Apple Seeds First Betas of iOS 16.5 and iPadOS 16.5

Apple today seeded the first betas of upcoming iOS 16.5 and iPadOS 16.5 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a day after the launch of iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4.

iOS 16
Registered developers can opt in to the betas by opening up the Settings app, going to Software Update, tapping on the "Beta Updates" option and toggling on the iOS 16 Developer Beta. Note that an Apple ID associated with a developer account is required to download and install the beta.

We don't yet know what's included in the betas, but Apple has delivered many of the promised features that were announced when iOS 16 was first unveiled. We are still waiting on the Apple Card Savings account and Apple Pay Later, a feature that Apple CEO Tim Cook recently said was coming "soon."

When we learn what's included in the update, we'll share details.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Popular Stories

iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
duolingo ad live activity

Duolingo Used iPhone's Dynamic Island to Display Ads, Violating Apple Design Guidelines

Friday January 2, 2026 1:36 pm PST by
Language learning app Duolingo has apparently been using the iPhone's Live Activity feature to display ads on the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island, which violates Apple's design guidelines. According to multiple reports on Reddit, the Duolingo app has been displaying an ad for a "Super offer," which is Duolingo's paid subscription option. Apple's guidelines for Live Activity state that...
Clicks Communicator Feature

'Clicks Communicator' Unveiled — Will You Carry This With Your iPhone?

Friday January 2, 2026 6:35 am PST by
The company behind the BlackBerry-like Clicks Keyboard accessory for the iPhone today unveiled a new Android 16 smartphone called the Clicks Communicator. The purpose-built device is designed to be used as a second phone alongside your iPhone, with the intended focus being communication over content consumption. It runs a custom Android launcher that offers a curated selection of messaging...
apple intelligence black

Report: Apple's AI Strategy Could Finally Pay Off in 2026

Tuesday December 30, 2025 9:01 am PST by
Apple's restrained artificial intelligence strategy may pay off in 2026 amid the arrival of a revamped Siri and concerns around the AI market "bubble" bursting, The Information argues. The speculative report notes that Apple has taken a restrained approach with AI innovations compared with peers such as OpenAI, Google, and Meta, which are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in data...
Low Cost MacBook Feature A18 Pro

Low-Price 12.9-Inch MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Reportedly Launching Early This Year

Friday January 2, 2026 9:08 am PST by
Apple plans to introduce a 12.9-inch MacBook in spring 2026, according to TrendForce. In a press release this week, the Taiwanese research firm said this MacBook will be aimed at the entry-level to mid-range market, with "competitive pricing." TrendForce did not share any further details about this MacBook, but the information that it shared lines up with several rumors about a more...
apple fitness 2026 1

Apple Teases 'Something Big' Coming Soon to Apple Fitness+

Tuesday December 30, 2025 2:11 pm PST by
The Apple Fitness+ Instagram account today teased that the service has "big plans" for 2026. In a video, several Apple Fitness+ trainers are shown holding up newspapers with headlines related to Apple Fitness+. What's Apple Fitness+ Planning for the New Year? Something Big is Coming to Apple Fitness+ The Countdown Begins. Apple Fitness+ 2026 is Almost Here 2026 Plans Still Under ...
Apple Fitness Plus hero

Apple Announces New Fitness+ Workout Programs, Strava Challenge, and More

Friday January 2, 2026 6:43 am PST by
Apple today announced a number of updates to Apple Fitness+ and activity with the Apple Watch. The key announcements include: New Year limited-edition award: Users can win the award by closing all three Activity Rings for seven days in a row in January. "Quit Quitting" Strava challenge: Available in Strava throughout January, users who log 12 workouts anytime in the month will win an ...
Mac Pro Feature Blue

What's Happening With the Mac Pro?

Wednesday December 31, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Mac Pro since 2023, and according to recent rumors, there's no update coming in the near future. In fact, Apple might be finished with the Mac Pro. Bloomberg recently said that the Mac Pro is "on the back burner" and has been "largely written off" by Apple. Apple apparently views the more compact Mac Studio as the ideal high-end pro-level desktop, and it has almost...

Top Rated Comments

Crzyrio Avatar
36 months ago

They couldn’t have put this stuff in 16.4 ???
Yeah, like did we seriously need iOS 16 even? They should have just build all of these stuff in to iOS1 and have been done with it from the get go.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
eveluvsrainbows Avatar
36 months ago

They couldn’t have put this stuff in 16.4 ???
No...these versions are planned and developed weeks if not months in advance. Apple moves very quickly internally. Knowing Apple they're probably already in the planning stages of iOS 18 alongside iOS 17. Apple always, or at least for the last few years anyway, releases .5 versions of iOS.

What? No 16.4.1? Wasn't expecting a point update. iOS 16 should be reaching eol soon. :rolleyes:
How do you not expect this, when iOS 15 went all the way to iOS 15.7 before iOS 16 released? Stuff like this is typical for Apple these days. And for iOS 14, they literally went all the way to iOS 14.8.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AppleFan91 Avatar
36 months ago
So this is somewhat odd. I am not a registered developer or anything at all, yet when I toggle on the developer beta in updates - I can download the update…

Is apple letting anyone opt into developer betas now and not needing a dev account, etc?

(I’d love this but I know a lot of devs will be unpleased as this is something they like to keep to themselves lol)
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jrhop Avatar
36 months ago

So this is somewhat odd. I am not a registered developer or anything at all, yet when I toggle on the developer beta in updates - I can download the update…

Is apple letting anyone opt into developer betas now and not needing a dev account, etc?

(I’d love this but I know a lot of devs will be unpleased as this is something they like to keep to themselves lol)
Me too! I definitely don’t have developer account and I can also choose to download this new developer beta!
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Realityck Avatar
36 months ago
Released today

* iOS 16.5 beta (20F5028e) - March 28, 2023
* iPadOS 16.5 beta (20F5028e) - March 28, 2023
* macOS 13.4 beta (22F5027f) - March 28, 2023
* watchOS 9.5 beta (20T5527c) - March 28, 2023
* tvOS 16.5 beta (20L5527d) - March 28, 2023
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tridley68 Avatar
36 months ago
Another Beta so soon after the rather large update .
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)