iOS 16.1 to Feature iCloud Shared Photo Library, Key Sharing in Wallet App, and Apple Card Savings Account

Apple today seeded the iOS 16.1 Release Candidate to developers ahead of the update's expected release next week. The release notes for the update confirm that iOS 16.1 enables iCloud Shared Photo Library, the ability to share keys in the Wallet app via apps like Messages and WhatsApp, and the Apple Card's new savings account option.

ios 16 icloud shared photo library feature
iCloud‌ Shared Photo Library will make it easier for you to share photos with your family members or friends in the Photos app. The feature will let you and up to five other people add, edit, or remove photos in a shared library accessible via iCloud.

Last week, Apple announced that Apple Card users will be able to open a new "high-yield" savings account from Goldman Sachs and have their Daily Cash cashback rewards automatically deposited into it, with no fees, no minimum deposits, and no minimum balance requirements. Users will be able to manage the savings account in the Wallet app.

iOS 16.1 also features Live Activities support in third-party apps, a Clean Energy Charging option in the United States, support for Matter accessories in the Home app, Apple Fitness+ workouts without an Apple Watch, Reachability support for the Dynamic Island, bug fixes for the Messages app and using a VPN with CarPlay, and more.

Apple's full release notes for iOS 16.1:

This update introduces iCloud Shared Photo Library making it easy to keep your family photos up to date. This release also adds support for third party apps in Live Activities, support for Apple Fitness+ on iPhone even if you don’t have an Apple Watch, and includes other features and bug fixes for your iPhone.

iCloud Shared Photo Library
- Separate library for seamlessly sharing photos and videos with up to five other people
- Setup rules allow you to easily contribute past photos based on start date or people in the photos when you set up or join a library
- Library filters for quickly switching between viewing the Shared Library, your Personal Library, or both libraries together
- Shared edits and permissions let everyone add, edit, favorite, caption, and delete photos
- Sharing toggle in Camera lets you choose to send photos you take straight to the Shared Library, or enable a setting to share automatically when other participants are detected nearby using Bluetooth

Live Activities
- Live Activities from third party apps are available in the Dynamic Island and on the Lock Screen for iPhone 14 Pro models

Fitness+
- Apple Fitness+ is supported on iPhone even if you don’t have an Apple Watch

Wallet
- Key sharing enables you to securely share car, hotel room, and other keys in Wallet using messaging apps such as Messages and WhatsApp
- Savings account enables Apple Card customers to grow their Daily Cash by depositing it in a high yield savings account

Home
- Matter, the new smart home connectivity standard, is supported enabling a wide variety of smart home accessories to work together across ecosystems

Clean Energy Charging
- New setting that can try to reduce your carbon footprint by selectively charging when lower carbon emission electricity is available

Books
- Reader controls are automatically hidden as you start reading

This update also includes bug fixes for your iPhone:
- Deleted conversations may appear in the conversations list in Messages
- Dynamic Island content is not available when using Reachability
- CarPlay may fail to connect when using a VPN app

iOS 16.1 is expected to be released on Monday, October 24 alongside iPadOS 16.1 and macOS Ventura.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says iPhone Driver's Licenses Will Expand to These 8 U.S. States

Tuesday July 8, 2025 11:26 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states, Puerto Rico,...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
apple account card feature

Apple Account Card Expanding to More Countries

Tuesday July 8, 2025 7:34 pm PDT by
Apple is expanding the ability to add an Apple Account Card to the Wallet app to more countries, according to backend Apple Pay changes. With iOS 15.5, Apple updated the Wallet app to allow users to add an Apple Account Card, which displays the Apple credit balance associated with an Apple ID. If you receive an Apple gift card, for example, it is added to an Apple Account that is also...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

Leaker Reveals Amount of RAM in iPhone 17 Through iPhone 17 Pro Max

Wednesday July 9, 2025 8:08 am PDT by
Three out of four iPhone 17 models will feature more RAM than the equivalent iPhone 16 models, according to a new leak that aligns with previous rumors. The all-new iPhone 17 Air, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max will each be equipped with 12GB of RAM, according to Fixed Focus Digital, an account with more than two million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
imac video apple feature

Apple Launching These 15+ Products Later This Year

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
The calendar has turned to July, meaning that 2025 is now more than half over. And while the summer months are often quiet for Apple, the company still has more than a dozen products coming later this year, according to rumors. Below, we have outlined at least 15 new Apple products that are expected to launch later this year, along with key rumored features for each. iPhone 17 Series iPho...

Top Rated Comments

macsplusmacs Avatar
36 months ago
I'm looking forward to this:

iOS 16.1 enables iCloud Shared Photo Library

Because when I take a photo of our cat.
And my girlfriend takes a photo of our cat.

We will have all our cat photos in one place.

????
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
36 months ago
Can't wait for the Apple Card Savings Account option. This will come in very handy!
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
thatJohann Avatar
36 months ago
They removed the dynamic island outline when on dark backgrounds, amen!
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
silver25u Avatar
36 months ago

I hope they add albums to the iCloud Shared Photo Library soon. As it is right now, it is more of a stream than a library. (and Shared Albums don't give you the original resolution photos)
Or just stop reducing resolution on shared albums. I mean you're selling phones that can record in 4K and you're going to reduce it to 720p? Come on
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pavelbure Avatar
36 months ago
For those of you on macs that cannot update don’t be surprised if all of your photos disappear because they were all moved to the shared folder, which your older photos app will not see. Only your newer iPhone or on the web could you see them. Unless they fixed that bug.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lordhamster Avatar
36 months ago

I'm looking forward to this:

iOS 16.1 enables iCloud Shared Photo Library

Because when I take a photo of our cat.
And my girlfriend takes a photo of our cat.

We will have all our cat photos in one place.

????
I'm actually excited for the shared photo library. Currently the only reason I use Google photos on my phone is because it has "Partner Share" where every photo I take it automagically shared with my wife. Once this launches I can drop google photos... a program which is annoying because it gets killed in the background often then I end up with out of sync photo libraries till I launch it again.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)