iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 are available

After spending a month and a half in beta, iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 are complete and available for all users to download tonight! This update brings many changes along with bug fixes. Note that iOS 15.7.2 is also offered to close vulnerabilities in older iPhone models that do not support iOS 16. HomePod firmware version 16.2 is also available.

One of the big new features of iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 is the Freeform whiteboard app that was introduced with iOS 16 last June. Apple Music Sing, announced last week, also has karaoke features. From a more technical perspective, iOS 16.2 brings significant improvements to iCloud data protection with a significant update to the Home app to support the Matter standard, as well as support for end-to-end encryption of backups, notes, and photos that will be effective. in France early next year. There are also new customization options for the iPhone 14 Pro lock screen, enabling Wi-Fi calling on Free Mobile in France, and a 10-minute limit on the “Everyone” option from AirDrop.

Here are the full release notes provided by Apple for iOS 16.2:

Free form
• Freeform is a new app for working creatively with friends or colleagues on your Mac, iPad or iPhone.
• Flexible canvas lets you view files, photos, notes, and more. allows you to add
• Drawing tools allow you to draw with your finger anywhere on the canvas.

Apple music song
• A new way to sing along to millions of songs on Apple Music.
• You can adjust the vocal level to sing a duet with the original artist, solo or only certain parts.
• Lyrics are now displayed in time to make it even easier to follow the music.

Satellite Emergency SOS
• Allows users to contact emergency services when there is no cellular or Wi-Fi coverage on iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro.

Lock the screen
• New settings allow you to hide wallpaper or notifications when the “Always On” display option is enabled on iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
• The sleep widget lets you view your latest sleep data.
• The treatments widget lets you see your reminders and quickly access your schedule.

Game Center
• SharePlay support in Game Center for multiplayer games so you can play with callers during a FaceTime call.
• The activity widget lets you see the games your friends are playing and their achievements right from your home screen.

home
• Improved reliability and efficiency of communication between your home automation equipment and Apple devices.

This update also brings the following improvements and fixes:
• Improved search in messages lets you find images such as dogs, cars, people or text based on their content.
• The “Reload and show IP address” setting allows iCloud Private Relay users to temporarily disable the service for a specific site in Safari.
• Contributor sliders on notes show real-time indicators of changes made by other people on a shared note.
• AirDrop automatically reverts to Contacts Only after 10 minutes to prevent unwanted requests to receive content.
• Crash detection optimizations on iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro.
• Fixes an issue that prevented some notes from syncing to iCloud after editing.

Apple says this update fixes bugs, so it’s recommended to install it even if you’re not particularly interested in the new features. As always, you can find iOS 16.2 in the Settings app > General > Software Update.