Technologies
iOS 16.4: The New Features That Just Hit Your iPhone
The update brings new emoji, voice isolation in phone calls, and more to your iPhone.
The wait for iOS 16.4 is over. Apple rolled out iOS 16.4 on Monday, about a week after the company let developers and beta testers try the iOS 16.4 release candidate.
The update comes with a handful of bug and security fixes, as well as some new features. Some of the new features include new emoji, voice isolation for cellular calls, and more.
Here are some of the new features your iPhone gains with iOS 16.4.
31 new emoji
The iOS 16.4 update brings 31 new emoji to your iOS device. The new emoji include a new smiley; new animals, like a moose and a goose; and new heart colors, like pink and light blue.
The new emoji all come from Unicode’s September 2022 recommendation list, Emoji 15.0.
Voice isolation comes to cellular calls
Voice isolation was introduced with iOS 15 in 2021, and at the time it worked only on FaceTime calls. Now with iOS 16.4, you can use the feature on your cellular calls too.
When enabled, voice isolation can help the person you’re on a call with hear you more clearly by muffling background sounds, like kids playing in the other room or construction outside your window. It could therefore cut back on the number of times you have to repeat yourself in a phone call because the other person can’t hear you.
Easily find photo duplicates across shared albums
In iOS 16.4, you can easily find duplicate photos in shared albums in Photos. If you share photos with family or friends via iCloud, iOS 16.4 will show you all the duplicates across albums. You can also Merge these duplicate photos.
Support for PlayStation 5 controller
According to MacRumors, iOS 16.4 adds support for the PlayStation 5 DualSense Edge Wireless Controller. You can use the controller to play controller-enabled games from services like Apple Arcade — a CNET Editors’ Choice award pick — on your iPhone.
Apple Books update
The page-turn curl animation is back in Apple Books with iOS 16.4, after it was removed in a previous iOS update. Before, when you turned a page in an ebook on your iPhone, the page would slide to one side of your screen or it would vanish and be replaced by the next page. You can still choose these other page-turn animations in addition to the curl animation.
Music app changes
The Music interface has been slightly modified in iOS 16.4. When you add a song to your queue, a small banner appears near the bottom of your screen instead of a full-screen pop-up like in previous iOS versions.
Also, if you go into your Library in Music, you can organize your Library by Artist and tap into an artist, across the top of your page you will see an icon for that artist. A search bar used to be at the top of this page. Tap the artist’s icon and you will be taken to that artist’s Music page.
Apple Podcasts updates
Apple Podcasts also gets an update with iOS 16.4. Now you can access a Channels tab in your Library, which shows you different networks you follow. Tap into each channel and you see can the shows you subscribe to and other shows that channel produces.
See who and what is covered under AppleCare
With iOS 16.4, you can go to Settings > General > About > Coverage to check who and what devices are covered on your AppleCare plan. That way, if your AirPods break, you can easily check whther they are covered. You can manage your coverage from here too.
Focus Mode filters added
If you have an iPhone 14 Pro or Pro Max, iOS 16.4 lets you enable or disable the always-on display option with certain Focus Modes. When creating a new filter, scroll down to the bottom of the edit page, tap Focus Filter, then tap Always-On Display to enable or disable the display for that Focus Mode.
New Apple Wallet features
You can add three new order-tracking widgets for Apple Wallet to your home screen with iOS 16.4. Each widget displays your tracking information on active orders, but the widgets are different sizes: small, medium and large.
More accessibility options
The update also adds new accessibility options. One new option is called Dim Flashing Lights, and it can be found in the Motion menu in Settings. The option’s description says video content that depicts repeated flashing or strobing lights will automatically be dimmed. Video timelines will also show when flashing lights will occur. VoiceOver support has also been expanded to the maps and Weather apps.
Apple ID and beta software updates
With iOS 16.4, developers and beta testers can check whether their Apple ID is associated with the developer beta, public beta or both. If you have a different Apple ID, like one for your job, that has access to beta updates, iOS 16.4 also lets you switch to that account from your device.
New keyboards, Siri voices and language updates
This iOS 16.4 update also adds keyboards for the Choctaw and Chickasaw languages, and there are new Siri voices for Arabic and Hebrew. Language updates have also come to Korean, Ukrainian, Gujarati, Punjabi and Urdu.
