Should You Upgrade to iOS 16?

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The Latest iPhone New & Shiny

Apple today released the latest version of their software to run on iOS devices, called iOS 16. It includes a ton of new features, some of which are only available on their newest phones. But most of the refinements and new apps are available on all models, and it’s well worth considering the upgrade. (iPadOS 15.7 is available while we wait for the launch of iPadOS 16 in October.)

Here’s a list of supported devices for iOS 16:

  • iPhone 14
  • iPhone SE (2022 & 2020)
  • iPhone 13
  • iPhone 12
  • iPhone 11
  • iPhone XS
  • iPhone XR
  • iPhone X
  • iPhone 8

iPhone 7 models and older are not supported – iOS 15 will be the last version those phones can run.

Joanna Stern at WSJ made a handy video highlighting some of the new features.

What’s new in iOS 16?

New Lock Screen

The big feature for most iPhone users will be the new lock screen experience – arguably the biggest change in its history. It introduces new layouts, color schemes and quick-glance information.

The big focus is on customization. You can not only adjust the layout of the lock screen with different fonts and color options available for the time and date, but you can add fun effects with a swipe.

New notification system

Apple announced a new notification system that displays incoming notifications at the bottom of the lock screen menu for a less cluttered experience.

Messages

There are updates to the Messages app in iOS 16, including the ability to edit messages just after they’ve been sent. Yep, Apple will let you edit your messages before Twitter lets you edit your tweets!

There’s also a new Undo Send option available for recently sent messages, great for last-minute changes. There’s also the option to mark threads as unread if you want to reply later without forgetting.

Live Text coming to video

Live Text was a big addition in iOS 15,. It adds the ability to interact with text within images saved on your iPhone. It also allows you to directly make calls, copy and paste text and more, including the ability to convert currency and translate text.

New Maps features

Apple Maps is has more revamped cities coming to the service with additional information like lane layouts, local points of interest and other helpful data to navigate big cities.

Apple’s also bringing multi-step trips to the Maps experience. This is a feature that has been available on most rivals for years – with the ability to plan trips on a Mac beforehand and get Siri to add additional stops on route.

There’s also new data available in the Transit directions mode, with rough travel costs for various forms of transport.  

Apple Pay Later

Apple Pay Later is a new feature coming to Apple Pay within iOS 16 that does what it says – it allows you to pay later for purchases made with Apple Pay.

What’s more, Apple will provide the ability to spread payments with no interest and no fees, though the six-week window is an interesting one considering most people get paid on a monthly basis.

Other new features coming to iOS 16

Of course, there’s much more to iOS 16:

  • A new on-device dictation feature that lets you use voice dictation and text input simultaneously, with punctuation added automatically.
  • In-app ID verification for apps like Uber coming to the Wallet app.
  • Apple News is getting better integration with sports.
  • Family Sharing will introduce an easier way to set up an Apple device for children with the ideal parental controls in place from the beginning, with age-appropriate blocks on apps, movies, and more. 
  • The Fitness app is also set to become available to all iPhone owners. You’ll be able to set and track your move, standing and exercise goals and the iPhone will track your movement throughout the day. 
  • A redesigned video player UI with a much cleaner, simple-to-use interface.
  • Redesigned Voice Message experience in iOS 16. No longer a shortcut, but its own app in the app bar. 
  • Android-esque Privacy Access History will tell you which apps have been using your camera, microphone and location recently. 
  • A new Lockdown Mode designed for high-ranking government ministers and CEOs, restricting activity allowed on the device to avoid potential hacks.

Steps to upgrading to iOS 16

As usual, the first thing you should do is to make sure that your iPhone is fully backed up. You can do this either to your computer or to the cloud. You can check that under Settings:(Your Name):iCloud:iCloud Backup and choose “Backup now.” Alternatively, you can connect your iOS device to your computer and let it back up there.

How to Download and Install iOS 16

On your iPhone, go to Settings:General:Software Update. From September 12th on, you will see an option to upgrade to iOS 16.

