
One example was in 2019 when the iPhone 11 Pro Max with 4GB RAM beat out the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ which has 12GB RAM in a speed test. That’s right, the tight integration between iPhone hardware and iOS made up more than an 8 GB memory difference. The same is usually true for iPad and Mac vs Android tablets and PCs too.
Before you look, can you guess how much RAM the original iPhone had? 😁
The glass lens of the rear camera on your iPhone X is bro
ken. You need to replace this lens because the pictures are fuzzy. To start with, remove the broken fragments of glass and obtain a new lens. Clean the area and attach the new lens with double-sided tape or 2 drops of glue.
Does Apple warranty cover a broken camera?
Accidental damage is not covered by the standard warranty. The rear camera module can be repaired by Apple. Accidental damage is not covered by the standard warranty.10 Mar 2021
How much does it cost to fix a iPhone 13 pro camera?
Apple doesn’t provide pricing for replacing an iPhone 13 camera at an authorized service center, but it may fall under the “other damage” category. So, out-of-warranty repair costs would be $449, and AppleCare+ customers would pay a $99 repair fee according to Apple’s support website. 27 Apr 2022
How much is it to fix a camera lens on iPhone 13?
As long as it’s just the camera glass that’s damaged, it should only be a max of $99. For that price, Apple will either replace the device entirely or fit a new camera glass to the device.21 Apr 2022
Will Apple replace a cracked camera lens?
The lens is not repairable at any Apple Authorized Repair center or Apple Retail. The only option through Apple would be a warranty replacement at a cost. Physical damage is never covered under warranty.4 Sept 2015
Five years ago, Apple introduced the iPhone X. With a new design, powerful chip, new gestures, and a new unlock method, the Face ID, the Cupertino company paid a well-deserved tribute to the original iPhone, at the time, released ten years ago. Who would’ve thought that this innovative iPhone would be the oldest model to support iOS 16? For this 15-year anniversary, what does Apple have planned for its users?
Will there be an iPhone XV?
To be honest, I truly think it would be amazing if Apple announced the iPhone XV later this year – but it’s almost impossible for this to happen. As of now, rumors point out four new iPhone models, which will likely be called “14.”
For the 15-year anniversary of the iPhone, the iPhone 14, 14 Max, 14 Pro, and 14 Pro Max are the possible names for this new generation. And although the name will change for this decade and a half anniversary compared to what Apple introduced five years ago, there are a few things in common between these releases.
For example, minutes before introducing the iPhone X, Apple announced the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, which brought the refinement of phones we already knew: the iPhone 6/6S/7. This time, the iPhone 14 is rumored to bring boring features, pretty much because rumors point out it will be very similar to the iPhone 13.
Rumors suggest the baseline iPhone 14 will feature the A15 Bionic chip, slightly improved camera modules, and the same design with the notch we have all known for the past five years. The difference here is that Apple will once again bring a bigger version of the regular phone, which will likely be called the iPhone 14 Max, with a 6.7-inch display.
But just like Apple saved the new features for the iPhone X, the company will do the same with the iPhone 14 Pro for the 15-year anniversary
iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max will be Apple’s old to 15-year original iPhone
With the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, Apple will finally update the design introduced with the iPhone X. With a new hole-punch + pill cutout, the front of the smartphone will look like a lay-down, lowercase “i.”
In addition, Apple will boost this smartphone with the A16 chip. Although it’s expected to use the same 5 nm technology, the company will likely be able to make its CPU, GPU, and Neural Engine faster, as well as revamp both the front-facing camera and main cameras on the back.
There are rumors pointing out even a purple iPhone 14 Pro, which could be the newest color after the Sierra Blue for this generation.
Wrap up
Although the name won’t matter for Apple on the 15th anniversary of the original iPhone, there’s a lot rumored to be introduced with the iPhone 14 series. In addition, Apple is also readying three new Apple Watches, new AirPods Pro, iPad Pro, and even planning to enter a new segment with Mixed Reality headset and an AR device.
We’ve seen some baby steps towards using our iPhone for proving our identity. But a couple of recent developments point to a future in which an iPhone – plus biometrics – could let us use our phone as a single means of verifying our identity, both online and in face-to-face interactions.
