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Apple Releases iOS 16.6 Beta Just Days Before WWDC

Developers and public beta testers can download the update now.

Apple released iOS 16.6 beta 2 to public beta testers Thursday, a few days before the company holds its Worldwide Developers Conference. We don’t expect many new features with iOS 16.6 since Apple is expected to announce iOS 17 at WWDC.

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New iOS features can be fun, but we recommend only downloading a beta on something other than your primary phone just in case the new software causes issues. Apple also provides beta testers with an app called Feedback. Testers can notify Apple of any issues in the new software with the app, that way the problem can be addressed before general release. 

Here’s what could be coming to your iPhone with iOS 16.6.

iMessage Contact Key Verification

Apple announced iMessage Contact Key Verification in December 2022 alongside Security Keys for your iCloud account

«With iMessage Contact Key Verification, users who face extraordinary digital threats … can choose to further verify that they are messaging only with the people they intend,» Apple wrote in a news release at the time.

The first iOS 16.6 beta appeared to include some of the framework for Contact Key Verification, but with iOS 16.6 beta 2, that seems to have disappeared. If you went to Settings and searched for «Contact Key Verification» in the first iOS 16.6 beta, you could see an option for the feature. But that option vanished in the second iOS 16.6 beta.

More Beats Studio Buds icons

The second iOS 16.6 beta adds two new color icons for Beats Studio Buds, according to the website Gadget Hacks. The new color icons are for the ivory and transparent Beats Studio Buds, so if you have either of those earbuds you should see those icons on your iPhone with the latest beta.

New iCloud for Windows prompt

Gadget Hacks also reports iOS 16.6 beta 2 adds a new prompt when you try to log into iCloud for Windows when your iPhone and Windows computer aren’t on the same Wi-Fi network. The new prompt reportedly advises you to use a different network and that your iPhone and Windows computer need to be on the same network.

Apple hasn’t announced a release date for iOS 16.6. Apple might include more features in iOS 16.6, and there’s no guarantee that these features will be included in the update. 

For more iOS news, check out what CNET’s Patrick Holland hopes is included in iOS 17 and what iOS 17 should steal from Android 14. You can also check out what’s new in iOS 16.5 and why you should download that update now.

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Watch this: Apple’s WWDC 2023: What We Expect

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Technologies

Apple Maps Could Include Ads Starting Next Year, Report Says

Apple’s plan to bring promoted-business advertising to Maps may come to fruition in 2026.

Those who use Apple Maps might see advertising in the app as early as next year, according to a report from Bloomberg’s Power On newsletter. The newsletter’s author, Mark Gurman, previously reported that Apple is working to incorporate advertising into parts of its iOS mobile software. The Maps integration would be part of that larger plan.


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The ads wouldn’t be pop-ups or commercials. More likely, Apple would allow businesses to pay for promoted spots that would appear in Maps search results, according to Gurman. But he says in the newsletter that the change could risk a backlash from users who are already bristling at the number of promotions they’re seeing in Apple Music, TV and News apps.

A representative for Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Google Maps, Apple’s leading competitor, has been serving ads in its iPhone app since 2009.

With the introduction of iOS 26 in September, Apple Maps added a Visited Places feature that tracks where people who use the app have been. The feature was opt-in and can be disabled.

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Technologies

X Is Retiring Twitter.com. Update Your Account Now or Risk Lockout

The official retirement of the old domain is the next step in Elon Musk’s rebranding of the social media platform.

RIP Twitter. 

X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, will retire its old domain. This comes with a warning for you: If you don’t update your account’s security settings soon, you could be locked out. 

The shift marks another step in Elon Musk’s ongoing rebrand of the social network over the last two years. Musk, who bought Twitter in October 2022 and later renamed it X, has made sweeping changes to the platform’s features and policies.


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The company notified users that anyone using hardware security keys or passkeys tied to twitter.com must reenroll them under the new x.com domain. The deadline is Nov. 10. After that date, affected accounts may be temporarily locked until the update is completed.

X emphasized that the move isn’t related to a data breach or security issue but is a necessary step in the platform’s domain transition, marking the end of Twitter’s last remnants.

«This change is not related to any security concern, and only impacts Yubikeys and passkeys, not other 2FA methods (such as authenticator apps),» the company’s Safety account stated on X. Because security keys enrolled as a two-factor authentication method are currently tied to the former domain, reenrolling your security key will associate them with the new domain. 

For most users, the change will go unnoticed. But if you rely on physical security keys, such as YubiKeys, or use passkeys for password-less login, you could be caught off guard if you don’t take action before the cutoff date. 

Read also: Time to Delete Your X (Twitter) Account? It’s Quick and Easy

How to reenroll your X account

  1. Check your login method. If you use a hardware security key or passkey, it’s likely tied to twitter.com.
  2. Reenroll your key or passkey. Go to Settings & privacy > Security and Account access > Two-factor authentication and add your method under x.com.
  3. Update your saved credentials. Make sure your logins now point to x.com instead of twitter.com.
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Technologies

T-Mobile Is Giving You the New iPhone 17 Pro for Free

You can trade in your current phone, in any condition, and get the iPhone 17 Pro for free.

If you’re an Apple fan, you might be eyeing the new iPhone 17 Pro, either for yourself or as a very generous holiday gift. If you’re thinking about purchasing the phone, you know it carries a hefty price, starting at $1,099. To lessen the strain on your wallet and to try to persuade you to join its team, T-Mobile is offering a free iPhone 17 Pro when you trade in your old phone that’s in any condition. 

The only catch is that you must have the Experience Beyond plan. When you sign up for the plan, T-Mobile will give you the iPhone 17 Pro and issue bill credits over 24 months. Note that a $35 connection fee is required. 

The iPhone 17 Pro is jam-packed with features. It’s available in a new cosmic orange color, but that’s only the beginning. This phone has a speedy A19 Pro processor, an upgraded 8x optical zoom camera and Apple’s largest iPhone battery yet. Plus, its iOS 26 software has a fresh Liquid Glass design.

T-Mobile’s Experience Beyond plan is $105 per month for one line. (If you sign up for autopay, T-Mobile will reduce the cost by $5.) The plan has a five-year price guarantee, so there won’t be any unexpected cost increases during that time. 

With Experience Beyond, you get satellite services, unlimited talk and texts, premium data and hotspot, Netflix, Apple TV Plus and Hulu streaming services for free plus in-flight Wi-Fi and texting. You also get unlimited texts and up to 30GB of data in over 200 countries. 

If you’re not interested in an iPhone 17, take a look at our full roundup of the best deals T-Mobile has to offer right now. If you don’t have or don’t want T-Mobile, check out the rest of the iPhone 17 deals

Why this deal matters

The iPhone 17 Pro is probably on many wish lists this year, and T-Mobile is helping you score one for free. By signing up for the Experience Beyond phone plan, you’ll save over $1,000. Just keep in mind you must trade in a phone (in any condition) to get this deal.

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