iOS 16.2, which Apple released Tuesday, brings many new features that make it a must-have update for all iPhone owners. From security advancements and productivity boosters to cosmetic tweaks and other fun stuff, it’s positively loaded with upgrades.
Here are the top new iOS 16.2 features you should try right now. (Note: Many of these features also appear in iPadOS 16.2, which Apple also released today.)
With iOS 16.1.1, Apple has limited the window during which iPhone users can receive AirDrop files from non-contacts in China. The move comes after Chinese protesters used AirDrop to spread anti-government images to other iPhone users.
Currently, you can accept AirDrop from iPhone users not in your phonebook for 10 minutes. After that, your phone will only remain discoverable to your contacts.
A creep nearly ruined a Southwest Airlines flight to Cabo San Lucas by using Apple’s AirDrop file-sharing tech to send unsolicited nudes to fellow passengers.
This is an excellent opportunity for a quick tutorial on how to turn off AirDrop so something like this never happens to you.
Cyberflashing, sharing unsolicited sexual image via social media, could soon be a crime in the U.K. That specifically includes using Apple’s AirDrop to send a nearby stranger a picture of your junk.
Just… don’t do it. For a lot of reasons. Including the fact that you don’t want to spend up to two years in prison.
We want to help you master Control Center, one of the most powerful and underutilized features on Apple devices. Cult of Mac’s Control Center Pro Tips series will show you how to make the most of this useful toolbox on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac.
Want to quickly activate AirDrop, or deactivate it to avoid unwanted requests? There’s no need to mess around inside the Settings app or System Preferences; the toggle you need is baked into Control Center.
It’s enabled by default on iPhone, iPad, and Mac and can be quickly accessed when you need it. We’ll show you how.
Strangers can see the email address and other personal info of AirDrop users due to a security flaw in Apple’s file-sharing system, security researchers say. All that is required for this exploit to take place is physical proximity to an AirDrop user and a Wi-Fi device.
The researchers reportedly disclosed the flaw to Apple in May 2019, but it remains unfixed. That potentially leaves more than 1.5 billion Apple devices vulnerable.
Quick Share, a highlight of Samsung’s latest handsets, is a feature iPhone owners have been using for over 8 years. The Galaxy S20 and other new models from this company can wirelessly send files directly between two devices… just like Apple’s AirDrop.
Samsung is developing its own AirDrop competitor that will make its debut alongside the Galaxy S20 next month, according to a new report.
Leaked Quick Share screenshots reveal the feature will let users “share instantly with people nearby.” This is separate from the AirDrop rival Google is reportedly planning for all Android devices.
Apple today rolled out iOS 13.1 beta four ahead of the update’s public release on September 30.
The latest release is available to both public and developer testers. It doesn’t appear to make any obvious changes, so likely focuses on performance and stability improvements.
What happened to the Apple Tag? Rumors pointed toward an imminent launch for Apple’s tracking-tile competitor, and what better place to announce it than along with new iPhones? But the iPhone 11 event came and went without the Tag.
Will we still see an Apple Tag this fall? I hope so, because it could be Cupertino’s most important product since the Apple Watch.
