APPLE is adding a bunch of helpful new features to the iPhone through a major update in the coming weeks.
The latest version of the iPhone operating system, iOS 16, is heavily rumoured to be rolling out in mid-late September.
1
Apple announced the update in June and has already opened up an early beta version of it to the public.
In a recent video, one TikTok user highlighted some of the most useful tools coming to an iPhone near you soon.
The user, who goes by briannaxrenee, showed a pal trying out the features for herself ahead of launch.
That pal just so happens to be @katamogz, a TikTok tech guru who regularly shares iPhone tricks with her millions of followers.
Customisable lock screen
Apple is changing the iPhone Lock Screen with the introduction of iOS 16.
The major change completely revamps your iPhone’s frontage in all the right ways.
For a start, you’ll now get access to Lock Screen widgets.
These Apple Watch-style “complications” let you quickly view info.
Most read in Tech
This includes upcoming calendar events, the weather, battery levels, alarms, time zones, your Activity ring progress and more, according to Apple.
You can have a “multi-layered effect” on the Lock Screen, which can set the subject of a photo in front of the time to create a cool depth effect.
And you can even change the appearance of the date and time for the first time, with different style and colour options.
There are preset options to enjoy that you can customise, or you can create your own Lock Screen yourself.
You’ll also be able to take advantage of Live Activities, a new feature that tracks real-time events.
This could include a workout, sports scores, your taxi journey or a food delivery order – all from the Lock Screen.
Finally there’s a new design that sees notifications rolling up from the bottom of the display, so you have the best possible view of the Lock Screen.
Sadly the new iOS probably won’t arrive on your iPhone until September, launching alongside the iPhone 14.
But it’s possible to join the iOS 16 beta and access all of the new features before everyone else.
The iOS 16 public beta went live yesterday, and lets Apple fans test new features.
Copy and share subjects from a photo
The iPhone’s latest software update also lets you isolate, copy and share subjects for a photo.
It’s useful if you want to remove the background from an image and only share the person, pet or whatever the camera was pointing at.
The feature, called Visual Look Up, relies on advanced machine learning.
To use it, you’ll simply need to open an image in Photos with a well-defined subject in it, and then tap and hold on the subject.
A white glow effect will appear around their outline.
rom there, you can tap Copy to copy it to the clipboard or Share to send it via an app of your choosing.
Unsend an iMessage
Editing texts after they’ve been sent is a rare feature – even WhatsApp doesn’t have it yet.
But WhatsApp has offered unsending – pulling a text back from a recipient’s phone – for a while now.
Apple is finally catching up in the new iOS 16 update for its iMessage texting system.
You can unsend an iMessage on iOS 16 up to 15 minutes after it’s been sent by press and holding on the text.
But don’t think you can do it silently.
Just like on WhatsApp, if a text has been “unsent” then a note will appear for both the sender and recipient.
This will stop any confusion once a text has vanished.
Also important is that both the sender and recipient will need to be on iOS 16 for the feature to work.
So even if you have iOS 16, you won’t be able to unsend or edit a text for a person who hasn’t yet upgraded.
You’ll receive a warning that some people won’t see your edits if this is the case.
Best Phone and Gadget tips and hacks
Looking for tips and hacks for your phone? Want to find those secret features within social media apps? We have you covered…
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Tech & Science team? Email us at [email protected]
This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk
