All the iOS 16 Features You Won't Get Until Later This Year

There are usually multiple features that Apple is not able to finish before the first official release of a major new version of iOS, and this year looks to be no different, with a total of nine iOS 16 features now confirmed to not be present in the first public version of the new OS.

ios 16 lock screen feature
Last year, SharePlay, Digital IDs in the Wallet app, and Universal Control were among a large number of features in iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 that were not available in their initial release, taking several months to trickle out to users.

Apple previewed each of the following features upon announcing iOS 16 at WWDC earlier this year, but they will not be present in iOS 16.0 when it releases to the public tomorrow:

  • Live Activities: Follow activities happening in real-time like a sports match or a ride-share with just a glance at the Lock Screen. Third-party apps and App Clips can implement support thanks to the Live Activities API.
  • Game Center SharePlay support: Games that use Game Center multiplayer support have SharePlay integration. You can start playing automatically with friends on a FaceTime call.
  • Game Center Contacts integration: Contacts shows your friends' Game Center profiles. Tap through to see what they are playing and achieving in games.
  • Support for Matter: The new smart home connectivity standard that enables compatible accessories to work together seamlessly and across platforms. Matter allows users to choose from even more compatible smart home accessories and control them with the Home app and Siri on Apple devices.
  • Updated architecture for the Home app: Enhancements to the underlying architecture of the Home app to enable faster, more reliable performance and improved efficiency, especially for homes with lots of accessories and multiple controller devices.
  • Freeform app: A new digital whiteboard app with a flexible canvas for diagramming projects, aggregating important assets, and brainstorming, with real-time collaboration features and rich multimedia support.
  • iCloud Shared Photo Library: A new option in the Photos app to allow users to create a shared photos library and invite anyone with an Apple ID to view, contribute to, and edit it, including favoriting images and adding captions. There are no limitations, and all participants have the same permissions, making it ideal for families.
  • Key sharing: The ability to securely share keys in Apple Wallet via messaging apps and Mail.
  • Easy Shortcuts setup for iPhone 8, ‌iPhone‌ 8 Plus, and ‌iPhone‌ X: ‌Siri‌ can run shortcuts from installed apps without any setup process (to be available for newer devices immediately without delay).

iCloud Shared Photo Library became the latest feature to be delayed following Apple's "Far out" event earlier this week, but all of the other delays were known upon the initial preview of iOS 16 at WWDC.

Apple says that all of these features are coming in an update to iOS 16 later this year, but it has not yet offered a more specific timeframe for any of them. After months of beta testing, iOS 16.0 will become officially available for download on every compatible ‌iPhone‌ tomorrow. For a detailed breakdown of all of the new features in iOS 16, see our comprehensive roundup.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Triad

Apple's 20th Anniversary iPhone May Finally Go All Screen

Tuesday April 15, 2025 6:31 am PDT by
Apple is preparing a "bold" new iPhone Pro model for the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As part of what's being described as a "major shake-up," Apple is said to be developing a design that makes more extensive use of glass – and this could point directly to the display itself. Here's the case for Apple releasing a truly all-screen iPhone with no...
maxresdefault

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:52 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and ...
CarPlay Hero

Apple Releases Wireless CarPlay Fix

Wednesday April 16, 2025 11:28 am PDT by
If you have been experiencing issues with wireless CarPlay in your vehicle lately, it was likely due to a software bug that has now been fixed. Apple released iOS 18.4.1 today, and the update's release notes say it "addresses a rare issue that prevents wireless CarPlay connection in certain vehicles." If wireless CarPlay was acting up for you, updating your iPhone to iOS 18.4.1 should...
top stories 2025 04 19

Top Stories: iPhone 17 Pro Rumors, CarPlay Bug Fix, and More

Saturday April 19, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
This week saw rumor updates on the iPhone 17 Pro and next-generation Vision Pro, while a minor iOS 18.4.1 update delivered not just security fixes but also a fix for some CarPlay issues. We also looked ahead at what else is in Apple's pipeline for the rest of 2025 and even the 20th-anniversary iPhone coming in 2027, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more! iPhone 17 ...
iOS 18

iOS 18.5 Includes Only a Few Changes So Far

Monday April 21, 2025 11:00 am PDT by
Apple seeded the third beta of iOS 18.5 to developers today, and so far the software update includes only a few minor changes. The changes are in the Mail and Settings apps. In the Mail app, you can now easily turn off contact photos directly within the app, by tapping on the circle with three dots in the top-right corner. In the Settings app, AppleCare+ coverage information is more...

Top Rated Comments

johnnytravels Avatar
34 months ago
Seems like that is actually what the title of the event referred to: “sorry but most of the features in our new release are still far out”
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mjs916 Avatar
34 months ago
As always, I prefer late and stable to early and buggy.

Looking forward to some of the new features, but I’ll be holding off for a couple weeks at least to see how performance is affected.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gimmesomemo Avatar
34 months ago

The point is why someone needs new hardware now if new software that fit that hardware won't here before six months? Apple sw team is more than one monkeycode? Its seems not, 'cause he was busy to develop gimmick Dynamic what else (something yet developed years ago from others, like Stage Manager that was here for Leopard, yet developed copied Looking Glass from Sun), something that could be developed also for notch but "Hey, we need to sell new iPhone!". Thanks God nobody needs that cr*p of iOS 16.
Maybe you should take a step back and breathe… Apple engineers and developers (yes they are real people) are very talented and have to work on a very tough update cycle, whilst also knowing the features will be used by tens or hundreds of millions of people.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
34 months ago
No rush! Apple get it right. I can wait.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Futurix Avatar
34 months ago

WFH is working out great. Only 9 new features are delayed. Oh that’s right, WFH people work the hardest out of everyone. ?
Features were delayed long before WFH at Apple was a thing.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HQuest Avatar
34 months ago
Disappointed by Matter being postponed again. I’m eager to get a once and for all smart home with devices for a Smart Home, not “made for XYZ home”.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)