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iOS 16.5 Has 19 New Features and Changes for iPhone You Won't Want to Miss

By Justin Meyers

May 18, 2023 05:00 PM

Jun 2, 2023 12:33 AM

Apple has a few exciting surprises for you in its latest iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 software updates. Released on Thursday, May 18, version 16.5 includes new features, bug fixes, and security patches, and there are even hints of some big things coming in future software updates for iPhone and iPad.

The iOS 16.5 and iPadOS 16.5 updates began beta testing on March 28 and lasted 51 days before their stable release to the public. While there are not as many new features as iOS 16.4 boasted, there are still new items you'll definitely want to know about, like big changes in Apple News, new Siri commands, and Apple Pay.

These new features come as Apple winds down its iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 development to focus on iOS 17 and iPadOS 17. Apple is expected to announce the latest software versions and other products, including the much-awaited xrOS software for the rumored Apple VR/AR headset coming soon, at its 2023 Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) starting June 5.

That means iOS 16.5 and iPadOS 16.5 may be the last of the feature-packed software updates before iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 hit this fall. Last year, only three minor iOS and iPadOS 15 updates, primarily focused on security patches and bug fixes, were released during iOS and iPadOS 16's initial developer cycle.

1. New Sports Tab in Apple News

There's now a dedicated Sports tab in the Apple News app, making it much easier to access the My Sports section. Before, you would have to find the My Sports group buried in the "Today" tab or tap on it from the "Following" tab.

More Info: Apple News Has 8 Big Updates on iOS 16.5 and iPadOS 16.5 — Here's Everything That Changed

Apple's iOS 16.5 release notes also stated that there are "My Sports score and schedule cards ... [that] ... take you directly to game pages where you can find additional details about specific games." However, they were already available, and the same cards appear for us on iOS 16.4.

2. Merged Search and Following Tabs in Apple News

To make room for the new Sports tab in Apple News, the Search tab has been merged into the Following tab, and the new icon is a hybrid version of both functions (left image below). This is similar to how it was before Search got its own tab on iOS 14.5 (right image below), just with a new icon.

Following/Search on iOS 14.4.2 (left) vs. iOS 16.4. (middle) vs. iOS 16.5 (right).

3. Persistent Navigation Bar in Apple News

Another significant change in Apple News makes the bottom navigation bar persistent, so you'll see it even when you're reading an article now.

4. New Button Changes in Apple News

With the new persistent navigation bar in Apple News, the interface buttons had to be changed to move things around. Here is everything that's changed:

The Suggest More and Suggest Less buttons have been moved to the top bar and combined into one Suggest More or Less button. It's now one extra step to like or dislike something since you must tap the new button and then choose "Suggest More" or "Suggest Less" from the menu.
The Bookmark, Back, and More Actions icons have been updated to match the new Suggest More or Less button. The images are now smaller and enclosed by a darkened circle.
The Text Size feature has been moved to the More Actions menu. It's now one extra step to change a publication's text size since you must tap the More Actions button and then choose to shrink or enlarge the font.
The Previous and Next arrows at the bottom have been removed entirely, so now you have to rely solely on swipe gestures to go back and forth between articles.

5. Screen Recordings with Siri

Apple has given Siri another skill on iOS 16.5. Now, you can start and stop screen recordings by saying any of the following commands to Hey Siri or using the Siri long-press shortcut. Similar commands may also work.

"[Start/Stop] a screen recording"
"[Start/Stop] recording my screen"
"[Start/Stop] screen record"
"[Begin/End] screen recording"
"Screen record"

6. New Pride Wallpaper

To accompany the new Apple Watch Pride Edition Sport Band, which is available for preorder on May 23 and in stores on May 24 for $49, Apple has included a matching watch face for Apple Watch and a new pride wallpaper for the iPhone.

The new Pride Celebration watch face and iOS wallpaper honor the combined strength and mutual support of the LGBTQ+ community. Colorful shapes appear to circulate into the watch display from the band, and respond when a user raises and moves their wrist or taps the display. The corresponding wallpaper is another vibrant interpretation of this year's Pride design and dynamically moves when the user unlocks their iPhone.
— Apple Newsroom

Apple has moved its original pride flag wallpaper to a new Pride section in the Add New Wallpaper menu, along with the 2023 wallpaper. Before, the pride flag wallpaper to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community would appear in the Collections section and could sometimes be seen in the Featured section.