In all, Apple provides support for four initiatives which I think provide a clear pointer to a future in which the iPhone will be our one-stop device for ID …
Proving our identity with an iPhone
Apple currently offers support for four separate initiatives:
Mobile driving licences
Password-less login via Passkeys in the Cloud
Student ID
Captcha bypass
Each of these form some early stepping stones to what will eventually be a world in which our iPhone will be the primary way in which we prove our identity, both online and offline.
Mobile driving licences (mDL)
Back in June of last year, Apple announced its plans to allow state ID documents like driving licences in the Wallet app.
To be fully free of your physical wallet, there’s one more thing we need to bring to iPhone. And that’s your ID. So we’re bringing identity cards to Apple Wallet. This fall, you’ll just scan your drivers license or state ID in participating US states. It’s that easy. Your ID information is now in Wallet. Encrypted and stored in the Secure Element, the same hardware element technology that makes Apple Pay private and secure.
The company said that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) would be climbing aboard, allowing iPhone owners to present digital versions of their driving licences as proof of ID for airline travel.
The TSA is working to enable airport security checkpoints as the first place you can use your digital ID.
That didn’t happen in the fall of 2021 as scheduled, and when it did finally happen, it was just dipping a toe in the water. As the mDL (mobile driving licence) tracker shows, the system hasn’t yet been officially implemented anywhere in the US as yet, and there are just a handful of trials at a tiny number of airports.
The wheels of government grind exceedingly slowly, so the point at which we can flash our iPhone at a TSA checkpoint or traffic cop are some way off yet, but some 30 states have announced that they are at least exploring the idea.
Student ID cards
Partnering with Blackboard lets college students store their ID card in the Wallet app, which can then be used for everything from entering campus facilities to paying their laundry bills.
Students who load their IDs into Apple Wallet on iPhone/Apple Watch will be able to have secure access to campus facilities, residence halls, and more in addition to using the digital card for payments at vending machines, dining halls, laundry, and even off-campus retail locations that accept student IDs as payment.
Passkeys in the Cloud/FiDO
Back in 2020, Apple joined the Fido Alliance, a tech working group dedicated to eliminating passwords. We’ve previously explained how FiDO (Fast IDentity Online) works.
Currently, to log in to a website or app, we usually enter a username and a password. What FIDO does is instead allow our device to authenticate us. The logic is this (using an iPhone with Face ID as an example):
A website or app asks you to identify yourself, and prove your identity.
Your iPhone receives that request, and activates Face ID.
If your face matches, your iPhone tells the website who you are,
and that it has confirmed your identity.
At no point is there a password involved: Authentication is performed on your device, not on the website server. The web server trusts your iPhone to authenticate you in exactly the same way that payment terminals trust your phone for Apple Pay transactions.
Apple branded its implementation of FiDO as Passkeys in the Cloud. After a halfway house in iOS 15, the iPhone maker has fully implemented this in iOS 16 and macOS 13.
Of course, it also requires online services to support the login method, and this will again take time.
Captcha bypass
iOS 16 allows allows us to bypass Captchas in apps and on the web.
A new feature called Private Access Tokens will use a combination of details about your device and your Apple ID to inform a website that you are a legitimate user rather than a robot. In turn, this allows you to completely bypass the CAPTCHA step.
This might seem like an odd thing to mention in this context, as it doesn’t actually verify our identity, but it operates on the same principle – it carries out a form of user validation, and the authentication needed for this happening entirely on our device.
Again, this requires apps and websites to sign-up, so rollout will take some time, but it’s an easy way to improve the user experience while reducing friction (points at which people might give up), so I’d again expect adoption to be reasonably brisk.
Proving our identity in this way will become standard
Long-term, I’d expect the principles involved here to become the standard way we prove our identity, both online and offline. This is because it’s safer for all involved – individuals, companies, and governments.
Individuals
It’s safer for us both online and offline.
