iOS/iPadOS 16 Frequently Asked Questions FAQ

Article ID = 279
Article Title = iOS/iPadOS 16 Frequently Asked Questions FAQ
Article Author(s) = Graham Needham (BH)
Article Created On = 6th July 2021
Article Last Updated = 9th September 2022
Article URL = https://www.macstrategy.com/article.php?279

Article Brief Description:
Frequently Asked Questions about Apple's iOS/iPadOS 16

WARNINGS!

Once you have installed/upgraded to iOS/iPadOS 16 you cannot go back. You cannot downgrade to iOS 13. Be sure to read our FAQ and check compatibility of important software apps/hardware accessories before upgrading!
If your iPhone/iPad/iPod touch is critical to your life in some way, e.g. for work, it's probably best to check that the apps that are critical to you have been updated/are compatible with iOS/iPadOS 16 before you upgrade
iOS/iPadOS 16 fixes a lot of security issues. Most or all of these fixes will not come to iOS 14 or earlier or be made available for hardware that does not support iOS/iPadOS 16. If you do not upgrade or cannot upgrade you will not be properly secure especially using the internet. If security is a concern to you, unfortunately, your only option is to upgrade your hardware and run iOS/iPadOS 16!
iOS/iPadOS 16 no longer trusts TLS certificates signed with the SHA-1 hash algorithm
iOS/iPadOS 16 authenticates USB cables so if you are using a non-Apple cable it's best to use the original Apple cable for upgrading and syncing and don't have a third-party USB hub in-between your iOS/iPadOS device and the computer!
iOS/iPadOS 16 and later Notes have the option of tagging and mentions - if you use either of these new features, Notes including them will be hidden on devices not running iOS 14.5 or later | macOS 11.3 or later
iOS/iPadOS 13 and later has an upgraded version of the Reminders app - when using Reminders - if you choose to upgrade to the new format, Reminders will only synchronise with iOS 13 or later | macOS 10.15 or later
iOS 10 and later has a newer Notes format - if you choose to upgrade to the new format, Notes will only synchronise with iOS 9 or later | OS X 10.10.5 or later
To sync to a Mac computer or upgrade via a USB connection, iOS/iPadOS 16 requires one of the following:

macOS 10.15.7 or later
iTunes 12.9.x with macOS 10.14.6
iTunes 12.8.3 with macOS 10.13.6
iTunes 12.8.2 with OS X 10.11.6 or macOS 10.12.6
If you are still running OS X 10.10.5 or earlier you either need to upgrade to OS X 10.11.6 or later, or, if you cannot upgrade, you may still be able to use the iOS device with an older macOS / OS X, just be sure to only upgrade/update iOS/iPadOS Over-The-Air (OTA) and never via iTunes

Quick Links

iOS/iPadOS 16 Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. When will iOS/iPadOS 16 be released?

A. iOS/iPadOS 16 was officially announced at Apple's WWDC online virtual event on 6th June 2022. The first Developer Preview was made available on 6th June 2022. The first Public Beta was made available in July 2022. Apple announced on the 7th September 2022 that the consumer edition of iOS 16 will be available on the 12th September 2022. The consumer edition of iPadOS 16 has been delayed until October 2022.

Q. How much does iOS/iPadOS 16 cost?

A. It will be free, as in, a free download via the internet at ~2.5GB to ~5GB in size depending on your model of iPhone/iPad/iPod and whether you upgrade via iTunes/macOS Finder or over-the-air (OTA).

Q. What do I need to run/upgrade to iOS 16?

A. The following iOS devices are compatible with iOS 16 :

All other iPhones and iPod touches including the iPhone SE 1st generation, iPhone 6s/6s+, iPhone 7/7+ and the iPod touch 7th generation are not supported.
The following iOS devices originally came supplied with iOS 16.x:

iPhone 14 Pro/14 Pro Max
iPhone 14/14+

Q. What new features does iOS 16 have?

A. See Apple's official iOS 16 web page. MacStrategy's recommended features to note are:

Customisable Lock Screens:

Widgets
Live activities
Notifications
Multiple lock screens

Messages enhancements:

Edit
Undo send
Mark thread as unread
SharePlay via Messages
Recover recently deleted messages

Passkeys
Handoff in FaceTime
Safety Check - resets system privacy permissions for apps and restricts Messages and FaceTime to the device on hand
Wallet enhancements:

Share keys
Verify your identity in apps - present your ID in apps to verify your identity (requires iPhone 8 and later and Apple Watch Series 4 and later. Requires a driver’s license or state ID added to Wallet).
Apple Pay Later
Delivery order tracking

Redesigned Home app (support for the new "Matter" protocol coming later this year)
Family sharing updates (iCloud Shared Photo Library coming later in a free upgrade to iOS/iPadOS 16)
Freeform collaboration tools - coming later in a free upgrade to iOS/iPadOS 16
Enhanced Accessibility
Enhanced Dictation including using keyboard and dictation at the same time
Enhanced Health app + Fitness app for all iPhone users
Enhanced Mail
Enhanced Maps with new countries and cities
Enhanced Safari
Enhanced Siri

Q. What do I need to run/upgrade to iPadOS 16?

A. The following iPads are compatible with iPadOS 16:

All other iPads including the original iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 4 are not supported.