Where can I learn more:

Apple has their own page that outlines in-depth all the new features contained in this upgrade.

What if I’m unsure and want some help to do this upgrade?

Excellent! Contact Us and we’ll get you taken care of!

Turning it off and back on – Is that the Magic Bullet?

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Maybe your dad was right after all

All of us have gotten the advice at some point. When your electronic devices are acting up, simply turn the thing off – wait a few moments – and then turn it back on again. It’s amazing how universal that action can be to solve a world of electronic problems. But why is that? Why does that work so well so often?

A House of Cards

When you first turn on your Mac, iPhone, or cable modem, it’s like you begin to stack playing cards, one on top of the other. The longer the device is powered on, the taller and the more unstable the stack can become. The longer your gear is on, the further away it gets from optimum operating mode. And the more likely that performance will lag and stability will wane, even to the point of the device “freezing” or “crashing.” Turning it off and back on has the effect of starting over with your stack of cards. That’s the point at which the programming for your device is in the most “known” state. This potentially makes your device more unstable, and it upps the likelihood that unexpected behaviors will show up.

Putting your Mac laptop to sleep does not reset the system. I generally recommend either shutting down or restarting your Mac every other week for sure. If you have a desktop Mac that is always powered on, you can go to System Preferences:Energy Saver and set a weekly time for the Mac to restart itself. You can also create a weekly recurring calendar event to remind you to do a quick restart of your Mac.

As to iPhones and iPads, they seem to remain stable for months at a time (until they aren’t). Since a restart of an iOS device takes less than 2 minutes, I recommend doing that at least quarterly, or even once a month if you want to really stay on top of things. You can either press and hold the external power button to restart it, or go to Settings:General:Shut Down instead.

What Else Can I Do?

If your Mac is still exhibiting strange behavior, you could initiate a Safe Boot (instructions are here). When your web browser gets erratic, you can clear your browser’s cache, or run Malwarebytes. If your Mac or iOS device is still acting strange, you can upgrade to its maximum operating system. On the Mac, you’ll find that at Apple menu:System Preferences:Software Update, and on iOS devices, you’ll find it under Settings:General:Software Update.

Help Mr. Wizard!

We are here and happy to help you keep all of your Apple devices running smoothly and as fast as possible. Contact us if you would like some help!

How to Use Your Phone as a Hotspot

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A Personal Hotspot lets you share the cellular data connection of your iPhone or iPad (Wi-Fi + Cellular) when you don’t have access to a Wi-Fi network.

Set up Personal Hotspot

  1. Go to Settings > Cellular > Personal Hotspot or Settings > Personal Hotspot.
  2. Tap the slider next to Allow Others to Join.

If you don’t see the option for Personal Hotspot, contact your carrier to make sure that you can use Personal Hotspot with your plan.

Connect to Personal Hotspot with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or USB

You can connect to a Personal Hotspot using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or USB. And with iOS 13 or later, devices that are connected to a Personal Hotspot will stay connected, even if the screen is locked, so those devices will still get notifications and messages.

Here are some tips for using each method.

When you connect a device to your Personal Hotspot, the status bar turns blue and shows how many devices have joined. The number of devices that can join your Personal Hotspot at one time depends on your carrier and iPhone model. If other devices have joined your Personal Hotspot using Wi-Fi, you can use only cellular data to connect to the Internet from the host device.

Use these steps to connect:

iPhone hotspot image

Wi-Fi

On the device that you want to connect to, go to Settings > Cellular > Personal Hotspot or Settings > Personal Hotspot and make sure that it’s on. Then verify the Wi-Fi password and name of the phone. Stay on this screen until you’ve connected your other device to the Wi-Fi network.

On the device that you want to connect, go to Settings > Wi-Fi and look for your iPhone or iPad in the list. Then tap the Wi-Fi network to join. If asked, enter the password for your Personal Hotspot.

Bluetooth

To make sure that your iPhone or iPad is discoverable, go to Settings > Bluetooth and stay on that screen. Then on your Mac or PC, follow the manufacturer directions to set up a Bluetooth network connection. Learn more about using Personal Hotspot with Bluetooth.

