iOS 16 beta 6 was released yesterday, a week after beta 5. Beta 4 and beta 5 were separated by 12 days, and beta 3 and 4 by even longer.
The new iOS 16 beta focuses less on new features than on faster updates. iOS 16 beta 6 is public. Developer betas usually come before public betas.
The accelerated speed and absence of new features in iOS 16 beta hint that Apple is focusing on reliability and bug fixes as it nears the September launch of its new iPhone software. Apple updates iOS before releasing new iPhones. Apple is anticipated to announce the iPhone 14 on September 6, according to a rumour last week.
Whether it’s in September or later, iOS 16 must be finalised soon. From here on out, beta updates will likely focus on making the programme public.
Low Power Mode battery indicator off
iOS 16 beta 5 restored the ability to display battery % in the status bar, a functionality lost with the iPhone X in 2017. Before iOS 16 beta 5, you had to slide into the control centre to see the battery percentage on a notch-equipped iPhone.
In iOS 16 beta 6, you can turn off the percentage indicator in Low Power mode.
Launch Settings and select Battery to see the battery percentage. On the next screen, toggles turn on the battery percentage and Low Power Mode.
In LowPower Mode, drag the battery percentage toggle to the left to hide it. Status bar percentage disappears.
Missing Live Activities
iOS 16 will let you customise your iPhone lock screen and add widgets. Apple’s iOS 16 Live Activity widget will display persistent alerts like sports scores and ride-sharing vehicle status at the bottom of the lock screen.
Live Activities API arrived in iOS 16 beta 4 so developers could test the feature. According to a developer on Twitter, iOS 16 beta 6 no longer supports third-party live activities.
Live Activities wasn’t planned to launch with iOS 16; Apple said it would appear later. Still, it’s strange to see support fade, as you’d think app developers would continue testing.
iOS 16 beta 6 downloaded
iOS 16 public beta is still available for download. iPhone 8 or later is required. Check out our iOS 16 public beta hands-on to see what to expect.
iOS 16 promises updates to Maps, Safari, Mail, and Messages, as well as the iPhone lock screen. Live Text can now record text from paused films, while Visual Look Up lets you copy and paste photographs after removing the backdrop. Siri can detect emoji in texts and emails.