iOS 16.4 Update

After three weeks of waiting for the new beta content, Apple has finally released the iOS 16.4, iPadOS 16.4, MacOS Ventura 13.3, WatchOS 9.4 and TVOS 16.4 updates to developers. As usual, these updates sure come with a number of bugs fixes as well as new features and enhancements. We will highlight each feature of the new update and talk a bit about it.

New Emoji Characters

In the iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4, Apple has introduced a couple of new emoji characters to enhance your messaging experience. These emojis were all approved for use in September last year and Apple has finally introduced them to the general public. Some of the new emoji characters include shaking head, pink heart, blue heart, gray heart, donkey, moose, black bird, goose, wing, jellyfish and many more.

Safari Browser Web Push Notifications

This is a feature that is already available on the Mac platform. If a user adds any website to their home screen, the user will begin to receive push notifications from that website. Apple has finally brought this feature to iPhone and iPad through the iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 update.

The American tech company already announced this feature at the WWDC when the iOS 16 was announced. Finally, Apple is making it available for all to use. This feature works in a very simple way. Any website that the user places on the home screen of their iPhone or iPad may request the permission of the user in order to push notifications. This comes with a subscribe button or something similar to that.

Similar to that of the MacOS, the iPhone or iPad prompts the user to give their permission to the web app in order to receive notifications. The user can also set individual settings for each web app. This works just like normal app notifications. Notifications will show up on lock screens. notification center as well as paired Apple Watch.

At this point, Apple has done its part, so it is up to developers to also enable this feature in order for it to work. This means you cannot be able to use the feature until developers enable it in their various web apps.

Focus Support for Web Push Notifications

With the iOS 16.4 feature update, users can now integrate home screen web app into Focus. This gives them access into Daily Summaries. Also, you have options available to you to decide where to receive the notifications and how.

If a user adds the same web app on the home screen of multiple iPhones or iPads, Focus mode will apply to all of them automatically.

New Option to Opt-in Beta Programs

The iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 update brings beta programs closer than ever. Users who opt-in to Apple’s developer program can now turn on developer betas directly in the settings. They can do this in the software update section.

This will go the long way of making installation of betas a very convenient task. Initially, beta testers had to install profile from developer center just to install betas. With this iOS 16.4 feature, this hassle will be a thing of the past.

This will also do away with the sharing of developer beta profiles. This is because installing beta will require each user to sign-in to an Apple ID which is linked to a developer program account.

HomeKit Upgrade

When Apple released the iOS 16.2, it pulled out the HomeKit architecture due to reports of several bugs. With iOS16.4, iPadOS 16.4 and MacOS Ventura 13.3, Apple has reintroduced an upgraded version of the HomeKit app.

After upgrading to the iOS 16.4, users will begin to see “Home Upgrade Available” in the software update section of the Home app. The newly introduced HomeKit app comes with improvements in the reliability and communications between your Apple products and smart home products.

Other Features of the iOS 16.4 Update

Podcast: You can now access Channel in the Library section; you can also resume episodes with the Up next button. You can perform tasks such “Start saved episodes” and remove episodes you don’t want to view anymore. You can also continue from where you left when using Car Play.

AppleCare Coverage: Apple has added a new “Coverage” in the settings of the iPhone and iPad. This gives you the warranty information of your iPhone as well as all Apple products connected to the phone.

Apple Card Savings Account: Apple has already announced this feature back in October. This feature allows Apple Card holders to create a savings account with apple. The interface display savings account information such as references to routing and account numbers, current balance, interest earned, data management, funds available for withdrawal, and more.

Apple will try to encourage users to sign up for the Savings account by promising interests on their investments. Users will see a notification that looks like “Transfer your Apple Cash balance to your savings account and start earning interest today” and “You can transfer up to [amount] from Apple Cash to your savings account in a single transaction and start earning interest today.

Apple has collaborated with Goldman Sachs to save your money. Apple card holders can allow their daily cash deposits sent directly into their Savings account for interest earnings. This feature will be available in the Apple Wallet app and is tipped to come with the iOS 16.4.

Official Launch Date of the iOS 16.4 Stable Version

Apple plans to launch the iOS 16.4, iPadOS 16.4 and MacOS Ventura 13.3 in the Spring of this year. The Spring period is between March 20 to June 20. So, we expect Apple to bring the stable version of the iOS 16.4 and its siblings between March and June.