Apple
5 Things to Know About the iOS 16.2 Update
After a lengthy stint in beta testing, Apple’s pushed its iOS 16.2 update to iPhone users around the world.
iOS 16.2 is the company’s second milestone upgrade for iOS 16 and it brings more than just bug fixes and security patches to iPhone users. It delivers a bunch of new features as well.
With that in mind we want to take you through everything you need to know about Apple’s latest and greatest iOS 16 update for the iPhone.
In this walkthrough we’ll take you through iOS 16.2’s features, the firmware’s performance, the current state of iOS 16.2 problems, the iOS 16.2 jailbreak status, and more. We’ll start with some quick thoughts on iOS 16.2’s performance.
iOS 16.2 Review
If your iPhone is currently running iOS 16.1.2, you’ll see the smallest iOS 16.2 download size.
The exact size of the iOS 16.2 download depends on your iPhone model and the version of iOS it’s currently running. If your device is running an older version of iOS, you’ll likely see a bigger download because your update comes with the changes from the updates you skipped.
If you’re moving up from iOS 16.1.2, the installation process should take 10 minutes or less to complete. It took about seven minutes to install on an iPhone 12 Pro.
We’ve been using the iOS 16.2 update on an iPhone 12 Pro for several weeks now and here’s what we’ve learned about the software’s performance thus far:
Connectivity
- Battery life is stable.
- Wi-Fi connectivity is fast and reliable.
- Bluetooth is working normally.
- GPS and cellular data are both stable.
App Performance
- Third-party apps including Netflix, Dark Sky, Twitter, Slack, Asana, Gmail, Chrome, and Spotify are working fine at the moment.
- First party apps like Safari and Podcasts are also stable.
Speed
- iOS 16.1.2 currently feels as fast as iOS 16.1.2 did.
If you’ve been dealing with bugs and/or performance issues on iOS 16.1.2 or an older version of iOS 16, you should probably install the iOS 16.2 update on your iPhone in the near future.
If you need help making a decision about an upgrade to iOS 16.2, check out the best reasons to, and not to, install the software on your iPhone right now.
iOS 16.2 Problems
The iOS 16.2 update is causing problems for some iPhone users. Some problems are brand new, others have carried over from older versions of iOS.
The current list of iOS 16.2 problems includes battery life issues, installation issues, Wi-Fi problems, Bluetooth bugs, UI lag, issues with Face ID, issues with HomeKit, and issues with various first and third-party apps.
If you encounter a problem with iOS 16.2, have a look at our list of fixes for common iOS 16 issues. We’ve also released some tips that could help you improve your phone’s performance and some tips that could help you fix iOS 16 battery life issues should you run into them.
Apple’s stopped signing on iOS 16.1.2 which means you can’t move your iPhone’s software back to the previous version of iOS 16 in an effort to improve its performance. You can’t downgrade to other versions of iOS either.
Keep this in mind if you’re having a good experience on your phone’s current version of iOS. Once you make the move to iOS 16.2, you won’t be able to get back.
For more on the downgrade process, check out our guide.
iOS 16.2 Features
Apple’s milestone updates (x.x) typically bring new features, enhancements, security patches, and bug fixes to iPhone users and that’s what you get from iOS 16.2.
Here’s the full iOS 16.2 change log from Apple:
Freeform
- Freeform is a new app for working creatively with friends or colleagues on Mac, iPad and iPhone
- A flexible canvas lets you add files, images, stickies, and more
- Drawing tools let you sketch anywhere on the canvas with your finger
Apple Music Sing
- A new way to sing along with millions of your favorite songs in Apple Music
- Fully adjustable vocals let you duet with the original artist, sing solo, or mix it up
- Newly enhanced beat-by-beat lyrics make it even easier to follow along with the music
Advanced Data Protection for iCloud
- New option expands the total number of iCloud data categories protected using end-to-end encryption to 23 — including iCloud Backup, Notes, and Photos — protecting your information even in the case of a data breach in the cloud
Lock Screen
- New settings allow you to hide wallpaper or notifications when Always-On display is enabled on iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max
- Sleep widget lets you view your most recent sleep data
- Medications widget lets you view reminders and quickly access your schedule
Game Center
- SharePlay support in Game Center for multiplayer games so you can play with the people you are on a FaceTime call with
- Activity Widget allows you to see what your friends are playing and achieving in games right from your Home Screen
Apple TV
- Live Activities for Apple TV app let you follow your favorite teams with live scores right on your Lock Screen or in Dynamic Island on iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max
Home
- Improved reliability and efficiency of communication between your smart home accessories and Apple devices
Bug Fixes & Improvements
- Improved search in Messages allows you to find photos based on their content, like a dog, car, person, or text
- Reload and Show IP Address setting enables iCloud Private Relay users to temporarily disable the service for a specific site in Safari
- News articles in Weather display information relevant to the weather in that location
- Participant Cursors in Notes allow you to see live indicators as others make updates in a shared note
- AirDrop now automatically reverts to Contacts Only after 10 minutes to prevent unwanted requests to receive content
- Crash Detection optimizations on iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models
- Fixes an issue that causes some notes not to sync with iCloud after updates are made
iOS 16.2 also brings important security patches to iPhone and you can learn more about them over on the company’s security website.
iOS 16.2 Jailbreak
If you still jailbreak, it looks like you can safely install iOS 16.2 provided you own an iPhone X, iPhone 8, or iPhone 8 Plus.
