iOS 16.6 Beta Coming Soon for iPhones Ahead of iOS 17 at WWDC

Apple has ramped up internal testing of iOS 16.6 over the past week, according to a reliable source of information. This suggests the first beta version of the update will be seeded to developers and public beta testers in the coming days.

iOS 16
Apple confirmed that iOS 16.5 will be released to the public this week, so the first iOS 16.6 beta will likely be made available either later this week or next week. Apple has been internally testing iOS 16.6 since at least early April, and it will likely be one of the final updates in the iOS 16 software cycle, as Apple is expected to announce iOS 17 at WWDC next month and shift its development efforts towards that update.

iOS 16.6 will likely be a smaller update given that iOS 17 is on the horizon, but it remains to be seen which new features, changes, and bug fixes will be included. Apple previously announced that iMessage Contact Key Verification would be available in 2023, but it is unclear exactly when the optional security setting will launch.

iOS 16.6 should be released to the public in the weeks after WWDC, which begins June 5. There is no sign of Apple testing iOS 16.7 yet, but it's still early.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Coming Soon With These 8 New Features on Your iPhone

Thursday December 11, 2025 8:49 am PST by
Apple seeded the second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to developers earlier this week, meaning the update will be released to the general public very soon. Apple confirmed iOS 26.2 would be released in December, but it did not provide a specific date. We expect the update to be released by early next week. iOS 26.2 includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, such as a new...
Google maps feaure

Google Maps Quietly Added This Long-Overdue Feature for Drivers

Wednesday December 10, 2025 2:52 am PST by
Google Maps on iOS quietly gained a new feature recently that automatically recognizes where you've parked your vehicle and saves the location for you. Announced on LinkedIn by Rio Akasaka, Google Maps' senior product manager, the new feature auto-detects your parked location even if you don't use the parking pin function, saves it for up to 48 hours, and then automatically removes it once...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

Apple to Make More Foldable iPhones Than Expected [Updated]

Tuesday December 9, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple has ordered 22 million OLED panels from Samsung Display for the first foldable iPhone, signaling a significantly larger production target than the display industry had previously anticipated, ET News reports. In the now-seemingly deleted report, ET News claimed that Samsung plans to mass-produce 11 million inward-folding OLED displays for Apple next year, as well as 11 million...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3

Thursday December 11, 2025 11:28 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3 and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B30, up from 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 firmware is 8B28, up from 8B21. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 are getting expanded support for Live Translation in the European Union in iOS...
iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
AirTag 2 Mock Feature

Apple AirTag 2: Four New Features Found in iOS 26 Code

Thursday December 11, 2025 10:31 am PST by
The AirTag 2 will include a handful of new features that will improve tracking capabilities, according to a new report from Macworld. The site says that it was able to access an internal build of iOS 26, which includes references to multiple unreleased products. Here's what's supposedly coming: An improved pairing process, though no details were provided. AirTag pairing is already...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds Second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Monday December 8, 2025 10:18 am PST by
Apple today seeded the second release candidate version of iOS 26.2 to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming one week after Apple seeded the first RC. The release candidate represents the final version iOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found. Registered developers and public beta testers can download the betas from the Settings app on...
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

iPhone 18 Pro Leak Adds New Evidence for Under-Display Face ID

Monday December 8, 2025 4:54 am PST by
Apple is actively testing under-screen Face ID for next year's iPhone 18 Pro models using a special "spliced micro-transparent glass" window built into the display, claims a Chinese leaker. According to "Smart Pikachu," a Weibo account that has previously shared accurate supply-chain details on Chinese Android hardware, Apple is testing the special glass as a way to let the TrueDepth...
maxresdefault

iOS 26 Code Leak Reveals Apple Smart Home Hub Details

Thursday December 11, 2025 4:02 pm PST by
Apple is working on a smart home hub that will rely heavily on the more capable version of Siri that's coming next year. We've heard quite a bit about the hub over the last two years, but a recent iOS 26 code leak provides additional insight into what we can expect and confirms rumored features. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Macworld claims to have access to an ...
studio display purple

Apple Studio Display 2 Code Hints at 120Hz ProMotion, HDR, A19 Chip

Thursday December 11, 2025 4:19 am PST by
Apple's next-generation Studio Display is expected to arrive early next year, and a new report allegedly provides a couple more details on the external monitor's capabilities. According to internal Apple code seen by Macworld, the new external display will feature a variable refresh rate capable of up to 120Hz – aka ProMotion – as well as support for HDR content. The current Studio...

Top Rated Comments

sniffies Avatar
34 months ago
The last release prior to iOS 17 will be iOS 16.9.9
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
34 months ago
Can't believe we are up to a final release of iOS 16. Bittersweet!

I have a feeling it's going to be dropped Tomorrow or Wednesday!
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
frumpywumpy Avatar
34 months ago
yet again, https://www.thinkybits.com/blog/iOS-versions/ is useful. @Lounge vibes 05 has it right, a ##.6 and ##.7 have happened since 13.



Attachment Image
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lounge vibes 05 Avatar
34 months ago
Yeah, just like every other year.
16.6 in June or July, followed by 16.7 in September alongside 17.0
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ss2cire Avatar
34 months ago

We are ready for something new, the Homescreen is old enough to drive, will be going to college soon, and is still wearing a onesie!!
but onesies are so comfortable....

========

An updated Homescreen would be nice. A little more customization perhaps? But I understand the uniformity and consistency. Change for the sake of change isn't that great. Hopefully any changes will have nice usability enhancements we didnt know we needed/wanted.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dfwiddoc Avatar
34 months ago
In less than 2 hours, already 25 predictably cynical, smarmy comments dissing Apple for having the gall to actually release another beta cycle—how inept of them, making yet another effort to improve their software in anticipation of an official release!

Honestly I don’t know if the usual hecklers on here actually own Apple products and are just Android trolls, if they just come on here to be smart asses, or if they indeed own iPhones and just don’t get how beta cycles work (hint: they’re supposed to be buggy, and no one is forcing you to download pre-release software!).

No matter the reason, this site’s server must be stuffed to the gills with these tedious complaints by now, and they’re so useful to those of us who come here to look for new features spotted in these betas. Ya’ll just keep getting wittier, keep it up!
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)