Apple released the fourth beta version of iOS 16.5 last week. A company news release Tuesday points to the iPhone software update becoming available to the public next week. The beta versions of iOS 16.5 bring more security patches and improvements to the OS, like a new Pride wallpaper section and a sports tab in Apple News, to public beta users as well as developers.
New iOS features can be fun, but we recommend downloading a beta only on a device other than your primary phone, just in case the new software causes problems. Apple also provides beta testers with an app called Feedback, which they can use to notify the company about any issues in the new software. That way, problems can be addressed before general release.
Here are the new features beta testers can try now ahead of the release of iOS 16.5.
Pride wallpaper section
In iOS 16.5 beta 4, Apple introduced a new Pride section to your iPhone’s preloaded wallpapers.
The wallpapers were “designed with the colors of the Pride flag to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community,” the section’s description reads.
The new Pride wallpaper section was released with iOS 16.5 beta 4.
In iOS 16.3, the company introduced the Unity section of preloaded wallpapers as part of its Black Unity Collection to celebrate Black History Month.
Apple News gets a Sports tab
The Apple News app launched in 2015, and the first iOS 16.5 beta brought a Sports tab to the app for the first time. The tab can be found in the toolbar across the bottom of your screen when you open the app. Before, the toolbar displayed tabs for Today, News Plus, Audio, Following and Search. The iOS 16.5 beta 1 got rid of the Search tab to make room for the Sports tab.
Ask Siri to start a screen recording
With iOS 16.5 beta 1, you could ask Siri to start a screen recording for you. Prior to that beta, you had to go to add the screen recording tool to your Control Center, then turn on the tool manually. Now asking Siri could save you time, since you won’t have to edit out the beginning and end of your videos where you turn the recording on and off.
There’s no guarantee these beta features will be released with iOS 16.5, or that these will be the only new features to come out with the update.
For more, check out what to know about iOS 16.4.1 (a) and Rapid Security Responses and what you may have missed with iOS 16.4. And there’s how to become an Apple beta tester so you can try new iOS features before other folks.
Watch this: iOS 16: Powerful Features You May Have Missed