Personal Hotspot supports Bluetooth connections with Mac, PC, and other third-party devices. To connect another iOS device, use Wi-Fi.

USB

Make sure that you have the latest version of iTunes on your Mac or PC. Then connect your iPhone or iPad to your computer with the USB cable that came with your device. If you see an alert that says tap “Trust This Computer?” tap Trust.

Learn more about connecting a device to your iPhone or iPad’s Personal Hotspot.

Share a mobile connection by hotspot or tethering on Android

You can use your phone’s mobile data to connect another phone, tablet, or computer to the internet. Sharing a connection this way is called tethering or using a hotspot. Some phones can share Wi-Fi connection by tethering.

Most Android phones can share mobile data by Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or USB.

Important: Some mobile carriers limit or charge extra for tethering. We recommend checking with your carrier.Important: Some of these steps work only on Android 9 and up. Learn how to check your Android version.

Turn on your hotspot

  1. Swipe down from the top of the screen.
  2. Tap Hotspot .
    • If you don’t find Hotspot , at the bottom left, tap Edit  and drag Hotspot  into your Quick Settings.

Connect another device to your phone’s hotspot

  1. On the other device, open that device’s list of Wi-Fi options.
  2. Pick your phone’s hotspot name.
  3. Enter your phone’s hotspot password.
  4. Click Connect.

If you don’t want your hotspot to require a password:

  1. Swipe down from the top of the screen.
  2. Touch and hold Hotspot .
  3. Under “Security,” tap None.

Tip: You can share your phone’s mobile data with up to 10 other devices via a Wi-Fi hotspot.

It’s all too much, can I get some help?

Why, yes, we are here to help. Contact Us and we will get you set up!

How to set up a Legacy Contact on iOS

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What is Apple’s Digital Legacy program? Apple’s Digital Legacy program is a way for someone that you choose to access your digital information stored in your Apple account after you die. So much of our important data is stored in digital form — like photos, messages, contacts, email, notes, and more. For Apple users, that… Continue Reading

Should You Upgrade to iOS 15?

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Well… yes! We do recommend you upgrade to iOS 15, once it has been released on September 20, 2021. Usually with a major upgrade to iOS software we recommend waiting a few weeks or months until someone else(s) has worked out all of the bugs before taking the plunge to upgrade your devices. But Apple… Continue Reading

How to Stop Robocalls for Good

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For many years, junk and robocalls were relatively few and far between for most people. The National Do Not Call Registry worked well for a while. Legitimate companies were generally very compliant, and the violations were rare. But over the last few years, the number of junk calls started climbing. Nearly 46 billion robocalls went out in… Continue Reading

7 Tips to Keep Your iPhone Safe

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As a technical support specialist, I am sharing my top tips to keep your iPhone and your personal information safe. 1. Set Up a Secure Passcode If your iPhone is lost or stolen, it’s important to make sure it’s locked so only you can easily access your information. iPhones have options to set up a… Continue Reading

Why You Should Update Your Medical ID in Health

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It’s been seven years since Apple introduced the Medical ID on your iPhone, and if you still haven’t set it up, here’s how you do it — and why you should. The Health app on your iPhone was introduced in 2014. It is where you can enter your Medical ID details — and that’s the kind of… Continue Reading

Why Should You Invest in the New iPad?

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(This article submitted to MacFinesse by Aliah Kristine Monteverde) Apple is reportedly working on a new version of the iPad Pro, which is rumored to be released this year. Since its introduction in 2010, Apple has managed to launch new models for the iPad almost annually, and lately they have been favoring late-year releases —… Continue Reading

How to Enable COVID-19 Exposure Notifications on iPhone

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(Update10/30/20: Half a million Colorado residents have already enabled notifications.) Apple and Google have joined forces to help governments and health authorities in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. They have released the first version of their exposure notification software for both iOS and Android devices. The State of Colorado just announced their participation as… Continue Reading

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