Q. What new additional features does iPadOS 16 have?

A. See Apple's official iPadOS 16 preview web page. Here is MacStrategy's recommended iPadOS unique features to note:

Weather app
Stage Manager:

Resize windows
Switch between apps
Create your ideal workspace
Overlapping windows
Group apps together
External display support
Drag and drop between iPad and external display

Game SharePlay
Virtual memory swap - iPad storage can be used to expand the available memory for all apps and delivers up to 16 gigabytes of memory for the most demanding apps.
New display modes including "reference" and "scaling"

NOTE: iPadOS 16 does not include the following new iOS 16 features:

Still no Health app on the iPad so any new features in this app will obviously not be available on an iPad

Q. How do I connect a wireless game controller?

A. Apple has official instructions online.

Q. I have a compatible device so how do I get iOS/iPadOS 16? What do I need to download & install iOS/iPadOS 16?

A. You can download and upgrade to iOS/iPadOS 16 "over-the-air" directly on your device - follow our recommended instructions below.
A. Or you can download iOS/iPadOS on your computer and use iTunes to upgrade your device (iTunes 12.8.2 or later required to obtain iOS/iPadOS 16 - iTunes 12.8.2 is now available to download). Basic system requirements for iTunes 12.8 are:

An Apple Macintosh computer with an Intel processor + OS X 10.11.4 or later
or a PC with 1GHz Intel or AMD processor and 512MB of RAM + Windows 7 or later

Once you have iTunes 12.8.2 or later installed plug in your iDevice, click your device's icon in the top left of the iTunes window), then click "Check for update" on the right or better still follow our recommended instructions:
Click here for recommended instructions for upgrading to iOS/iPadOS 16 using iTunes.
Click here if you are having problems upgrading to iOS/iPadOS 16.

Q. What are the standard Apple iOS/iPadOS apps?

A. Below is a list of standard Apple provided apps included with iOS/iPadOS 16 that can now be ~~removed~~ hidden (not all apps are installed on older devices):

App Store
Books
Calculator (not included with iPadOS)
Calendar
Camera
Clock
Compass (not included with iPadOS)
Contacts†
FaceTime
Files
Find My (iPhone/iPad/iPod/Mac/Friends/AirTags)
Health (not included with iPadOS)
Home
iTunes Store
Mail
Maps
Measure
Messages
Music††
News
Notes
Phone (not included with iPadOS)
Photo Booth
Photos
Podcasts
Reminders
Safari
Settings
Shortcuts
Siri
Stocks
Tips
Translate
TV
Voice Memos
Wallet (not included with iPadOS)
Watch††† (not included with iPadOS)
Weather

NOTE: Apps can only be ~~re-downloaded~~ unhidden or "updated" via your iOS device - you cannot use iTunes. This is because apps are not actually deleted from your device (only user data and necessary hooks are removed). The signed, secure version of the app remains on your device, just hidden. "Re-downloading" an app doesn't actually involve a download and instead simply "unhides" the app on your device.
† - You can ~~remove~~ hide the Contacts app from an iPhone only. If you ~~remove~~ hide Contacts, you won't lose your contact information. You can still find all of that information in the Phone app.
†† - If you ~~remove~~ hide the Music app, it won’t be available to use with CarPlay.
††† - If you try to ~~remove~~ hide the Watch app from an iPhone that's paired with an Apple Watch, an alert asks you to unpair your Apple Watch before you can remove the app.

Q. How do I remove hide the standard Apple iOS/iPadOS apps?

A. Locate the icon for the app you want to remove. Tap and hold until it jiggles and an x appears in the top left. Tap the x. Confirm you want to remove the app.

Q. How do I get a standard Apple iOS/iPadOS app back that I have removed hidden?

A. Go to the App Store on the device where it has been ~~removed~~ hidden. Search for the app you want in the App Store. Locate it and tap the cloud icon to reinstall/unhide it (it is not actually downloaded, it is simply unhidden).

Q. What features are available in my country?

A. See Apple's feature vs country availability list:

Q. I don't like iOS/iPadOS 16. Can I go back/downgrade?

A. Sorry, no you can't.

Article Keywords: iPod iPad iPadair Air iPadmini mini iPadPro Pro iPhone Max iTunes v16iOS iOS16 iOS 16 v16iPadOS iPadOS16 iPadOS 16

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