Apple has released the final version of iOS 16 as free update for iPhone 8 and newer. The new software has many new features, the most obvious of which is a completely new, customizable lock screen.

The new OS features a major revamp of the Lock Screen with new personalization, including font & color options, and widgets that are similar to complications on the Apple Watch. Third-party lock screen widgets will also be available. Custom photo wallpapers now intelligently pull out foreground elements, so the time appears slightly behind your dog's head, for example. Finally, notifications on the lock screen have been re-arranged to take up less space, and can be hidden completely. Apple is also introducing a new type of update-able notification for live activities, so that updates to sports scores or your Uber's location don't trigger a series of separate notifications. An update to Focus lets you designate separate custom lock screens and home screens for work vs. personal modes, etc. A new Focus Filter API will also extend Focus modes into apps, allowing you to designate certain browser tabs as only available in work mode, for example. In Messages, messages can now be unsent, edited after being sent, or marked as unread. Messages also now supports SharePlay, so you can have a text conversation while watching the same media. Dictation now adds punctuation automatically, and works more seamlessly when using both the keyboard and voice for input. Apple has also extended Live Text to video, so you can now copy text from paused video, and easily perform smart actions on that text, like translate language or convert currency. A new Live Text API will allow this feature to work in third-party apps. In Wallet, apps will now be able to request select info from a stored digital driver's license, for things like age verification. Apple is also adding Order Tracking into Wallet. Finally, Apple announced that it's working on making Key Sharing (for digital car and home keys) cross-platform, so digital keys can be shared with Android users from Wallet. Apple Maps now supports multi-stop routing, for up to 15 stops. When navigating while driving, Siri will now lets you add a stop to your current trip using just your voice. Apple has also revamped the Parental Controls setup process, and made it faster to set up a new Apple device for a kid. A new feature called Safety Check makes it easier for people in abusive relationships to make sure an abusive partner can't take advantage of shared accounts or additional signed-in devices when trying to leave that relationship. Finally, Rapid Security Response is a new OS feature that allows Apple to roll out urgent security fixes faster. The first developer beta comes out today. The first public beta will be released in July, with a final release coming in the "fall".