
iOS 16.After the official announcement at WWDC 2022 today, the first beta of iOS 16 is now available for developers.
iPhone's Remember This shortcut is an easy way to keep track of things. iOS 16 is fairly complete at this point, as Apple's in the process of shifting gears toward iOS 17, which will arrive as a full release later this year. However, don't expect a big laundry list of enhancements. With the iOS 16.6 public beta now in the hands of both developers and the public, we should hear more reports about additions and fixes in the new software. Personally, I haven't spotted any indication of iMessage Contact Key Verification in the Messages section of the Settings app, but I also don't have Security Keys enabled for my phone. Those same reports indicated that the feature appears to be a work in progress as activating it didn't seem to do anything. Reports indicated that iMessage Contact Key Verification appeared in the developer beta of iOS 16.6 that became available a few days before the public beta. That means journalists, human rights workers and government officials who may be the target of cyberattacks. As you may have gathered, this feature isn't for everyone - Apple's adding it for people who typically find themselves facing unusual digital threats. Now it's extending the capability to iMessage, which should allow you to verify that the person you're texting with is who they say they are.īasically, when you've enabled iMessage Contact Key Verification, you can chat with people who've also enabled the feature and get alerts should Apple's cloud servers get breached. IMessage Contact Key Verification: Apple first announced plans to add security key support for Apple ID and iCloud accounts late last year, delivering that feature via the iOS 16.3 update in early 2023.
Right now, there only appears to be one addition from the iOS 16.6 beta, and it may not even be active at this point. Even though iOS 16.6 is fairly polished, we recommend that you only install a beta software on a backup iPhone and not your everyday device. The same phones that have supported iOS 16 all along continue to run this update. Make sure you backup your iPhone first, though. If a beta's waiting for you, tap download and install and follow all on-screen instructions to get the app on your phone. Once you're participating in the program - or you're already signed up - you can find iOS beta downloads by going to the Settings app, selecting General and tapping Software Update.
On your iPhone, go to the Apple Beta Software Program page, and follow the on-screen instructions for signing up. We've got full instructions on how to download the iOS 16 public beta, but in a nutshell, you need to first register your device with Apple's public beta program.