Apple released iOS 16 over half a year ago, and in the months since, we’ve seen smaller point updates, the most recent being iOS 16.4 (and iOS 16.4.1). All these updates bring new features and settings to your iPhone, like the ability to unsend text messages and emails and cut objects out of your photos, but there might be a few you’ve missed.
I’m going to walk you through everything you need to know about the best lesser-known gems in iOS 16, like password-protected photo albums, easily accessible Wi-Fi passwords and more.
Don’t miss: iPhone 14 Review: A Good Upgrade for Most People
And while you’re here, make sure you also brush up on the major new iOS 16 features you’ll love, and a few you might just hate (luckily, there’s a fix). If you’re curious about what’s next for Apple, check out what to expect from iOS 16.5.
While you’re here, review the important new iOS 16 features you’ll adore, as well as a few you might despise (thankfully, there’s a workaround). If you’re wondering what’s next for Apple, take a look at what to expect from iOS 16.5.
Also read: iPhone 15 series to Come in New Colours, Non-Pro Models to Get Frosted Glass Backs
View and share saved Wi-Fi passwordsÂ
Apple has always permitted iOS users to share Wi-Fi passwords, but only when two Apple devices are close to each other. And if that feature didn’t work automatically, you couldn’t merely look in your settings for the password. Furthermore, if you wanted to share a saved Wi-Fi password with someone else, such as an Android user or a computer user, you had to remember the password Up to this point
Navigate to Wi-Fi in Settings and tap the tiny information icon to the right of the network for which you want the password. Tap the Password section, then use Face ID or enter your passcode to view the network password. The password will then be copied to your clipboard if you tap Copy.
Find and remove duplicate photos and videos
Perhaps you saved the same photo more than once or downloaded a video more than once, resulting in duplicates in your photo album. If you have enough of capacity, it may not be a problem, but if you’re running low on space, iOS 16 allows you to simply eliminate every single copy.
You should see a new Duplicates album under Utilities in Photos > Albums. Apple searches through all of your photographs and displays any photo or video that has been saved more than once in that album. You can then either erase any duplicates or just select Merge, which will maintain the photo with the highest quality (and pertinent data) while deleting the rest. Although you should go through each set of duplicates to ensure that they are exact copies and not similar photos, you can also use Select > Select All > Merge to remove every single photo and video that Apple believes is a duplicate at once.
Hang up a phone or FaceTime call with Siri
Siri can do a lot of things. You can use the virtual assistant to send text messages, seek directions, or listen to music, but she can’t hang up the phone. Isn’t it strange? With iOS 16, that is finally a possibility.
Go to Siri & Search in Settings and make sure Listen for “Hey Siri” is turned on. If it is, a new option called Call Hang Up should appear beneath it. Enter that option and turn on Call Hang Up. Simply say, “Hey, Siri,” and ask her to end your current phone call or FaceTime video chat.
Pair Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons with your iPhone
Apple has long allowed you to connect third-party controllers to your iPhone and iPad, such as the PS5 Sony DualSense and Xbox Core Controller, to play mobile video games like the Apple Arcade collection, Minecraft, and Call of Duty. You can now add another console controller to your list.
If you possess a Nintendo Switch, your Joy-Con controllers can now be paired with an iPhone or iPad running iOS 16. To begin, hold down the little black pairing button on the Joy-Con until the green lights begin to alternate. This indicates that the device is in pairing mode. Next, open your iPhone and navigate to Settings > Bluetooth, then choose the Joy-Con from the list. Rep this process with the other Joy-Con.
Hidden and Recently Deleted albums are now password protected
The Photos app’s Hidden album is plainly not hidden, as anyone can readily find it. As a result, it is impractical for adequately concealing private photos and videos. While Apple allows you to make the Hidden album “invisible,” anyone who has access to your phone can make it visible again and view everything inside. You may now lock the Hidden album with iOS 16. You don’t have to do anything to enable this feature. To see it, open the Photos app and navigate to the Albums tab at the bottom of the screen. You’ll notice a little lock next to the Hidden and Recently Deleted albums if you slide down. You’ll need to use Face ID or your passcode to view the contents of those albums.
Copy and paste photo and video edits
If you use the photographs app’s editor tool, you’ll be pleased to know that you can now copy and paste tweaks, such as saturation, contrast, and brightness, between photographs. If you edit one photo or video and like the way it looks, you can copy and paste the same edits to any other photo or video in your camera roll. To do so, start the Photos app and open a previously altered photo in full-screen mode. Then, in the top-right corner, tap the three-dot menu and select Copy Edits. This option will appear only if the photo was modified in Photos rather than a third-party photo editor. Finally, navigate to the photo you want to copy the edits to, tap the three-dot menu, and then select Paste Edits. After a few seconds, the photo edits should appear.