Online data breaches are ridiculously common. Companies keep making ridiculous mistakes like storing customer databases on cloud servers without any protection, or messing up permissions to anyone with access to their network can download customer records. With FiDO, there is no database to hack
Offline, only the necessary personal data is revealed, and that is done in encrypted form. When you show your mobile driving license at a TSA checkpoint, they only receive the actual data they need, not all the data stored on/in your license. It’s very much equivalent to Apple Pay, where the payment terminal doesn’t get all of the information on your credit card, and relies on your iPhone confirming that it has verified your identity with Face ID or Touch ID.
Companies
One of the biggest headaches for businesses is keeping customer data safe from hackers. The financial and reputational cost of a security breach can be extremely costly. With FiDO, no user credentials are stored on the server as the authentication happens entirely on our devices. (Of course, they still have to keep other customer data safe, but removing the need for login credentials is a big win.)
Governments
Paper documents can be convincingly forged, despite watermarks and the like, which is why really important ones like passports also rely on electronic security in the form of an embedded RFID chip. Moving all identity documents to electronic versions, with biometric protection, is a huge step forward in security.
There is massive additional potential in this approach
I mentioned above that companies will still have to store some customer data, like addresses. But what if they didn’t have to? What if you place an online order, and your iPhone or Mac sends an encrypted code which can only be decoded by courier companies?
What if your doctor didn’t phone you with test results, but instead sent you a link to a file which can only be read by a device which uses biometric authentication to prove your identity?
What if you didn’t have to show your credit card or ID when collecting concert tickets, but your iPhone verified your identity without revealing any of your data?
It doesn’t take much imagination to see the massive potential for on-device authentication to be used in any situation in which we need to prove our identity, whether online or offline.
To me, on-device authentication is the future of ID checks, even – eventually – passports and visas. Personally, I can’t wait. What about you? Please take our poll, and share your thoughts in the comments.
Microsoft is working to make your and your family’s online experience safer. Today the company is launching its new Defender security dashboard for 365 subscribers. Users on iPhone, Mac, Windows, and Android devices have access to the Microsoft Defender security app that utilizes existing antivirus software or other protections.
Microsoft Defender is simplified online security that meets you and your family where you are by bringing multiple protections together into a single dashboard. It provides online protection across the devices you and your family use. It offers tips and recommendations to strengthen your protection further. And, as you grow your digital footprint by adding family members and devices, Defender grows with you and keeps your defenses up-to-date using trusted technology.
According to The Verge, Microsoft Defender’s features will vary by which platform. For instance, on iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Defender users won’t have antivirus protection. However, they’ll have some phishing protections alongside their dashboard that features alerts for their other devices.
Additionally, the new app includes security alerts for your devices to ensure maximum protection. While not on iPhone, you can also view Microsoft Defender’s cybersecurity tips on your Mac or Windows computer.
This is just the start. As we look forward, we will continue to bring more protections together under a single dashboard, including features like identity theft protection and secure online connection. Microsoft Defender is simplified online security that grows with you and your family to help keep you safe.
Earlier this year, multiple reports suggested that Apple is working on major upgrades to the iPhone 14’s front-facing camera. Now analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has corroborated those rumors with new details about the suppliers Apple has chosen for the selfie camera components, which will get its biggest upgrade in years with iPhone 14.
As shared by the analyst in a blog post and also on Twitter, Apple has now set its suppliers for the new iPhone 14 front-facing camera.
Analysis: winners of iPhone 14 front camera's upgrade to AF (auto focus) / 分析：iPhone 14前置攝像頭升級為AF (自動對焦) 的贏家 @mingchikuohttps://t.co/USPnSfWFDO
Some of them are already Apple’s partners, such as Sony – which will continue to provide the camera sensors for the new iPhone. The lenses will be provided by Genius and Largan, while the new focus module comes from Alps and Luxshare.
However, when it comes to the front-facing camera module, Apple will have Cowell and, for the first time, the South Korean company LG Innotek as its partners. The partnership between Apple and LG Innotek had already been reported last month after the Cupertino-based company ruled out components from Chinese camera makers due to quality issues.
Based on Kuo’s report, iPhone 14 will represent Apple’s biggest front-facing smartphone camera upgrade in years. The analyst predicts that the new camera will feature autofocus, which should result in significantly better quality for capturing photos and videos compared to the current fixed focus camera.
