Here is more on getting the most from your iPhone lock screen in iOS 16:
Try a Weather Live Wallpaper
iOS 16 introduces new animated wallpapers that dynamically change based on real-time weather data in your city. It’s a cool way to stay connected to your local forecast throughout the day.
To set a Weather live wallpaper:
1. Go to Settings > Wallpaper
2. Tap Choose New Wallpaper
3. Pick the Weather live wallpaper option
4. Allow location access so it knows your city
Now you’ll see shifting sun, clouds, rain, and snow on your lock screen that reflect actual conditions in your area in real time.
Get Creative with Photo Effects
The Photos editor has new effects that breathe life into your pictures. Go wild applying artistic touches to alter the mood of your images.
From a photo, tap Edit and explore effects like:
– Vignette – Focuses attention on the center
– Vibrance – Intensifies colors
– Dramatic – Adds brooding contrast
– Rich Mono – Mutes color for an artistic vibe
– Vivid – Boosts vibrancy significantly
Blend effects and adjust intensity to concoct your own signature looks. Get imaginative embellishing shots for your lock screen art gallery.
Design Colorful Photo Focus Modes
Focus modes can apply custom lock screens when activated. Make the most of this by designing colorful Focus wallpapers to energize each mode.
For a Reading Focus, pick a vibrant almost neon wallpaper to stimulate the mind. Or for a Sleep Focus, use soft pastel colors to feel peaceful.
Set a bold crimson abstract image for your Workout Focus to feel fired up. And a dreamy beach photo for Vacation Focus to cultivate tranquility.
Color coordinating your Focus wallpapers with intended moods enhances their impact. Feel the vibes wash over you each time the lock screen appears.
Try Double and Triple Tapping
To expedite common actions, iOS 16 adds options to double and triple tap the iPhone’s back. Configure these taps to quickly perform frequent tasks.
Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap to customize double and triple tap actions.
Handy uses include:
– Take screenshot
– Control media playback
– Enable/disable flashlight
– Open Camera
– Adjust volume
– Check notifications
With just a quick tap or two on the back of your iPhone, you can trigger shortcuts instead of swiping and tapping through menus.
Simplify Siri Requests
Siri on iOS 16 allows you to skip saying “Hey Siri” for quicker voice commands. Just hold down the side button and make your request.
To enable this, go to Settings > Siri & Search and turn on Hold For Siri.
Now instead of saying “Hey Siri, set my morning alarm,” you can hold the side button and simply say “set my morning alarm.”
It shaves off seconds and lets you use Siri more discretely without announcing yourself. Helpful for rapid tasks like:
– Setting timers and alarms
– Toggling settings like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, airplane mode
– Dictating texts and emails
– Looking up info
– Controlling music
The simplified Siri activation makes your requests more seamless.
Monitor Medications with Health
The iPhone’s Health app can now track medications, vitamins, and supplements. Organize all your pills in one place.
In the Health app, tap Browse > Medications, then tap the + button. Add info like medication name, dose, frequency, and reminders.
Now you can see your full medication list with scheduling. Tap on a medication anytime to view or edit details. And add new ones as needed.
This helps ensure you don’t lose track of what or when to take medication. The Health app becomes your central pills planner.
Use Your iPhone as a Webcam
With iOS 16 and macOS Ventura, you can connect your iPhone to your Mac wirelessly via Continuity Camera and use it as a webcam for video calls, recordings, and livestreams.
Simply enable Continuity Camera in iPhone and Mac settings to link them. When in a FaceTime or Zoom call on Mac, click the Video button and select your iPhone camera.
Your iPhone can shoot sharper webcam video using its powerful processors and lenses. Placing it on a tripod allows you to frame the perfect overhead top-down angle.
It’s also great for vlogging, tutorials, and presentations. Tap into your iPhone’s camera versatility from your Mac.
Monitor Fitness on Your Wrist
The updated Fitness app on iOS 16 delivers more workout data to your wrist when paired with an Apple Watch. See real-time stats for runs without glancing at your phone.
