iOS 16 Beta 2 Release Notes: Back Up a Device Over LTE and More

Apple today released iOS 16 beta 2 and more for developers to download and test.

Each beta update usually includes new features and tweaks, such as the recent changes we’ve seen to the Lock Screen wallpapers and user interface.

Below are iOS 16 beta 2 release notes as shared by Apple with developers. One new feature coming is the ability to back up your device over an LTE cellular connection, along with 5G and Wi-Fi.

Also notable is the mention of more support for Bluetooth and USB game controllers in macOS 13, iOS 16 and tvOS 16 and later. Recently, it was confirmed Nintendo Switch controllers were now supported on Apple devices.

iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 beta 2 release notes can be seen below, with a focus on new features:

Backup

New Features in iOS & iPadOS 16 beta 2

  • Customers using iOS 16 can now back up their device over an LTE cellular connection, as well as a 5G or Wifi connection. (95276719)

HealthKit

New Features in iOS & iPadOS 16 beta 2

  • HealthKit workout APIs now support multisport workouts with activities of swimming, cycling, and running. (82588168)
  • New data types for running workout metrics like running power, ground contact time, vertical oscillation, running speed, and stride length. (82974514)
  • A new data type is available to track AFib History. (95315701)

Messages

New Features in iOS & iPadOS 16 beta 2

  • Allows developers to classify incoming SMS from unknown numbers into 12 new sub-categories within Transaction and Promotion categories for improved organization. (95276296)
  • For Indian users, Messages now supports event extraction from SMS. These event and appointment messages are presented as Siri suggestions and also are presented to users in Messages thread and in Calendar Inbox. (95276513)
  • For selected US Carriers, Messages extends the “Report Junk” feature to enable users to report SMS/MMS junk to Carriers. The option is visible inside Messages from Unknown Senders. (95276623)
  • Messages now supports the ability for customers with a dual SIM iPhone to filter their messages based on their SIMs. (95276784)

StoreKit

New Features in iOS & iPadOS 16 beta 2

  • A property priceLocale is included in Product. Use this property to format price values deriving from the product’s decimal price. (81480683)
  • Product has new properties for localizing prices and subscription periods. For iOS 15, iPadOS 15, macOS 12, tvOS 15, and watchOS 8 or later use priceFormatStyle to format numbers derived from price. Use subscriptionPeriodFormatStyle to format durations of time relating to a subscription period. On iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS 13, tvOS 16, and watchOS 9 or later use subscriptionPeriodUnitFormatStyle to format single units of a subscription period. (93780442)
  • AppTransaction allows developers to cryptographically verify that the app was purchased on the App Store. (86739279)

App Store

New Features in iOS & iPadOS 16 beta

  • The recentSubscriptionStartDate property is included in Product.SubscriptionInfo.RenewalInfo. It represents the date that marks the start of the most recent period of continuous subscription. A period is considered a continuous subscription if there’s no more than a 60-day gap between any two subscribed periods. (86599570)
  • The priceLocale property is included in Product. Use this property to format price values deriving from the product’s decimal price. (81480683)
  • The StoreKit Messages API allows you to control when App Store messages are displayed in your app. (85321880)
  • Read the requestReview environment value to get an instance of a RequestReviewAction. Then, call this instance to request to display a review prompt from your SwiftUI apps. (86739003)

Game Controller

New Features in iOS & iPadOS 16 beta

  • Many additional Bluetooth and USB game controllers are supported by the Game Controller framework on macOS 13, iOS 16, and tvOS 16 and later. (82409809)

HealthKit

New Features in iOS & iPadOS 16 beta

  • The HealthKit framework has a new Vision Prescription data type that allows developers and users to store prescription information received from eye care professionals. This feature includes a new set of HKSample subclasses that allow developers to encapsulate prescriptions for glasses and contact lenses. Users of iPhone can directly store their prescription information from the Health app as well. Because most regions require the actual prescription document to purchase glasses and contacts, this feature also allows the storage of attachment files in HealthKit. Due to the potential privacy concerns around sharing unintended additional details from the prescription, the HealthKit framework has a new authorization API to allow users to authorize prescriptions on a per-sample basis. See header documentation in HealthKit and watch the WWDC HealthKit session for more information. (82940646)

Mail

New Features in iOS & iPadOS 16 beta

  • Remind Me messages that have fired won’t show at the top of the message list until the message list is refreshed. (94046413)

Messages

New Features in iOS & iPadOS 16 beta

= Allow developers to classify incoming SMS from unknown numbers into 12 new sub-categories within Transaction and Promotion categories for improved organization. (93898719)

RoomPlan

New Features in iOS & iPadOS 16 beta

  • The RoomPlan framework is now available in iOS & iPadOS 16, enabling 3D parametric model creation of an interior room. The framework uses a device’s sensors, trained machine learning models, and RealityKit rendering capabilities to capture the physical surroundings of an interior room. APIs are available for end-to-end scanning experience, real-time data structures for custom UI creation, and both USD and USDZ generation of 3D room models. (84170837)

StoreKit

New Features in iOS & iPadOS 16 beta

  • All StoreKit APIs are now annotated for sendability and main actor isolation. (84157048)

SwiftUI

New Features in iOS & iPadOS 16 beta

  • For controlSection, or other views that have a Label, the ViewBuilder content now automatically arranges and styles multiple views as hierarchical elements, such as title and subtitle. If the label views are intended to be arranged horizontally rather than hierarchically, wrap the views within an HStack. (85184563)
  • TextField supports multiline text. Use a Axis.vertical axis on a text field to allow rendering of multiple lines in contexts like forms, where text is expected to be short to medium length. For long-form text editing, continue to use a TextEditor. (51463718)
  • Navigation bars have new default behaviors. A navigation bar defaults to an inline title display mode, if no title is provided. If a title is provided, the default remains large. Use the navigationBarTitleDisplayMode(_:) modifier to change this. By default, a navigation bar only renders if it has content to display. If a navigation bar has no title, toolbar items, or search content, it’s automatically hidden. Use the navigationBarHidden(_:) or the new .toolbar(.visible) modifier to explicitly show an empty navigation bar. (84996257)
  • list supports Section footers. (78462739)
  • When the toolbar modifier is applied at multiple levels of a hierarchy, items from a child are appended to those from the parent that have the same placement. (65619097)
  • When using .windowResizability(.contentSize), windows created with SwiftUI set their resizable and fullscreen flags based on the size of their contents. (65791490)
  • List separator insets can now be customized using HorizontalEdge.leading and HorizontalEdge.trailing alignment guides. (74192080)
  • The implementation of list no longer uses UITableView. (81571203)
  • SwiftUI now enforces at runtime that view and view controller representables are value types. (82982458)
  • Symbol images now use an automatically determined symbol-rendering mode by default. To have a symbol image always use monochrome rendering, use the SymbolRenderingMode modifier. (85524479)
  • A Picker with a menu style in a list displays its label by default. To hide the label, use the labelsHidden() modifier. (88228016)
  • Pickers in list default to the menu style. (89186618)
  • Changes to text and image views now animate by default. Use .contentsTransition(.identity) to disable this behavior. (89558882)
  • Lists and forms automatically dismiss the software keyboard, if present, when a scroll gesture begins. Use .scrollDismissesKeyboard(.never) to restore the old behavior. (89588639)
P.S. Help support us and independent media here: Buy us a beer, Buy us a coffee, or use our Amazon link to shop.