Thanks to Apple’s continuous efforts to improve its software, iOS 16.5 is officially on the way for anyone with a new enough iPhone.
With the previous iOS 16.4 release now firmly established, it’s time for a new round of beta testing, with the first iOS 16.5 beta arriving in late March. Currently, you can only get the iOS 16.5 beta if you are registered as a developer. The public beta hasn’t arrived yet, but Apple usually doesn’t keep us waiting long once the developer version is released.
If you’re curious about what’s coming, then we don’t have a great deal of information yet. It likely won’t be a flagship feature, but we should still see some upgrades to Siri, Apple News, and Apple TV based on what’s already been found.
Read on for information about the iOS 16.5 beta, including what new features are currently being discovered.
iOS 16.5 Beta: Compatible iPhones
iOS 16.5 will work with any devices that support iOS 16. This translates to iPhone 8, iPhone X, and any later models.
As mentioned above, you will need a developer account if you want to access the developer build of iOS 16.5 beta, the first version that will be available. Public betas, which usually arrive shortly after, are open to anyone to sign up via the Settings menu. Meanwhile, the stable version will be gradually rolled out to all compatible iPhones when it’s ready, likely in a month or two.
If you are thinking of downloading a trial version, try to do so on a non-primary device. Installing software under development on a device full of important or meaningful personal data puts that data at risk, so it’s better to be safe than sorry if you want to try out the latest software.
If you are thinking of downloading a trial version, try to do so on a non-primary device.
iOS 16.5 Beta: New Features
Here is a list of all the features discovered in iOS 16.5 so far. We’re not expecting a lot of big new additions since iOS 17 is around the corner and is supposed to be the focus of Apple’s attention. However, we’ll add anything found here, so you know what to expect and what you might want to try when the new iOS version hits your iPhone.
Siri screen recordings
You could already ask Siri to take a screenshot for you, but screen recordings weren’t an option until now. This changed in the beta, with a direct request to the digital assistant to start and stop screen recording.
The My Sports tab in Apple News
If you’re having trouble finding news about your favorite sports teams in Apple News, Apple seems to understand your problem. Now at the bottom of the Apple News app is the Sports tab which will take you straight to the latest on your teams and their performance.
Multi-sport viewing on Apple TV
Apple TV Plus has gradually offered more and more live sports, which means it can be difficult to watch everything live. Fortunately, it looks like the iOS Apple TV app will soon let you watch up to four different video feeds of games in progress in split screen. This seems a little cramped on the iPhone screen, but if you simply have to watch every moment live, this seems like an ideal way to do it.
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