Here are Apple’s release notes for iOS 16.4.
This update includes the following enhancements and bug fixes:
• 21 new emoji including animals, hand gestures, and objects are now available in emoji keyboard
• Notifications for web apps added to the Home Screen
• Voice Isolation for cellular calls prioritizes your voice and blocks out ambient noise around you
• Duplicates album in Photos expands support to detect duplicate photos and videos in an iCloud Shared Photo
Library
• VoiceOver support for maps in the Weather app
• Accessibility setting to automatically dim video when flashes of light or strobe effects are detected
• Fixes an issue where Ask to Buy requests from children may fail to appear on the parent’s device
• Addresses issues where Matter-compatible thermostats could become unresponsive when paired to Apple Home
• Crash Detection optimizations on iPhone 14 and iPhone
14 Pro models
For more, check out what was included in iOS 16.3.1 and features you may have missed in iOS 16.3.
Technologies
iOS 17 Cheat Sheet: Your Questions on the iPhone Update Answered
Here’s what you need to know about new features and upcoming updates for your iPhone.
Apple’s iOS 17 was released in September, shortly after the company held its Wonderlust event, where the tech giant announced the new iPhone 15 lineup, the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2. We put together this cheat sheet to help you learn about and use the new features in iOS 17. It’ll also help you keep track of the subsequent iOS 17 updates.
iOS 17 updates
- iOS 17.4.1 Fixes These Issues on Your iPhone
- iOS 17.4 Brings These New Features to Your iPhone
- Why You Should Download iOS 17.4 Right Now
- iOS 17.3.1 Fixes This Issue on Your iPhone
- iOS 17.3: All the New Features on Your iPhone
- Why You Should Download iOS 17.3 Right Now
- iOS 17.2.1: What You Should Know About the iPhone Update
- iOS 17.2 Brings These New Features to Your iPhone
- What iOS 17.1.2 Fixes on Your iPhone
- iOS 17.1.1 Patches These iPhone Issues
- What New Features iOS 17.1 Brings to Your iPhone
- What to Know About iOS 17.0.1
- Apple Made an iPhone 15 Mistake, but iOS 17.0.2 Is Here to Fix It
- iOS 17.0.3 Fixes This iPhone 15 Pro Problem
Using iOS 17
- Three iPhone Settings to Change After Downloading iOS 17
- iOS 17’s Best New Features
- The iOS 17 Features We’re Excited About
- iOS 17 Is Filled With Delightful Features, Intuitive Improvements and More
- 17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Shouldn’t Miss
- iOS 17 Upgrades Your iPhone’s Keyboard
- You Can Tag Your Pets In Your ‘People’ Album With iOS 17
- How to Create Live Stickers in iOS 17
- How to Set Up Contact Posters in iOS 17
- How to Automatically Delete Two-Factor Verification Codes in iOS 17
- What to Know About iOS 17’s Unreleased Journal App
- How Good Are Offline Maps in iOS 17?
- How to Use iOS 17’s Live Voicemail Feature
- You Can Change Your Private Browsing Browser in iOS 17
- Hidden iOS 17 Feature Makes It Easier to Send Photos and Videos
- You Can Clone Your Voice with iOS 17. Here’s How
- Are Audio Message Transcripts in iOS 17 Any Good?
- Sharing AirTags in iOS 17 is Easy. Here’s How
- How to Create Camera Shortcuts in iOS 17
- What You Need to Know About the Improved Autocorrect in iOS 17
- Use This Hidden iOS 17 Feature to Reduce Eye Strain
- How to Enable Sensitive Content Warnings on Your iPhone
- Let Your Loved Ones Know You’re Safe With This iOS 17 Feature
- Simplify Your Grocery List With iOS 17
- How to Turn Off FaceTime Reactions in iOS 17
- What Is iOS 17’s Journal App and How Does It Work?