Other upgrades include a six-part lens, versus the existing five-part lens. The iPhone 14’s front camera is also expected to have a larger f/1.9 aperture. For comparison, the iPhone’s front camera remains pretty much the same since iPhone 11, when Apple introduced a new 12-megapixel lens with f/2.2 aperture.
More camera upgrades coming to iPhone 14 Pro
While the selfie camera improvements should be available for the entire iPhone 14 lineup, some of the upgrades will be restricted to the more expensive iPhone 14 Pro models. Previous reports have revealed that this year’s Pro models will get a new wide camera with a 48-megapixel sensor capable of shooting videos in 8K resolution.
Unfortunately, the entry-level iPhone 14 models are rumored to keep the same set of rear cameras with wide and ultra-wide lenses of 12 megapixels each. Of course, this doesn’t mean that other aspects of these lenses won’t be upgraded.
iPhone 14 will be available in four different versions, with two regular models and two Pro models. The mini-sized iPhone is expected to be discontinued and will make way for a new 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Max, while the Pro models will keep the same size as the current generation, but this time with a new display design that eliminates the notch.
also heard from sources that some of the new iPhones will stick with the A15 Bionic chip from the iPhone 13, while others (presumably the iPhone 14 Pro models) will get the new A16 chip.
Apple is likely to announce the new iPhones in September.
Apple announced iOS 16 during the WWDC 2022 keynote. The upcoming software for iPhones is full of new features, but there are a few that are going to be extra nice when you can get your hands on iOS 16 later this fall. Here are the five best features of this upcoming operating system.
Edit, unsend, and unread Messages on iOS 16.
iOS 16 is bringing some major improvements to iMessage. When it’s available to all users, you’ll have 15 minutes to edit or unsend any messages. This is very useful for when you misspelled a word or send the wrong message to the wrong person.
Unread, on the other hand, is useful to help you keep track on what messages you want to answer later. It’s important to notice that at least edit and unsend message features will need all devices to be running iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS 13 Ventura, or watchOS 9.
A brand new Lock Screen to your current iPhone
The most important feature of iOS 16 – or at least the most noticeable – is the new Lock Screen. It offers a handful of new customization, letting you edit the Lock Screen almost any way you want.
It’s easy to customize the font, color, or placement of elements on your Lock Screen by tapping them. With multilayered photo effect, photo subjects are dynamically displayed in front of the time to make the subject of the photo pop.
In addition, you can also add, for the first time, widgets to the Lock Screen in iOS 16 — and not only widgets made by Apple, but third-party widgets as well.
Live Text in video is groundbreaking.
Live Text was already great with iOS 15. You could grab information from a photo by selecting the text available, a telephone or address, for example.
Now, with Live Text in videos, text is completely interactive in paused video frames, so you can use functions like copy and paste, lookup, and translate.
In addition, Live Text with iOS 16 adds recognition of Japanese, Korean, and Ukrainian text. Last but not least, data detected in photos and videos is actionable with a single tap. Track flights or shipments, translate foreign languages, convert currencies, and more.
Focus Mode is getting even more useful in iOS 16.
With iOS 15, I said Focus Mode was the most important feature of the update. Now, this function is getting even better.
For example, the Lock Screen can link with your Focus Mode. So if you’re working, your Lock Screen will reflect the Focus set.
With Focus filters, you can set Apple apps like Calendar, Mail, Messages, and Safari to draw boundaries for each Focus you enable. In addition, you can have a Focus turn on automatically at a set time or location, or while using a certain app, which is more useful than just a particular time.
For a passwordless future, meet Passkeys in iOS 16.
Passkeys plans to replace passwords with an easier and safer sign-in method by using your face or fingerprint with Face ID/Touch ID.
It’s protected agains phishing and website leaks, since passkeys never leave your device and are specific to the site you created them for, making it almost impossible for them to be phished or hacked.
In addition, Passkeys syncs across devices and lets you sign in to other devices. Apple says that it is trying to reach an industry standard so you can sign in to websites or apps on other devices, including non-Apple devices, with your saved passkey by scanning the QR code with your iPhone or iPad and using Face ID or Touch ID to authenticate.
