Apple Seeds Release Candidate Versions of iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2

Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the betas coming less than a week after Apple seeded the fourth betas of iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2.

Registered developers are able to download the iOS 16‌.2 and iPadOS 16.2 profiles from the Apple Developer Center, and once installed, the beta is available over the air.

Today's RC brings an opt-in end-to-end encryption to additional iCloud features, with the feature coming to all U.S. users with the launch of iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2. Advanced Data Protection for ‌iCloud‌ adds end-to-end encryption for ‌iCloud‌ Backup, Notes, Photos, iCloud Drive and more. With Advanced Data Protection enabled, the only ‌iCloud‌ categories not covered by end-to-end encryption include ‌iCloud‌ Mail, Contacts, and Calendar.

iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 include 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.

Apple has added 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, there's a new Sleep widget, live sports scores are back for the TV app, there are changes to always on display on the iPhone 14 Pro, and more, with full details available in our iOS 16.2 feature guide. Apple's full release notes for the update are below:

Freeform
- Freeform is a new app for working creatively with friends or colleagues on Mac, iPad and iPhone
- A flexible canvas lets you add files, images, stickies, and more
Drawing tools let you sketch anywhere on the canvas with your finger

Apple Music Sing
- A new way to sing along with millions of your favorite songs in Apple Music
- Fully adjustable vocals let you duet with the original artist, sing solo, or mix it up
- Newly enhanced beat-by-beat lyrics make it even easier to follow along with the music

Advanced Data Protection for iCloud
New option expands the total number of iCloud data categories protected using end-to-end encryption to 23 — including iCloud Backup, Notes, and Photos — protecting your information even in the case of a data breach in the cloud

Lock Screen
- New settings allow you to hide wallpaper or notifications when Always-On display is enabled on iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max
- Sleep widget lets you view your most recent sleep data
- Medications widget lets you view reminders and quickly access your schedule

Game Center
- SharePlay support in Game Center for multiplayer games so you can play with the people you are on a FaceTime call with
- Activity Widget allows you to see what your friends are playing and achieving in games right from your Home Screen

Apple TV
- Live Activities for Apple TV app let you follow your favorite teams with live scores right on your Lock Screen or in Dynamic Island on iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max

Home
- Improved reliability and efficiency of communication between your smart home accessories and Apple devices

This update also includes the following improvements and bug fixes:
- Improved search in Messages allows you to find photos based on their content, like a dog, car, person, or text
- Turn Off Hide IP Address setting enables iCloud Private Relay users to temporarily disable the service for a specific site in Safari
- News articles in Weather display information relevant to the weather in that location
- Participant Cursors in Notes allow you to see live indicators as others make updates in a shared note
- AirDrop now automatically reverts to Contacts Only after 10 minutes to prevent unwanted requests to receive content
- Crash Detection optimizations on iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models
- Fixes an issue that causes some notes not to sync with iCloud after updates are made

Some features may not be available for all regions or on all Apple devices. For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222

iOS 16.2 is expected to see a release in mid-December.