- You Can Use Albums for Photo Shuffle on Your Lock Screen
- Play Daily Crosswords in Apple News With iOS 17
- How to Turn Off the Most Annoying iOS 17 Features
- iOS 17.2 Brings Better Wireless Charging to These iPhones
- How to Turn Inline Predictive Text Off With iOS 17.2
- How to Enable Contact Key Verification With iOS 17.2
- Don’t Like Your iPhone’s Default Alert Tone? Here’s How to Change It
- The Latest Security Features in iOS 17.3
- How to Secure Your Data With Stolen Device Protection
- Apple Music’s Collaborative Playlists Are Here. This Is How You Use Them
- People in the EU Can Download Other App Stores Soon
- All the New Emoji Your iPhone Just Got
- How to Give Your iPhone’s Stolen Device Protection a Boost
- What to Know About Podcast Transcripts on Your iPhone
- How to Enable Siri to Read Texts in Multiple Languages
- Where to Find your Apple Cash Virtual Card Numbers
Getting started with iOS 17
- iOS 17 Review: StandBy Mode Changed My Relationship With My iPhone
- Whether or Not Your iPhone Supports iOS 17
- Do This Before Downloading iOS 17
- How to Download iOS 17 to Your iPhone
Make sure to check back periodically for more iOS 17 tips and how to use new features as Apple releases more updates.
Technologies
Get Ready for a Striking Aurora That Could Also Disrupt Radio Communications
Don’t expect the storm to cause a lingering problem, though.
A geomagnetic storm is threatening radio communications Monday night, but that doesn’t mean you should be concerned. In fact, it may be an opportunity to see a colorful aurora in the night sky.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has issued a geomagnetic storm watch after witnessing a coronal mass ejection from the sun on Saturday. The watch, which was issued over the weekend and will expire after Monday, said the onset of the storm passing over Earth on Sunday night represented a «moderate» threat to communications. As the storm continues to pass through, it could deliver a «strong» threat on Monday night that could cause radio communications to be temporarily disrupted during the worst of it.
Even so, NOAA said, «the general public should not be concerned.»
A coronal mass ejection occurs when magnetic field and plasma mass are violently expelled from the sun’s corona, or the outermost portion of the sun’s atmosphere. In the vast majority of cases, the ejection occurs with no real threat to Earth. However, in the event the ejection happens in the planet’s direction, a geomagnetic storm occurs, and the Earth’s magnetic field is temporarily affected.
In most cases, geomagnetic storms cause little to no disruption on Earth, with radio communications and satellites affected most often. In extreme cases, a geomagnetic storm can cause significant and potentially life-threatening power outages — a prospect that, luckily, the planet hasn’t faced.
Switching poles
Every 11 years, the sun’s magnetic poles switch, with the north pole and south pole swapping positions. During those cycles, the sun’s activity ramps up as it gets closer to pole-switching time. The height of its activity is called solar maximum, and scientists believe we either may be entering the solar maximum or may be already in it.
During periods of heightened solar activity, sunspots increase on the sun and there’s an increase in coronal mass ejections, among other phenomena. According to NOAA, solar maximum could extend into October of this year before the sun’s activity calms and it works towards its less-active phase, solar minimum.
Even when geomagnetic storms hit Earth and disrupt communications, the effects are usually short-lived. Those most affected, including power grid operators and pilots and air traffic controllers communicating over long distances, have fail-safe technologies and backup communications to ensure operational continuity.
But geomagnetic storms aren’t only about radios. In most cases, they also present unique opportunities to see auroras in the night sky. When the storms hit, the plasma they carry creates a jaw-dropping aurora, illuminating the night sky with brilliant colors. Those auroras can be especially pronounced during the most intense phases of the storm, making for nice stargazing.
If you’re interested in seeing the aurora, you’ll need to be ready. The NOAA said the «brunt of the storm has passed» and even if it lingers into Tuesday, there won’t be much to see after Monday night.
Technologies
Last Total Solar Eclipse for 20 Years Is Coming: How to See and Photograph It
It’s your last chance until 2044.
Get your eclipse glasses ready, Skygazers: the Great American Eclipse is on its way. On April 8, there’ll be a total eclipse over North America, the last one until 2044.
A total solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, blocking the sun and turning an otherwise sunny day to darkness for a short period of time. Depending on the angle at which you’re viewing the eclipse, you may see the sun completely shrouded by the moon (called totality) or some variation of it. The more off-angle you are and the further you are from the path of the eclipse, the less likely you’ll be to see the totality.
The 2024 total solar eclipse will happen on Monday, April 8. The Great American Eclipse will reach the Mexican Pacific coast at 11:07 a.m. PT (2:07 p.m. ET), and then traverse the US in a northeasterly direction from Texas to Maine, and on into easternmost Canada. If you want a good look at it, but don’t live in the path of totality, you shouldn’t wait much longer to book accommodation and travel to a spot on the path.
