Lower than 24 hours after Apple formally launched iOS 16.5 and its companions, the corporate has already seeded the primary developer betas for the subsequent set of level releases.
Whereas it’s unlikely that iOS 16.6 et al can be launched to the general public earlier than Apple takes the wraps off iOS 17, macOS 14, and the remainder at subsequent month’s Worldwide Builders Convention (WWDC), the corporate clearly needs to get the beta cycle going as quickly as potential.
With a lot of the promised options for iOS 16 now out there, we’re not anticipating any main enhancements in iOS 16.6, and builders haven’t but dug out the whole lot that’s new within the first iOS 16.6 beta. Nonetheless, a full level launch often contains a minimum of a couple of new APIs for builders to reap the benefits of, even when there aren’t any new user-facing options.
What’s New in iOS 16.6
Based on MacRumors, Apple may very well be getting ready to introduce iMessage Contact Key Verification in iOS 16.6, which is among the few beforehand introduced options that we’ve nonetheless been ready for.
This wasn’t initially laid as an iOS 16 function a minimum of yr’s WWDC, however relatively in Apple’s December announcement about Superior Knowledge Safety. Apple laid the groundwork for many of these options in iOS 16.2 and the accompanying OS updates for its different units in December, though it wasn’t totally prepared on the again finish till early 2023.
The marquee options on that listing have been Superior Knowledge Safety and help for {hardware} safety keys, which delivered full end-to-end encryption for practically all knowledge saved in iCloud, and the power so as to add further safety to your Apple ID by requiring a bodily safety key to log in to your account.
The third safety function in that announcement, iMessage Contact Key Verification, flew considerably beneath the radar, partly as a result of it wasn’t practically as crucial for typical iPhone customers. Even on the time, Apple stated this was for “customers who face extraordinary digital threats” to have the ability to confirm that their iMessage conversations are going to the appropriate particular person and never being intercepted by an eavesdropper or imposter.
Examples of a lot of these customers are “journalists, human rights activists, and members of presidency” — the sort of of us that will fall sufferer to Pegasus spy ware, and the identical target market for which Apple designed its new high-security Lockdown Mode.
“Conversations between customers who’ve enabled iMessage Contact Key Verification obtain automated alerts if an exceptionally superior adversary, similar to a state-sponsored attacker, have been ever to succeed breaching cloud servers and inserting their very own machine to listen in on these encrypted communications. And for even increased safety, iMessage Contact Key Verification customers can evaluate a Contact Verification Code in particular person, on FaceTime, or via one other safe name.”
Based on MacRumors contributor Steve Moser, the iOS 16.6 developer beta features a setting to allow iMessage Contact Key Verification, however to this point, it doesn’t seem to do something. It’s unclear whether or not it requires further settings to be enabled or it merely hasn’t been totally applied but. It’s only the primary beta, in any case.
Since iMessage works on most different Apple units, presumably iPadOS 16.6, macOS 13.5, and watchOS 9.6 may have comparable options. It’s much less clear whether or not tvOS 16.6 provides something noteworthy.
Past the brand new safety setting, it’s not but identified what else the brand new level releases have in retailer. Nonetheless, if Apple stays true to kind, we must always see a public beta launch within the subsequent few days, opening up the brand new software program to a broader viewers that can undoubtedly uncover extra goodies.