How do I use the new features in the latest iOS update?

To make the most of the new features in the latest iOS update, follow these steps to explore and use the most significant additions:

1. Customize the Lock Screen

• What It Does: Allows you to personalize your lock screen with widgets, different fonts, and wallpapers.
• How to Use It:

  1. Press and hold your Lock Screen.
  2. Tap Customize to edit the existing screen or swipe and tap + to create a new one.
  3. You can add widgets, change the clock font, and choose new wallpapers, including dynamic options.

2. Focus Mode Enhancements

• What It Does: Focus mode now offers more customization, including linking Focus modes to specific lock screens and filtering notifications.
• How to Use It:

  1. Go to Settings > Focus.
  2. Select a Focus mode and tap Customize Screens to choose a Lock Screen to pair with the Focus mode.
  3. Set filters to control notifications, home screens, and even app behavior during a specific Focus mode.

3. Live Activities

• What It Does: Shows real-time updates directly on your Lock Screen, like sports scores, delivery updates, or ride-sharing statuses.
• How to Use It:

  1. Apps supporting Live Activities will automatically show updates on your Lock Screen.
  2. To manage, go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode > Allow Access When Locked and toggle Live Activities on or off.

4. Messages: Edit and Unsend

• What It Does: You can now edit or unsend iMessages within a certain time frame.
• How to Use It:

  1. In the Messages app, long-press the sent message you want to edit or unsend.
  2. Choose Edit to modify the message or Undo Send to delete it.
  3. Remember, this only works for iMessages (blue bubbles) and within a 15-minute window after sending.

5. Mail: Schedule and Undo Send

• What It Does: Lets you schedule emails and undo sending shortly after dispatch.
• How to Use It:

  1. To schedule an email, compose your message and then press and hold the Send button.
  2. Choose Send Later and set the desired time.
  3. To undo a sent email, you’ll see an Undo Send option at the bottom of the screen immediately after sending, available for about 10 seconds.

6. Safari: Tab Groups and Shared Tab Groups

• What It Does: Organizes your tabs into groups and shares them with others.
• How to Use It:

  1. Open Safari and tap the Tabs button.
  2. Tap the bottom menu and select New Empty Tab Group.
  3. Name the group and add tabs to it.
  4. To share a group, tap the Share icon within the tab group, and invite others.

7. iCloud Shared Photo Library

• What It Does: Allows you to share a photo library with up to five people.
• How to Use It:

  1. Go to Settings > Photos > Shared Library.
  2. Follow the on-screen instructions to set up a Shared Library.
  3. You can manually move photos to the Shared Library or set rules for automatic sharing.

8. Health App: Medications

• What It Does: Helps you track and manage your medications.
• How to Use It:

  1. Open the Health app and tap Browse > Medications.
  2. Tap Add a Medication and input the medication details.
  3. Set reminders and track your medication intake.

9. Visual Look Up: Enhanced

• What It Does: Recognizes more objects, including animals, landmarks, and plants, in your photos.
• How to Use It:

  1. Open the Photos app and find a picture with an identifiable object.
  2. Swipe up or tap the information icon (ℹ️) to see what Visual Look Up recognizes.
  3. Tap the detected object for more information.

10. Freeform App

• What It Does: Provides a flexible canvas for brainstorming, sketching, and collaborating.
• How to Use It:

  1. Open the Freeform app from your home screen.
  2. Start a new board and use tools like sticky notes, drawing, text boxes, and more.
  3. You can invite others to collaborate on the board in real time.

11. Privacy: Safety Check

• What It Does: Lets you quickly manage access to your data and location in case of personal safety concerns.
• How to Use It:

  1. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Safety Check.
  2. Choose Emergency Reset to immediately stop sharing with people and apps or Manage Sharing & Access to review and update your settings.

12. Home App Redesign

• What It Does: The Home app now has a new design, making it easier to control your smart home devices.
• How to Use It:

  1. Open the Home app.
  2. Explore the new layout, where rooms, devices, and categories like lights, security, and climate are more accessible.
  3. Customize your dashboard by adding favorite devices and scenes.

13. Dictation Improvements

• What It Does: Dictation now keeps the keyboard open, allowing you to switch between voice and typing seamlessly.
• How to Use It:

  1. Tap the Microphone icon on the keyboard to start dictating.
  2. Speak your message, and you can correct or add text by typing at the same time.
  3. Dictation automatically adds punctuation, like periods and commas, as you speak.

14. Live Text in Videos

• What It Does: Lets you interact with text within videos.
• How to Use It:

  1. Play a video in the Photos app or any app that supports Live Text.
  2. Pause the video when the text is visible.
  3. Tap the text to copy, translate, or search it.

15. Passkeys in Safari

• What It Does: Replaces passwords with a more secure sign-in method using Face ID or Touch ID.
• How to Use It:

  1. When signing up or signing in to a site that supports Passkeys, Safari will offer to save a Passkey.
  2. Approve with Face ID or Touch ID.
  3. The next time you visit the site, you can sign in with just your biometric authentication.

How to Stay Updated with New Features

• Check the Release Notes: Visit the Apple website or check the release notes in the Settings app under General > Software Update to see a full list of new features.
• Explore the Tips App: Apple’s Tips app provides guided tours of new features.

By exploring these features, you can fully leverage the latest iOS update to improve your iPhone experience.