7. Shared Admins in Home Can Pair Matter Accessories

If you have another admin for your smart home in the Home app, they will be able to pair and add new Matter accessories on iOS 16.5.

8. Simpler Beta Software Updates for Apple Watch

Apple simplified developer and public beta updates on iOS 16.4 to work entirely from the Software Update menu. As long as you're signed in to the same Apple account that's part of a beta program, you'll see those options appear in the new "Beta Updates" section.

On iOS 16.5, the Apple Watch app follows suit by simplifying watchOS beta installations. You'll see a new "Beta Updates " menu at My Watch –> General –> Software Update. Tap that, and you can select the beta program for software updates or turn it off to only install stable updates.

As with iOS updates, you can change the Apple ID to the one associated with your beta program without affecting anything else on the device.

9. Always-on Tap to Pay Sounds

Tap to Pay, which lets you accept payments on your iPhone from other mobile devices or contactless-enabled payment cards, has a new feature on iOS 16.5.

In the settings for a supported Tap to Pay app, e.g., Stripe, there should be a new Tap to Pay on iPhone section where the "Tap to Pay Screen Lock" switch, now called "Tap to Pay on iPhone Screen Lock," currently resides. More importantly, there's an entirely new "Always Play Sounds" switch to make successful Tap to Pay transactions sound off even when your iPhone is on Silent mode.

Always Play Sounds: Play Tap to Pay on iPhone sounds regardless of your current Ring / Silent Mode switch setting.

The Tap to Pay settings for Stripe on iOS 16.4 (left) vs. iOS 16.5 (right).

10. Georgia Driver's License and ID Support in Wallet

You could already add your state ID or driver's license to Apple Wallet in Arizona, Colorado, and Maryland. The following change in the PassKit framework's code during the iOS 16.5 beta signaled the possibility of more states being supported in the near future.

Add Your Identity Card: The service is now available. You can continue adding your identity card.

And that was indeed the case. The same day iOS 16.5 stable was released, Georgia's Department of Driver Services (DDS) began offering residents the option to add their Georgia-issued driver's license and state ID to their iPhone and Apple Watch. The feature is also available on older operating systems, down to iOS 15.4 and watchOS 8.4.

In March 2022, Apple said it was working to bring Wallet support for state IDs and driver's licenses to Hawaii, Mississippi, Ohio, and the territory of Puerto Rico residents. Six months prior, it indicated Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Utah were also coming, with only Georgia coming to fruition just now.

Identification cards in Apple Wallet can be used to verify your age and identity at TSA security checkpoints and in certain air travel, car rental, financial services, government services, and health care apps.

11. Percentage in Stocks, Not Percent

In a tiny tweak to the Stocks app, iOS 16.5 changes "percent" to "percentage" in some areas, such as when sorting your watchlist or choosing what it shows. So instead of "Percent Change," you'll see "Percentage Change."

Sorting the watchlist in Stocks on iOS 16.4 (left) vs. iOS 16.5 (right).

12. Updated Actions for Shortcuts

At first, it may not seem like there's anything new in the Shortcuts app on iOS 16.5, but Apple did update some "enhancements to existing actions and reliability improvements to editing and running shortcuts." Here's the complete list of updated actions:

Send Message: It now supports images and attachments when "Show When Run" is off.
Make Rich Text From Markdown: It now displays a preview instead of an HTML file on macOS.
Ask For Input: It now correctly uses the "Default Date" when requesting dates.
Calculate: It now correctly computes Modulus operations for decimal numbers.
Choose From List: It now supports "Select All Initially" when a dictionary is passed in as input and works from Siri on watchOS when "Select Multiple" is on.
Open URL: It correctly handles URLs that contain variables and now works from the Action Button on watchOS.
Take Photo: It runs more reliably when "Show Camera Preview" is off.

