iOS 16 Update: What It Means for App Developers and Marketers?

Apple announced iOS 16 at the annual World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2022 on June 6. Like in previous years, the company provided an early preview of new system for iPhones. The successor to iOS 15 is expected to include a number of new features and also make improvements to the user interface's visual appeal on iPhones.

After months of beta testing, Apple has officially released iOS 16 (along with watchOS 9 and tvOS 16) at 10am PT on September 12, 2022. In this article, we reveal everything you need to know about iOS 16 and how it will impact your iPhone experience.

Apple iOS 16: Key Features You Should Know About The New System

● Lockscreen Gets A Refreshing Facelift

More customization options will be available in iOS 16 to make the lockscreen more aesthetically pleasing and clutter-free. The time and date, as well as app icons and notification shades that match, can slide back and forth across a photo as seen in the snapshot. Users can choose from a variety of cute little widgets and wallpapers, just like they can with Apple Watch faces.

● Visual Look-Up

Visual Look-Up takes photographs a step further by adding a new feature that allows users to tap and hold on the subject of an image to lift it from the backdrop and insert it in apps like Messages. Birds, insects, and status are now included in the scope of Visual Look-Up.

● Standalone Fitness App For iPhones

For the first time ever, Apple is bringing the Fitness app to iPhones. Previously only the Apple Watch owners were able to get the Fitness app on their Apple device. Now, those who don't have the Watch will be able to participate in completing the Active Rings - Exercise, Stand and Movements targets for the day and even challenge their friends for more motivation. Apple is making the Fitness app available for iPhones for the first time ever. The Fitness app was formerly available solely to Apple Watch owners who have an Apple device. The Active Rings - Exercise, Stand, and Movements objectives for the day can now be completed by people without the Watch, and they can even challenge their friends for further inspiration.

● New Safety Check Privacy Feature

It helps users whose personal safety may be in danger due to domestic or intimate partner violence. He or she can immediately revoke everyone else's access to their iPhone accounts and apps. Users may also quickly log out of iCloud on all of their other devices, reset privacy rights, and restrict messaging to only the device in their hand with an emergency reset. Additionally, it assists users in managing who has access to what apps and who they have granted access to.

● Passkeys 

In the upcoming ios 16, it consists of one-of-a-kind digital keys that are simple to use, more secure, never kept on a web server, and remain on the device, preventing theft by hackers during a data breach or user trickery to share them. Passwords will be replaced by Touch ID or Face ID for biometric authentication, and iCloud Keychain for end-to-end encrypted syncing across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV. Users will be able to sign in to websites or apps on non-Apple devices with just their iPhone because they will function across apps and the web.

● Other Notable Features

• • Deduttering the notifications has been one of the long-standing gripes of iPhone users. The messages will now stay grounded at the base thanks to iOS 16. As a result of the redesign, notifications now roll up from the bottom, giving users a clean view of their custom Lock Screen.
  • Users will be able to grant up to 6 family members access to photographs in the group and the ability to edit photos from any location with the introduction of the iCloud Shared Photo Library. Additionally, the Camera app will provide a direct storage option that will swiftly move the image to the shared library after it has been taken.
  • Users will have the option to schedule mail delivery to be delivered later in the day, a week, or at a specific time once they update to the new iOS 16. The program will also send users reminders to see if they forgot to attach a file or document before sending an email. Apple promises that the search function will improve and provide results that are relevant, accurate, and complete. As soon as users start searching for emails, recent emails, contacts, documents, and links are displayed.

What iOS 16 New Updates Means For App Developers And Marketers?

Apple spent a ton of time highlighting the iOS 16 lock screen during its WWDC preview. In short, it's a massive overhaul to the old, tired lock screen. Through this, it is not difficult for astute app developers and marketers to find that Apple is catering to users' pursuit of personalization. So what else does this update reveal? How can developers and marketers use this information to consider future directions?

Developing And Designing Trends

For iOS developers, it is very important to keep up with the development direction of Apple and to grasp the demands of users. This update shows how Apple understand modern users:

• More Personal. From the ios 16 update content ratio, the lock screen personalization settings accounted for the majority, which reflects that Apple attaches great importance to the customization of customers. In fact, this is common to an increasingly young user base. They want to show their uniqueness from the way they dress to every item around them. So app developers can offer more possibilities for users in terms of form and function design, etc.

• More Convenient. With the development of technology, it is an inevitable trend that people's lives are becoming increasingly convenient, and how to achieve this with technology is the vision that all technology companies are striving for. As app developers, you can not only take this as the starting point for designing new software, but also infiltrate this kind of thinking into the process of optimizing existing apps.

• More Integrated. The introduction of Passkeys and CarPlay in iOS 16 proves that Apple is moving towards a more integrated path of development. In fact, the metaverse concept, which is currently on fire, actually reflects this. In the future, the tech tools people use will become more integrated rather than fragmented. So app developers can experiment more with APIs for development and prepare for future coupling.

• More Methodical. In the information age, people are receiving several times the amount of information every moment than before. So how to present information to users and how to help them process information in an organized way is the key to attracting users. App developers need to take this into account, both in terms of functional design and UI presentation.

• More Humane. The relationship between human nature and technology is an enduring topic. In order to avoid unnecessary storms of public opinion and to capture more users, technology companies have been committed to developing more humane features. Apple's launch of a quick permission management feature for users at risk of domestic violence is a good example of this. app developers should also always take this into considerationwhen developing new software, after all, these apps will all be used by people.

Marketing Direction

In order to push a well-designed app into the user's life more deeply, supporting marketing is essential. And through this update and Apple's longtime marketing, it's found that the main target market for Apple’s products includes middle and upper-income consumers who are capable and willing to pay a higher amount after being enticed by a better user experience. One of the major advantages of Apple’s marketing plan is that it is effective to the extent that it satisfies consumers’ behavior, tastes, and inclination.


Therefore, app store marketers can also refer to Apple's marketing plan to meet the requirements of this specific group. This group of users pursues their own unique aesthetics and refuses to converge with others; They also pay great attention to fitness, which is their way of life; In addition, it can be seen from the fact that Apple does not hesitate to offend other companies to launch App Tracking Transparency (ATT) , their users also pay great attention to their privacy; At the same time, all users, including Apple users, are very conscious of their personal safety, and Apple is particularly careful to consider users at risk of domestic violence, and marketers can use this as a topic for marketing.

Summary

The continuous updates of ios reflect the constant change of user demands, and developers and marketers can take advantage of the signals released by Apple's updated content, so that they can keep up with the users.