Five iOS 16 Features Still Coming in 2022 - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Five iOS 16 Features Still Coming in 2022

Apple this week released iOS 16.1, the first major update to the iOS 16 operating system since its public release, and also released iPadOS 16 to the public. While both updates brought many features to iPhone and iPad users, Apple still has more features planned for 2022.

General iOS 16 Feature Yellow
Below, we've listed five features and new apps for iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 that Apple has promised to release before the end of 2022 through subsequent updates.

iPadOS 16: External Display Support

ipados stage manager external display
One of the hallmark features of iPadOS 16 is that the ‌iPad‌ is finally gaining proper support for external displays. The feature is incorporated into Stage Manager, a new multitasking windowing system for select ‌iPad‌ models.

While ‌Stage Manager‌ is available with iPadOS 16.1, released yesterday, external display support is not. Apple delayed external display support until "later this year," so we'll have to wait until possibly iPadOS 16.2 before we see it available.

Gaming Together Over SharePlay

iphone 13 gaming a15
One new feature of SharePlay on iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 is that later this year, users will be able to use SharePlay to play games with friends and family over FaceTime. This will work for games with Game Center integration and that support multiplayer. In iOS 16 and iPadOS 16, Apple already expanded SharePlay to be built-in on apps like Messages.

Freeform

freeform
A new app coming later this year from Apple is Freeform. Freeform is a productivity app where teams can easily collaborate in a single place with notes, shared files, web links, drawings, documents, photos, videos, and more. Freeform will be available on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS.

Emergency SOS Via Satellite

emergency sos via satellite
Exclusive to the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro and launching in November, users will be able to make emergency SOS texts via satellite on their iPhone. Emergency SOS via satellite will initially only be available in the U.S. and Canada and will be free for users for the first two years. Pricing beyond the first two years has not been made public.

Apple Music Classical

apple music logo
In August 2021, Apple acquired Primephonic, a streaming service that specialized in classical music. In that announcement, Apple said it would release a dedicated Apple Music experience app specifically designed and tailored for classical music in 2022.

With just a few months left before the end of the year, Apple has not yet released the app, but traces of its development have been found in iOS 16 code, hinting we could see its release alongside an upcoming iOS 16 update.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Popular Stories

iOS 27 Next to iPhone

Here's When iOS 27 Rolls Out Today in Every Time Zone [Update: It's Out]

Sunday September 13, 2026 3:00 am PDT by
Update 10:04 a.m.: iOS 27 is rolling out now, though it may take a bit for all users to see it, so keep checking! Apple is about to release iOS 27, which will finally deliver more advanced Siri AI capabilities as well as a variety of other refinements, improvements, and new features to iPhones. It's Apple's biggest software update of the year, and Apple announced at Wednesday's iPhone event...
iOS 27 Icon iPhone

iOS 27 Available Today With These 8 New Features

Monday September 14, 2026 9:00 am PDT by
Update: Apple has released iOS 27. During its iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo event last week, Apple announced that iOS 27 will be released widely on Monday, September 14. iOS 27 should be available around 10 a.m. Pacific Time / 1 p.m. Eastern Time today via the Settings app, under General → Software Update. Below, we have highlighted eight new features and changes coming with iOS...
deep black iphone 18 pro

Apple Says iPhone 18 Pro Max Sold in U.S. Differs in One Way

Saturday September 12, 2026 3:27 pm PDT by
As noted by Nicolas Lellouche, who writes for the French tech website Numerama, Apple has updated its tech specs pages for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max to clarify which models are equipped with its new C2 cellular modem and where. Apple now says the iPhone 18 Pro has a C2 modem worldwide, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max uses the chip in every country except for the U.S. According...

Top Rated Comments

gonsawa_ Avatar
51 months ago
Really excited to see when and how will Apple Music Classical rollout. It’s been more than a year since the first rumors.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
51 months ago
That Freeform app looks like the answer to the question everyone viewing iPad intro demos and commercials always silently asks: "that's neat...what the hell app are they using to do all that creative stuff and why doesn't it exist on the iPad natively?"
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️ Avatar
51 months ago
Since Emergency SOS Via Satellite will be released in November. It's safe to say we might see one last iOS update in November :)
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
51 months ago
Missed one.
The new HomeKit architecture is still listed as coming soon.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BeefCake 15 Avatar
51 months ago
FreeForm is well welcomed as it will finally allow us to make use of the Apple Pencil experience fully beyond just the Notes app.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
51 months ago
Waiting to see the rollout of Apple Music Classical.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)