Or how about booking a seat in the sky? Delta Airlines made headlines for offering a flight that allows you to see the entire path of totality. Its first eclipse flight, from Austin, Texas, to Detroit sold out quickly. But as of Monday, Delta has added a second flight from Dallas to Detroit, which also covers the path of totality. The airline also has five flights that will offer prime eclipse viewing.
Not everyone can get on one of those elusive eclipse-viewing flights. Here’s a look at other options to nab a chance to see this rare sight and what to know about it.
Total solar eclipse path
The eclipse will cross over the Pacific coast of Mexico and head northeast over mainland Mexico. The eclipse will then make its way over San Antonio at approximately 2:30 p.m. ET on April 8 and move through Texas, over the southeastern part of Oklahoma and northern Arkansas by 2:50 p.m. ET.
By 3 p.m. ET, the eclipse will be over southern Illinois, and just 5 minutes later, will be traveling over Indianapolis. Folks in northwestern Ohio will be treated to the eclipse by 3:15 p.m. ET, and it will then travel over Lake Erie and Buffalo, New York, by 3:20 p.m. ET. Over the next 10 minutes, the eclipse will be seen over northern New York state, then over Vermont. By 3:35 p.m. ET, the eclipse will work its way into Canada and off the Eastern coast of North America.
Best places to watch the Great American Eclipse
When evaluating the best places to watch this year’s total eclipse, you’ll first want to determine where you’ll have the best angle to see the totality. The farther off-angle you are — in other words, the farther north or south of the eclipse’s path — the less of an impact you can expect.
Therefore, if you want to have the best chance of experiencing the eclipse, you’ll want to be in its path. As of this writing, most of the cities in the eclipse’s path have some hotel availability, but recent reports have suggested that rooms are booking up. And as more rooms are booked, prices are going up.
So if you want to be in the eclipse’s path, and need a hotel to do it, move fast. And Delta’s eclipse-viewing flight from Dallas to Detroit has just four seats left at the time of publication.
Eclipse eye safety and photography
As with any solar eclipse, it’s critical you keep eye safety in mind.
During the eclipse, and especially during the periods before and after totality, don’t look directly at the sun without special eye protection. Also, be sure not to look at the sun through a camera (including the camera on your phone), binoculars, a telescope or any other viewing device. This could cause serious eye injury. Sunglasses aren’t enough to protect your eyes from damage.
If you want to view the eclipse, you’ll instead need solar viewing glasses that comply with the ISO 12312-2 safety standard. Anything that doesn’t meet that standard or greater won’t be dark enough to protect your eyes. Want to get them for free? If you’ve got a Warby Parker eyeglasses store nearby, the company is giving away free, ISO-certified solar eclipse glasses at all of its stores from April 1 until the eclipse, while supplies last.
If you don’t have eclipse viewing glasses handy, you can instead use indirect methods for viewing the eclipse, like a pinhole projector.
Read more: A Photographer’s Adventure With the Eclipse
In the event you want to take pictures of the eclipse, attach a certified solar filter to your camera. Doing so will protect your eyes and allow you to take photos while you view the eclipse through your lens.
There’s also a new app to help you both protect your eyes and take better photos of the eclipse on your phone. Solar Snap, designed by a former Hubble Space Telescope astronomer, comes with a Solar Snap camera filter that attaches to the back of an iPhone or Android phone, along with solar eclipse glasses for protecting your eyesight during the event. After you attach the filter to your phone, you can use the free Solar Snap Eclipse app to zoom in on the eclipse, adjust exposure and other camera settings, and ultimately take better shots of the eclipse.
2024 eclipse compared to 2017
The last total solar eclipse occurred in 2017, and many Americans had a great view. Although there are plenty of similarities between the 2017 total solar eclipse and the one coming April 8, there are a handful of differences. Mainly, the 2024 eclipse is going to cover more land and last longer.
The 2017 eclipse started over the northwest US and moved southeast. Additionally, that eclipse’s path was up to 71 miles wide, compared with a maximum width of 122 miles for this year’s eclipse. Perhaps most importantly, the moon completely covered the sun for just 2 minutes, 40 seconds in 2017. This year, maximum totality will last for nearly four-and-a-half minutes.
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