13. New VoiceOver Commands

VoiceOver has a few new tricks up its sleeve on iOS 16.5. Specifically, there are new "Scroll to Bottom" and "Scroll to Top" commands available in Settings –> Accessibility –> VoiceOver –> Commands –> All Commands –> Scrolling. Before, there were only options scroll down, up, left, and right. The two new options let you set a touch gesture or keyboard shortcut so it's easier to jump to the top or bottom of a page when VoiceOver is enabled.

14. New Braille Tables

There are now three new braille tables for the Danish language in the VoiceOver accessibility settings. The Danish braille standard was recently updated, and the three new tables are actually the old ones from 1993. Liblouis, the open-source braille translator and formatter used for most braille languages on iOS and other platforms, stated in its December 2022 update that the 1993 tables will be available for at least a year, as requested by The Danish Braille Committee.

Danish (1993, Computer Braille)
Danish (1993, Eight dot)
Danish (1993, Six dot)

Danish braille tables on iOS 16.4 (left) vs. iOS 16.5 (right).

15. New Error Codes for Apple Apps

Apple has updated some of its apps with new error codes to help you identify issues.

Apple Health

First, the iOS 16.5 code lists six new error codes for medication scheduling and reminders in Apple Health. The "Schedule Not Available" and "Schedule Unavailable" notices state that schedules and/or reminders are unavailable on the current iPhone or iPhone and paired Apple Watch. It's not yet known what will trigger these errors.

Schedule for this medication is not available for this iPhone.
Schedule and reminders for this medication are not available for this iPhone.
Schedules and reminders for this medication are not available on this iPhone.
Schedule and reminders for the following medications are not available for this iPhone:
Schedule and reminders for this medication are not available for this iPhone and paired Apple Watch.
Schedule and reminders for the following medications are not available for this iPhone and paired Apple Watch:

Apple Books

Second, when you're driving and something goes wrong when trying to play audiobooks in Apple Books on your iPhone or via CarPlay, you may receive the following new error message.

Unable to play audiobooks. When you stop driving, check Apple Books on your iPhone.

Apple Podcasts

Third, Apple includes another license error code for Podcasts. In addition to the devices, slot, and subscription license errors, there's a new corruption one.

Please attempt to play again and ensure you're either connected to WiFi or have a cellular data connection.

16. Bug Fixes

Apple's release notes also include the following bug fixes:

Spotlight: Fixed an issue where Spotlight may have become unresponsive.
Podcasts: Addressed an issue where Podcasts in CarPlay may not have loaded content.
Screen Time: Fixed an issue where Screen Time settings may have reset or not synced across all devices.

17. Security Patches

Like almost every iOS update, iOS 16.5 has security updates, and some of the issues addressed may have been actively exploited, as noted below. There are 39 security fixes in total, all listed below, affecting apps such as Photos, Settings, TV, and more. For more information, check Apple's security report.

