Technologies

iOS 16.1: These iPhone Features Just Landed on Your Phone

Live Activities in Dynamic Island, a cheaper way to use Apple Fitness Plus and more features to check out.

Apple’s iOS 16.1 was released in late October, about a month after iOS 16 was released. While iOS 16 came with a way to unsend messages, further lock screen customization and more, iOS 16.1 brings new features, tweaks and fixes to compatible iPhones (and iPads with iPadOS 16).

Here’s what’s new in iOS 16.1 and what each feature does. If you haven’t downloaded the update yet, we show you how to do that here. Looking to take a deeper dive into your iPhone? Check out all the best hidden features and setting changes that’ll optimize your device.

iCloud Shared Photo Library

Sharing photos with your friends and family after a night out or a vacation can be a hassle. But with iCloud Shared Photo Library, you can easily share photos and videos with up to five other people.

Anyone who has access to the Shared Photo Library can add, edit and delete content within the library. You can upload photos directly from your iPhone’s camera to the library, and you can add photos to the library when you are physically with others who have access to the library.

However, you can’t participate in two shared libraries at once, and if you move photos from your personal library to the shared library, those photos aren’t duplicated and can only be found in the shared library.

Live Activities in Dynamic Island and Lock Screen

The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max‘s Dynamic Island and lock screen get a boost with Live Activities. With Live Activities, your Dynamic Island and lock screen display notifications from third-party apps for things like sports games and flights.

Apple Fitness Plus without an Apple Watch

With iOS 16.1 you no longer need an Apple Watch to access Apple Fitness Plus. With an iPhone 8 or newer, you can track your fitness progress and goals right from your phone.

Battery display updates

iPhones from the XR up to the latest models now have the option to display the battery percentage in the battery meter icon. The font used for the battery icon has also slightly increased in size, making it easier to read.

Wallpaper and lock screen updates

Apple made it a bit easier to customize your wallpaper in iOS 16.1. From the Settings > Wallpaper menu, the option to add a new wallpaper is now more visually distinct, and you have the option to swipe through existing wallpapers. Also, when editing your wallpaper from the lock screen, you’ll now have the option to customize either your lock screen or your home screen (instead of just the lock screen).

Screenshot editing tools interface updated

When you edit a screenshot using the editing menu, the delete, save and copy options are now displayed across the top of your screen in a smaller, less intrusive menu. Previously, these options were at the bottom of your iPhone’s screen.

Wallet app upgrades

You can securely share car, hotel room and other Wallet app information with Messages and WhatsApp. Apple Card customers can also grow their Daily Cash by putting their savings into a high-yield savings account. You can also delete the Wallet app from your iPhone if you want.

Smart home connectivity via Matter

Matter, the new smart home connectivity standard, is now supported. That means you can control smart devices like Alexa and Google Assistant from your iPhone.

Clean Energy Charging setting

A new Clean Energy Charging toggle has been added to the Battery section in Settings. The setting could help reduce your carbon footprint when you charge your iPhone. With Clean Energy Charging on, your iPhone will selectively charge when lower carbon emission electricity is available. This setting seems to be toggled on by default, but you can turn it off if you want by going to Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging and tapping the toggle next to Clean Energy Charging.

Apple Books interface upgrade

If you read books on your iPhone, your reader controls will automatically be hidden when you open Apple Books.

Bug fixes

Apple also addressed a handful of bugs. These fixes address issues like deleted conversations appearing in Messages, some Dynamic Island content not appearing when using Reachability and CarPlay not connecting when using a VPN app.

For more iOS news, check out the iOS 16 cheat sheet, how to download iOS 16.1 now and hidden iOS 16 features you should know about.

Technologies

Verizon’s Simple Mobile and Total Wireless Plans Expand International Features

If you frequently call or visit countries outside the US, these prepaid phone plan improvements could help your travel budget.

Travel patterns are changing, with more people in the US venturing outside the country and needing to stay connected. To accommodate this surge, Verizon is boosting the international options in its prepaid Simple Mobile and Total Wireless phone brands starting Aug. 28.

Most phone plans include options to call and text people in Canada and Mexico, along with some roaming options for US travelers. Depending on the plan, those options are extended to many other countries around the globe. But you often end up paying for a more expensive plan than you need in order to get the travel benefits.

Now, the Simple Mobile and Total Wireless brands are expanding their international options and increasing data allotments so you can travel using the plan you carry every day without the stress of finding local coverage.

See also: Make sure you have a good phone for traveling.

Simple Mobile changes

The Simple Mobile prepaid plans include an allotment of high-speed data before downshifting to slower unlimited data. Be sure to check the details for specific countries on the site. Here’s how they break down:

The $25 Unlimited plan includes 15GB of high-speed data (up from 3GB) and unlimited calling to more than 100 countries.
The $30 Unlimited plan includes 20GB of high-speed data (up from 5GB) and unlimited calling to more than 125 countries (up from 100 countries).
The $40 Unlimited plan includes 30GB of high-speed data (up from 15GB) and unlimited calling to more than 125 countries (up from 100 countries).
The $50 Unlimited World plan, formerly named the Truly Unlimited plan, includes unlimited high-speed data and unlimited calling to more than 200 countries (a doubling of the number of countries from before).
The $60 Unlimited World Plus plan, formerly the Truly Unlimited Plus plan, includes unlimited access to Verizon’s fastest network, 5G Ultra Wideband (where available) and unlimited high-speed data. It also doubles the number of countries with unlimited calling to over 200, and offers international roaming in more than 140 countries.

Total Wireless Plans

The top two Total Wireless plans, Total 5G Unlimited ($50 a month) and Total 5G Unlimited Plus ($60 a month), feature unlimited high-speed data, including 5G Ultra Wideband speeds.

As of Aug. 28, roaming coverage for those plans doubles to more than 30 countries and international calling to 180 countries.

The Total Base 5G Unlimited plan stays the same with unlimited high-speed data (but not 5G Ultra Wideband), international calling to more than 85 countries and texting to over 200 destinations and roaming in Canada and Mexico.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Aug. 20 #535

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Aug. 20, No. 535.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle is a tough one. It helps to know a little something about different currencies, but there was one on there that was completely new to me. If you need hints and answers for today’s Strands puzzle, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Mint condition

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: We’re in the money!

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

GULP, GLOB, LORE, DOLL, DOLE, DOLED, ROPE, ROPER, WALL

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

EURO, PESO, DOLLAR, POUND, RAND, RUPEE, KWANZA

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is GLOBALCURRENCY. To find it, look for the G that’s four letters to the right on the very top row, and wind down.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, Aug. 20

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Aug. 20.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword has a few challenging clues (4-Down threw me off), but it’s mostly OK. Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.