For example, during a run you’ll now see current pace, heart rate, distance covered, and elapsed time right on your watch face.
Swipe left through the Fitness metrics carousel to cycle through all the run stats. It’s much more convenient than constantly pulling out your iPhone.
You’ll also see Exercise ring progress for the day on your watch. Plus, get a buzz when hitting goals. Keep your fitness tracking accessible.
Use the Fitness Widget
In iOS 16, the Fitness widget highlights your daily Activity rings right on your Home Screen or Lock Screen. Rather than opening the Fitness app to check progress, just glance at the widget.
Add the Fitness widget in various sizes to see Move, Exercise and Stand data. Expand it to show additional stats like heart rate, distance traveled, and calories burned.
Tap into the widget anytime to jump straight into the Fitness app for more detail on your workout.
Having your daily fitness overview readily available keeps you connected to your goals. Monitor progress and stay motivated from your homepage.
Get Walking Directions on Apple Maps
Apple Maps can now provide step-by-step walking directions for travel. This guides you to your destination on foot with lane indicators and AR landmarks.
In Maps, tap on the Directions button and enter a location. Select Walking for your directions mode.
You’ll see detailed routing that follows sidewalks, crosswalks and pedestrian paths. Start navigating and use the AR view to orient yourself.
Walk guidance is handy when you want to leave your car behind and explore a new city. Maps keeps you on track so you can focus on soaking in the sights.
Use Window Shades in Mail
To reduce email clutter, iOS 16 introduces Window Shades in Mail. Swipe left on an email thread to temporarily hide it from view.
All shaded emails are collected in the Window Shades category. Scroll up in your inbox and tap the icon to view them again anytime.
Window Shading cleans up your inbox by tucking away conversations you want to revisit later. Deleted emails are still sent to trash as usual.
Feel free to useWindow Shades liberally to curate a focused inbox view. Hide and reveal threads with easy left swipes.
Text Yourself Notes
iOS 16 lets you text notes to yourself in the Messages app. It’s an easy way to jot down thoughts, to-dos, and reminders.
Open the Messages app and select the Contact named Text Myself to start chatting with yourself. Text any notes which will sync across your iCloud devices.
You can even set up Siri shortcuts to “Remind me” or “Text myself.”
Self-messaging is helpful for:
– Shopping and packing lists
– Brainstorming ideas
– Saving links and screenshots
– Random musings and inspiration
Think of it as a messaging scratchpad accessible only to you.
Find Doubles in Photos
Looking to clean up old photos? The new Find Duplicates feature in iOS 16 helps identify copies and near-identical shots so you can delete redundancies.
Go to Albums > Utilities > Find Duplicates to scan your library. Photos displays similar pics side-by-side for easy comparison.
Tap Merge if the photos are identical. Or select Delete Photo to remove the copy. You can also tap Keep Both to ignore the match.
Pruning duplicate shots saves storage space and reduces clutter in your photo collection. Spend time focusing just on your best captures.
Quickly Change iCloud File Names
Renaming documents in iCloud Drive just got easier in iOS 16. You can now quickly revise file and folder names right from the Files app.
Tap and hold on a file or folder to bring up the menu. Choose Rename and type in your desired name. Hit Done to confirm the change.
Before, you had to open files in their apps just to rename them. This speedier process makes it easier to keep your iCloud Drive organized.
No more hunting through various apps to locate and rename everything. You can even bulk rename multiple selections at once in iCloud Drive.
Disable Proximity Sensor
Having to keep your iPhone’s screen awake during a video call? You can disable the proximity sensor in iOS 16 so the display stays on while holding the iPhone to your face.
Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch and toggle off Automatic Screen Wake. This will prevent the screen from turning off when detecting your face.
You can also add a Control Center toggle to quickly disable the proximity sensor as needed. Customize Controls under Settings > Control Center > More Controls.