Developers have released a new jailbreak that works with iOS 15.0-iOS 16.2 and the aforementioned iPhone models. There are a few caveats, but this is great news for those who still like to jailbreak their iPhone.
What’s Next
Apple’s confirmed a new iOS 16.3 update and it’s currently in beta testing ahead of a public release later on this month.
If you can’t/don’t want to wait for the official release date, you might try downloading the iOS 16.3 beta onto your iPhone right now.
For more on iOS 16.3 and the beta, have a look at our walkthrough. For more about the iOS 16.3 release date, check out our guide.
Install iOS 16.7.7 for Better Security | |||||||||||||||
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If security is important to you, think about installing Apple's iOS 16.7.7 update on your iPhone right away. iOS 16.7.7 has two security patches on board. If you want to protect your device from harm, you should install the upgrade sooner rather than later. If you missed older versions of iOS 16, you'll get the fixes and features from updates you missed when you upgrade to iOS 16.7.7. iOS 16.7.6 delivered several security patches to iPhone users. iOS 16.7.5 had nine security patches on board and they're important if you want to keep you device and its data safe from harm. iOS 16.7.3 delivered several security patches including one that patches up an issue with the Find My app. iOS 16.7.2 brought several security patches to iPhone models still running iOS 16. Learn more about them here. iOS 16.7.1 carried two important security enhancements including one that addressed a kernel vulnerability. You can learn more about the pair over on Apple's website. iOS 16.7 had three security patches on board and you can learn more about them right here. iOS 16.6.1 brought two important security patches to iPhone. If you're interested in what they patch up, here's Apple's guide. The iOS 16.6 update featured 16 security patches. For more information about the changes, check out Apple's rundown. iOS 16.5.1 brought two security patches to iPhone users If you want to learn more, head on over to Apple's website. The company's iOS Security Response 16.5.1 (c) update also included a security update and you can learn more about it right here. iOS 16.5 brought a ton of security patches to the iPhone. You can find out more about them over on Apple's security site. iOS 16.4.1 included two security upgrades . You can learn more about the pair right here. Apple's iOS 16.4 update had a substantial number of patches on board. You can read about them in detail over on Apple's security site. The iOS 16.3.1 update had three security patches on board including one for an actively exploited vulnerability. For more on the security contents of iOS 16.3.1, check out Apple's security page. iOS 16.3 brought 10+ new security patches with it and you can learn more about all of those right here. In addition, the software came with support for physical security keys for Apple ID. These will beef up your account security by requiring a physical security key as part of the two factor authentication sign in process. Learn more about the change right here. If you skipped iOS 16.2, you'll get its changes with iOS 16.7.7. iOS 16.2 brought a ton of important security patches with it and you can dig into the details on Apple's security site. The update also brought end-to-end encryption to iCloud, iMessage, iPhone backups, Notes, Photos, and more. If you want to learn more about it, head over to Apple's guide. If you decided to missed iOS 16.1.2, you'll get its solitary security patch with your upgrade. Learn more about it right here. If you skipped iOS 16.1.1, you'll get its security patches when you upgrade. You can learn more about them right here. If you missed the iOS 16.1 update, it brought 19 security patches to the iPhone and you can learn about the particulars of those over on Apple's website. If you failed to download iOS 16.0.3, it had one security patch on board, a fix for a potential exploit within the Mail app. For more about the fix, check out Apple's security site. If you're still running iOS 15 your iPhone, you'll get a bunch of other patches when you upgrade. iOS 16.0 brought a ton of security patches to the iPhone. If you're interested in the exact nature of these improvements, you can read about them over on Apple's security website. In addition to those patches, iOS 16 brings some additional enhancements to privacy and security including Safety Check which, according to Apple, will help "people in domestic or intimate partner violence situations review and reset the access they’ve granted others." The feature also resets system privacy permissions for apps and restricts Messages and FaceTime to the device on hand. Apple's also made some improvements to Passkeys in Safari. iOS 16 brings a brand new sign-in method that's end-to-end encrypted and safe from phishing and data leaks. | |||||||||||||||
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