Toni Hobrecht
As promised last week, Apple today released iOS 16.3 for all supported devices. If you have a compatible Apple iPhone and don’t see an update notification yet, you can also start the download manually. To do this, simply go to the settings and then to the General item and tap on Software update.
The new version adds support for Apple ID security keys, enabling physical two-factor authentication for Apple ID logins. There’s also a new Unity wallpaper and support for the just-announced second-gen HomePod. Apple has also tweaked the Emergency SOS feature to prevent accidental calls. It is activated by pressing and holding the side button together with the volume up or down button. As soon as you let go of the buttons, the iPhone will start an emergency call.
Of course, there are also a number of bug fixes. This includes an issue in Freeform where some strokes made with a finger or Apple Pencil were not appearing on shared boards. Lock screen wallpapers are no longer black and iPhone 14 Pro Max no longer shows horizontal lines when waking up. The lock screen widget of the Home app is again informed of the exact status after the update. An issue that caused Siri to not properly respond to music requests has also been fixed. As well as issues with Siri requests in CarPlay that may not have been properly understood.
watchOS 9.3
If you are still using iOS 15, you can switch to iOS 15.7.3. And if you are still stuck on iOS 12, you can get iOS 12.5.7 from Apple starting today. Both firmware versions are primarily security updates that should be installed sooner rather than later. Finally, watchOS 9.3 is now live and comes with a new watch face, along with performance improvements and bug fixes, without Apple going into the details. The update is available through the Apple Watch app on iPhone.