Just remember to re-enable the sensor for normal use so your display shuts off during calls when not needed. Keep that battery lasting!
Magnify Subjects in Photos
iOS 16 introduces a powerful Visual Look Up feature that lets you lift the subject out of an image and expand the view. It works like a built-in magnifying glass.
Open a photo and tap and hold on the person/object you want to magnify. Tap Show Isolated Subject and swipe up to digitally zoom and enhance.
You can share, copy, or save the clipped image. Or tap the X to close it and revert to the original.
It’s great for getting a closer look at details like faces in a group shot or products for shopping. The isolation effect looks incredibly slick.
Quickly Resize App Icons
Tired of that giant Settings icon or tiny Messages icon on your home screen? You can now easily resize app icons for consistency.
Long press to enter jiggle mode, then tap and hold an icon to pull up the menu. Choose the new size small, medium or large.
Release your hold and the icon will resize in place to your chosen dimension. Repeat for any other icons you want to adjust.
Custom sizing helps organize your homepage by aligning icons in uniform footprints. Find the balance and proportions that please your inner neat freak.
Transfer eSIM to New iPhone
Setting up cellular service on a new iPhone is streamlined in iOS 16 with the ability to transfer eSIM to another device. No need to contact carriers and re-register.
To transfer your phone number and cellular plan via eSIM, simply use Quick Start when activating your new iPhone.
Quick Start securely copies over your eSIM profile automatically. Just authenticate with your Apple ID and password.
You can also turn off Automatic Transfer in Quick Start and instead use manual eSIM transfer. Your cellular service gets ported over seamlessly.
Find Hidden and Recently Deleted Photos
The new Recently Deleted and Hidden albums in the Photos app help you recover pictures and videos that you thought were gone. Never lose a precious memory again.
Under Albums, the Recently Deleted folder shows photos and videos removed in the last 30 days. Recover anything here before it gets permanently deleted.
The Hidden folder contains photos you have hidden from view in your Photos library. Unhide great pics you want visible again.
Photos also surfaces the most relevant Hidden picks at the top of your On This Day feed. Rediscover forgotten gems.
Scan Entire Documents with Camera
iOS 16 upgrades the camera to allow you to scan entire documents at once rather than just one page at a time. It’s great for notes, forms, essays, mail and more.
Open the Camera app and select the Document mode. Hold your phone above the document page and scan the entire sheet at once into a PDF.
You’ll see dots appear on each corner as it scans the whole page in one shot. Then make small adjustments if needed and save or share the final PDF copy.
No need to carefully capture each page individually. Just point and scan multi-page docs faster.
Pin Messages to Top
Keep your most important conversations handy in the Messages app by pinning them to the top of your list. The pinned chats will persist above all other threads.
Tap and hold a chat in your messages list. Choose Pin from the menu that pops up. The thread will now stick as the first entry.
You can pin as many conversations as you want. It’s perfect for ongoing group chats with friends or critical work message threads you constantly reference.
Pinned chats make frequent conversations instantly accessible so you can jump back in quickly.
Find Nearby Wi-Fi Networks
Struggling to find Wi-Fi when you’re out and about? Use the new feature in iOS 16 that helps you locate public networks nearby.
When Wi-Fi is enabled, open Control Center and long press on the Wi-Fi icon. Tap the Find Networks button.
You’ll see a list of public Wi-Fi hotspots within range of your iPhone’s current location. Choose one to connect right through Control Center.
This provides an instant directory of available connections without having to fumble through settings. Finding complementary Wi-Fi is made simple.
Enable Haptic Keyboard
For a more interactive typing experience, switch on the new haptic feedback setting that provides subtle physical responses as you type on the iOS keyboard.
Go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Keyboard Feedback and toggle on Haptic. You can adjust the precise sensation level.
As you type, you’ll feel gentle taps on each key press. It’s supposed to make typing more accurate and enjoyable.
Give your fingers some haptic feedback as you churn out emails and texts. See if the subtle vibrations get your typing groove flowing.
