Maybe you just unwrapped a shiny new iPhone — perhaps your first iPhone ever . perchance you just do n’t pay much attention to those iOS update notifications and have finally get around to hit the update push button . ( If you have n’t , do it now : undefendable options , tapGeneral , thenSoftware Update . )

Apple’sbig iOS update this yearoffers a bunch of huge improvements and even more have down with the point releases — the latest isiOS 16.2 , which bring several young welcome features . If you ’ve updated to the newest version , you should take some sentence to do these five things first .

Customize your Lock Screen

The most obvious improvement in iOS 16 is the new customizable lock blind . you’re able to set custom wallpapers in a variety of styles , even allowing your iPhone to mechanically choose highlighting photos on a rotation . you could change the font for the clock and pluck whatsis from lots of different apps ( Apple ’s and third - company apps ) to see quick information at a glimpse .

iOS 16.2 has wreak a few change to the Lock Screen . Most notably the Set Wallpaper Photo Shortcut can now prepare photos for wallpapers that utilise iOS 16 ’s new widgets and customization option . There are also new widgets for sleep and medicament , and you could customize the always - on exhibit on the iPhone 14 Pro to hide the wallpaper and telling .

To get to the Lock Screen preferences , press and take hold on the Lock Screen wallpaper until you see the Collections screen . TapCustomizeto edit your current Lock Screen , or the gamy “ plus ” icon to create a raw one . Apple offers several wallpaper to get protrude or can pick out your own from your Photo Library .

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Encrypt all your iCloud data

By default option , Apple cypher some of the data you lay in or sync with iCloud on your twist — such as Health data — but other data is encrypted in tape transport and on Apple ’s servers . The catch is , Apple has the encoding keyand can decrypt and see your data if it wants to .

A new feature in iOS 16.2 , which Apple address Advanced Data Protection , will enable destruction - to - end encryption on a spate more of your iCloud data — Photos , Notes , iCloud backup , and more . You ’ll have the winder and Apple wo n’t , so it ’s safe from hackers or overzealous government requirement .

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ios 16 custom lock screen

To enable it , go to preferences , tap on your Apple ID visibility at the top of the screen , then tapiCloud . Scroll down a bit toAdvanced Data Protectionand tap on that .

You ’ll have to leap through a few hoops . First , all of your Apple devices using that Apple ID have to be updated to iOS 16.2 , iPadOS 16.2 , tvOS 16.2 , or macOS 13.1 . secondly , you ’ll have to make some kind of backup in case you lose your passcode – you’re able to add a intrust equipment as a Recovery link or render your own Recovery Key ( or both ! ) .

Finally , if you just add up a young machine to your report you may not be able to enable this just yet – a simple surety bar to protect your data against cyberpunk or identity thief . If you get a monition saying you ca n’t enable it until a future day of the month , apply Siri to ready a admonisher ! Say “ Hey Siri , remind me to enable advanced datum protective cover on [ the date you’re able to enable it ] . ”

Advanced Data Protection settings

Upgrade your Home

With Io 16 , Apple devote the Home app a long - delinquent makeover . You might want to pour down start the Home app and rearrange your rooms and screens . Try tapping some buttons vs. long - pressing on them , or tap the gadget icon vs the entire roofing tile . But there ’s something more . In iOS 16.2 , Apple inaugurate an all - novel architecture under the hood . Your gadget may not have update to it yet !

get to the Home app , then tap the ( … ) menu clit in the upper right . ChooseHome Settingsand then scroll down and beg onSoftware Updateif you see it . If you seeHome Upgrade Availableat the top of the filmdom , select that to get started on upgrading your smart home architecture . You may have to update some other devices — such as HomePods or Apple TVs — as well . It ’s well deserving it , though . The new computer architecture makes all your HomeKit - enabled voguish home material respond much more quick and reliably .

Note : If you do n’t see the option to upgrade , it ’s becauseApple has removed itdue to a sharing issue . Apple says the remotion is temporary and it will restore the option soon .

iOS 16.2 Home Upgrade

Scope out that new Weather app

The Weather app is one of the most - used apps on iPhone , and Io 16 switch it completely . It ’s got a fresh look , sure , but also apply technology Apple acquiredwhen it bought Dark Skyto give you hyper - local predictions up to the instant . But all of the new hooey is n’t immediately obvious if you do n’t poke around a bit .

Scroll through the weather pageboy , wiretap on dissimilar day , and tap on each of the blocks – Air Quality , Radar , Wind , Humidity … every tile in the app give you at - a - coup d’oeil info but also can be tapped on for elaborated data and charts . You might consider adding the Weather widget to your Home concealment , even . retentive - press an empty area of your Home cover until everything “ jiggle ” , beg the ( + ) clit in the upper left and pick out the Weather widget .

Even if you ’re already familiar with it , there ’s a new News section in iOS 16.2 that will show any relevant weather stories for your city .

The iOS 16 Weather features interactive cards with more info about the weather.

Track your medications

We all have vitamins and medication that we take each Clarence Day or workweek and now the Health app can now help youtrack them all , even reminding you to take them on the schedule you set . It ’s all super dependable ( HIPAA compliant and end - to - end write in code ) and very easy .

open up the Health app , and tapBrowseat the bottom of the blind . TapMedicationsto get lead off . When you tapAdd Medicationyou can search for it by name or tap the television camera image to literally glance over your bottle ! For each vitamin or medicinal drug , you may localize a agenda of when you should take it , and get notifications to remind you if you want .

In iOS 16.2 , there ’s also a new widget for track medications that you’re able to add to the Lock Screen . Tap Customize , bug the widget area , scroll down to Health , and scuff the Medications widget onto the screen .