Go get 'em! iOS 16 and watchOS 9 arrive

September 12, 2022

I've been beta testing iOS 16 on my iPhone for a few weeks, and I generally love it.

It's fast, stable and packed with a ton of useful features and upgrades.

I've re-enabled the battery percentage, sent goofy cutout photos to my kids, and scheduled emails.

I've started using Focus modes, too, which are like Do Not Disturb on steroids. I appreciate the quiet time they afford, especially when driving.

But best of all, I love the new customizable Lock Screen.

I have mine set to Photos, and it does a great job of surfacing pictures from my photo library.

It's a delight to see a constantly changing carousel of pictures of my kids, wife and pets every time I pick up my phone -- pictures I sometimes forget even taking.

It's a small thing, but it's surprising how much joy it brings me.

-- Leander Kahney, EIC.

Apple today released iOS 16 and watchOS 9 for all compatible iPhones and Apple Watches. The public release of these operating systems comes after months of beta testing. iOS 16 introduces a customizable new Lock Screen, Mail and Messages app enhancements, an improved Focus mode, and more.

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One more thing ...

"Sometimes, when we get rid of things like the floppy disk drive on the original iMac, people call us crazy.... Sometimes, you just have to pick the things that look like they're going to be the right horses to ride going forward." -- Steve Jobs, D8 conference, 2010.

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