Apple today seeded the first betas of upcoming iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 updates to public beta testers, opening up the software to the general public. Today's beta comes one day after Apple provided the beta to developers.
Public beta testers who have signed up for Apple's free beta testing program can download the iOS and iPadOS 16.2 betas over the air after installing the proper certificate from the Public Beta website.
iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 introduce the Freeform app, which can be used for jotting down notes, sketching, drawing, brainstorming ideas, creating mood boards, and more. Multiple people can work on the same Freeform board, with changes synced for all participants in real time.
For the iPad, the update brings external display support to the Stage Manager multitasking feature, allowing up to eight apps to be used at once. External display support is available for the M1 and M2 iPad models.
There is a new Home app architecture coming in iOS and iPadOS 16.2, which Apple says is designed to bring faster, more reliable performance, especially in homes with a lot of smart home accessories. The new architecture requires the HomePod 16.2 beta software, and it causes the Home app not to work with devices updated to iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, or macOS Ventura 13.1.
Unintentional Emergency SOS calls can be reported to Apple in iOS 16.2, and there are a few other minor changes that can be found in our iOS 16.2 feature guide.
Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie.
"Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by Juli Clover
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do.
The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up.
Upgraded Architecture
The next-generation...
Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld.
The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld.
Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Monday February 9, 2026 6:24 am PST by Joe Rossignol
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps.
The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future.
To set up the...
New MacBook Pro models with the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips could arrive as soon as Monday, March 2, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In today's "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that the release of new MacBook Pro models is tied to the release of macOS Tahoe 26.3. The launch is said to be slated for as early as the week of March 2. He added that the M4 Pro and M4 Max models on sale today...
Don't bother. There is a strong WFH bias from some people. They believe WFH means slacking off all day watching TV and playing video games. As if someone could stay employed that way. They also act like the software and hardware was perfect before WFH became a bigger thing. They are personally too irresponsible to work remotely and be productive (therefore stay employed) so they project that onto all others.
I’m about to start a WFH job and I’m thrilled. That’s less time in traffic and less money spent on gas. I can sleep in a little later too!
What you are seeing with so many Bugs is the result from working from home. Less productive. More distractions. This is what you get.
You mean to tell me that my hour commute each way, 30 minute water cooler talk, non-stop colleague "drop bys", non-stop building "alarm tests", happy-hours starting an hour before EOD made me MORE productive?
You mean to tell me that my hour commute each way, 30 minute water cooler talk, non-stop colleague "drop bys", non-stop building "alarm tests", happy-hours starting an hour before EOD made me MORE productive?
Don't bother. There is a strong WFH bias from some people. They believe WFH means slacking off all day watching TV and playing video games. As if someone could stay employed that way. They also act like the software and hardware was perfect before WFH became a bigger thing. They are personally too irresponsible to work remotely and be productive (therefore stay employed) so they project that onto all others.
