The iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 were made available by Apple today following several weeks of beta testing. There are numerous new features added in iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4, from enhanced emoji characters to online push alerts for the iPad.
In this guide, we’ve highlighted all of the changes introduced in iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4.
New Emoji Characters
The Unicode Consortium initially authorized new emoji characters in September 2022, and they are now present in iOS 16.4. Shaking head, pink, blue, and grey hearts, donkeys, mooses, blackbirds, gooses, wings, hyacinths, pea pods, ginger, fans, combs, flutes, maracas, and a variety of left- and right-facing hand possibilities are among the new emojis. There are a total of 21 new emojis.
Add to Home Screen for Third-Party Browsers
Now users can add websites and web apps to the Home Screen from the Share menu.
Apple Books Page Turning Animation
A change made by Apple to Apple Books in iOS 16 removed the customary page-turning animation that has been there since the app’s inception, upsetting some users.
For Apple Books readers who missed it, the page-turning animation has been reinstated in iOS 16.4 as an option. There are now three options for page flipping in the Books app’s Themes and Settings section: Curl, Slide, and None.
The slide is the iOS 16 default animation, Curl is the outdated iOS 15 and older animation, and None is an even more basic animation that silently switches from page to page. For those who read on the iPad, iPadOS 16.4 includes these features as well.
Beta Opt-In Changes
Those who are a part of Apple’s developer program can enable developer betas directly from the Software Update section of the Settings app on iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4.
This will make getting developer betas easier by removing the requirement for installing a profile from the Development Center. For public beta testers who want to install updates quickly, there is also a choice.
Nevertheless, since each installation will need to be connected to an Apple ID connected to a developer profile, the move will make it impossible for non-developers to download the developer beta. If an account is separate, developers and public beta testers will be able to utilize a different Apple ID from their primary Apple ID.
While installing a developer beta will require each person to be signed into an Apple ID tied to a developer account, this will put an end to the public sharing of developer beta profiles.
Safari Web Push Notifications on iPhone and iPad
In iOS 16.4/iPadOS 16.4, websites that are added to the Home Screen of an iPhone or iPad as web apps can deliver Web Push alerts, just like on the Mac.
You must add a website to the Home Screen in order to subscribe to push alerts for it. The feature needs to be supported by web developers, thus not all websites may have it up and running right away.
Shortcuts
The ability to create processes that lock a device’s screen, manage the always-on display, and automatically enable or disable Stage Manager on the iPad are all available in Shortcuts. Moreover, Siri may now announce notifications as an action that can be included in a shortcut, thanks to a feature added by Apple. Overall, there are more than a dozen new shortcut actions and numerous revised actions.
Focus Mode
here’s an always-on display filter that can be enabled for a Focus mode.
Always On Display Settings
On iPhone 14 Pro models, Apple made a few small changes to the Always On Display portion of the Settings app. Instead of being stated above, the toggle to disable Always On Display is now found below the toggles for displaying wallpaper and alerts.
voice Isolation for Cellular Calls
You can now activate Voice Isolation during cellular calls to reduce background noise. Voice Isolation, which significantly improves call quality, was formerly offered for use with FaceTime and other VoIP services.
Apple Pencil in iPadOS 16.4
The Apple Pencil hover feature now supports tilt and azimuth so you can observe a mark from any angle before you make it in iPadOS 16.4. The fourth-generation 11-inch iPad and the sixth-generation 12.9-inch iPad both have the addition available in Notes and other approved apps.