Accessibility: Improved private data redaction for log entries to address a privacy issue where an app could have been able to bypass Privacy preferences.
Accessibility: Improved checks to address an issue where entitlements and privacy permissions granted to Accessibility could have been used by a malicious app.
AppleMobileFileIntegrity: Improved entitlements to address an issue where an app could have been able to bypass Privacy preferences.
Associated Domains: Improved checks to address an issue where an app may have been able to break out of its sandbox.
Cellular: Improved bounds checks to address an issue where a remote attacker may have been able to cause arbitrary code execution.
Core Location: Improved handling of caches to address an issue where an app may have been able to read sensitive location information.
CoreServices: Improved redaction of sensitive information to address an issue where an app may have been able to bypass Privacy preferences.
GeoServices: Improved private data redaction for log entries to address a privacy issue where an app may have been able to read sensitive location information.
ImageIO: Improved input validation to address an out-of-bounds read where processing an image may have resulted in the disclosure of process memory.
ImageIO: Improved bounds checking to address a buffer overflow where processing an image may have led to arbitrary code execution.
IOSurfaceAccelerator: Improved input validation to address an out-of-bounds read where an app may have been able to disclose kernel memory.
IOSurfaceAccelerator: Improved input validation to address an out-of-bounds read where an app may have been able to cause unexpected system termination or read kernel memory.
Kernel: Improved checks to address a type confusion issue where an app may have been able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges.
Kernel: Improved memory management to address a use-after-free issue where an app may have been able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges.
Kernel: Improved state handling to address a race condition where an app may have been able to gain root privileges.
LaunchServices: Improved checks to address a logic issue where an app may have been able to bypass Gatekeeper checks.
Metal: Improved state management to address a logic issue where an app may have been able to bypass Privacy preferences.
Model I/O: Improved input validation to address an out-of-bounds read where processing a 3D model may have resulted in the disclosure of process memory.
NetworkExtension: Improved redaction of sensitive information to address an issue where an app may have been able to read sensitive location information.
PDFKit: Improved memory handling to address a denial-of-service issue where opening a PDF file may have led to unexpected app termination.
Photos: Improved checks to address an issue where shake-to-undo may have allowed a deleted photo to be re-surfaced without authentication.
Photos: Improved checks to address an issue where photos belonging to the Hidden Photos Album could be viewed without authentication through Visual Lookup.
Sandbox: Improved state management to address an authorization issue where an app may have been able to retain access to system configuration files even after its permission was revoked.
Security: Improved entitlements to address an issue where an app may have been able to access user-sensitive data.
Shortcuts: Improved checks to address an issue where a shortcut may have been able to use sensitive data with certain actions without prompting the user.
Shortcuts: Improved entitlements to address an issue where an app may have been able to bypass Privacy preferences.
Siri: Improved checks to address an issue where a person with physical access to a device may have been able to view contact information from the lock screen.
SQLite: Added additional SQLite logging restrictions to address an issue where an app may have been able to access data from other apps by enabling additional SQLite logging.
StorageKit: Improved entitlements to address an issue where an app may have been able to modify protected parts of the file system.
System Settings: Improved state management to address an issue where an app firewall setting may not have taken effect after exiting the Settings app.
Telephony: Improved memory management to address a use-after-free issue where a remote attacker may have been able to cause unexpected app termination or arbitrary code execution.
TV App: Improved handling of caches to address an issue where an app may have been able to read sensitive location information.
Weather: Improved redaction of sensitive information to address an issue where an app may have been able to read sensitive location information.
WebKit: Improved input validation to address an out-of-bounds read where processing web content may have disclosed sensitive information.
WebKit: Improved memory handling to address a buffer overflow issue where processing web content may have disclosed sensitive information.
WebKit: Improved bounds checks to address an issue where a remote attacker may have been able to break out of the Web Content sandbox. (Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited.)
WebKit: Improved input validation to address an out-of-bounds read where processing web content may have disclosed sensitive information. (Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited.)
WebKit: Improved memory management to address a use-after-free issue where processing maliciously crafted web content may have led to arbitrary code execution. (Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited.)
Wi-Fi: Improved redaction of sensitive information to address an issue where an app may have been able to disclose kernel memory.

18. Multiview for Sports in Apple TV App

On May 18, Apple released a multiview feature on Apple TV 4K that lets you watch up to four simultaneous MLS Season Pass, "Friday Night Baseball," or live MLS and MLB studio show streams on Apple TV+.

Apple is also testing this multiview service in the Apple TV app on iOS 16.5 and iPadOS 16.5 for soccer matches, baseball games, and live sports shows. It's not yet available as a user-facing feature yet, but there are multiple references to it in the code. For example:

"Remove a game first to add a new one."
"No More Games Available: Check back later for more games."
"Exit Multiview?" with "Confirm" and "Cancel" buttons.

There are new icons for two and four games, and you may have to swipe up to begin the multiview. It's more likely that multiview in Apple TV will come to iPad since it has a larger display, but some iPhone models may eventually get it.

19. Support for New Beats Studio Pro Headphones

Apple is working on its yet-to-be-released Beats Studio Pro over-the-ear headphones, and iOS 16.5 confirms it with new images in various places of the code. The headphones are expected to include a transparency mode, better active noise cancellation (ANC), and personalized spatial audio, according to 9to5Mac.

Cover photo and screenshots by Justin Meyers/Gadget Hacks