Use Background Sounds
Struggling to focus? iOS 16 includes Background Sounds to help mask distracting noises with soothing ambience. Think white noise.
Under Accessibility settings, choose Audio/Visual and toggle on Background Sounds. You can play sounds like Ocean, Rain, and Stream.
The ambient noise will play continuously until you turn it off. Adjust the volume mix to blend with your environment.
Try Background Sounds when you want to tune out household chatter and humming appliances. See if it helps you concentrate, relax, or sleep better.
Add Home Screen Widgets
The best part of iOS 16 home screen widgets is their flexibility. You can now add multiple sizes of the same widget type to build visually balanced layouts.
Press and hold an empty spot on your home screen, then tap the + button to add widgets. Drag your desired widget onto your screen.
Tap on the widget to change its size. For example, add a medium Calendar widget, then a small one. Mix and match sizes.
Keep adding and arranging widgets that suit your daily needs. Think beyond the stock Apple widgets and explore third-party options too.
Check Battery Levels
The new Batteries widget delivers at-a-glance battery status updates for all your Apple devices. No more guessing if you’ll run out of juice.
Add the Batteries widget in small, medium or large. You’ll see live battery levels for iPhone, Apple Watch, AirPods, and more.
Tap the widget to get detailed percentages, usage time remaining, and charging info. It’s also a shortcut to the Battery section in Settings.
Monitor your personal ecosystem energy levels in real time. Identify any devices that need a top up before heading out.
Add Home Screen Folders
Folders help organize apps and reduce clutter on your iPhone home screen. To create a folder in iOS 16, tap and hold an app, then drag it over another app – a folder containing both will appear.
Drag in additional apps to add them to the folder. Tap on the folder icon or name to rename it something descriptive.
You can have folders within folders for even deeper levels of organization. Tap outside a folder to close it.
Group together apps that serve related purposes, like Social, Photography, Travel, Reading, or Banking. Folders keep your home screen tidy.
Enable Opening Apps via Taskbar
If you have an iPhone taskbar set up while multitasking in iOS 16, you can enable a handy option to open apps by tapping their icons in the bar.
Go to Settings > Multitasking and toggle on Allow Opening Apps From Taskbar.
Now anytime you tap an app icon on the taskbar, it will instantly launch that app. This saves you the step of first returning to the home screen.
The taskbar icon launching makes leaping between apps quicker than ever. iOS multitasking becomes more seamless and efficient.
Swipe to Archive Messages
Tired of individually archiving conversations in the Messages app? iOS 16 introduces a new swipe gesture to instantly archive threads and clean up your messages list.
Swipe right on any conversation and choose Archive Thread from the menu that appears. The thread will be removed from your messages and tucked away into your archive.
To view archived messages, go to your profile icon > Archived > Messages. You can unarchive threads from here anytime.
Quickly clear out messaging threads you no longer need cluttering up your active view. Streamline your Messages workflow.
Add Home Screen Page Dots
To help keep track of multiple home screen pages, iOS 16 adds customizable page dots along the bottom. This gives a bird’s eye view of your layout.
Long press the home screen until you enter jiggle mode, then tap on the bottom page dots bar. Choose either Bubble style or Bar style dots.
The number of page dots shown will match your amount of home screen pages. Tap dots to quickly jump between panels.
Dots provide a clearer perspective on your broader home screen organization. Take advantage of this handy map.
Use Keyboard as Trackpad
Here’s a power user trick: Touch and hold the space bar on the iOS keyboard to transform it into a trackpad temporarily.
With your thumb on the space bar, you can slide your cursor around to precisely position it in text passages and apps.
Once you lift your thumb, the space bar returns to normal. But while pressed, it allows you to leverage the larger tracking space of the keyboard.
This cursor control tactic is especially handy on bigger iPhone screens. Finesse your text selections with precision.
Add Emoji to Photo Wallpaper
Want to inject some more fun into your wallpapers? You can now add emoji to liven up photos
