Update your iPhone now to get these five new features in iOS 16

Still waiting to update your iPhone to the latest operating system? Or, you’ve updated it but don’t know what the fuss is all about?

Well, have you ever wanted to edit or recall an iMessage you mistakenly sent? Maybe edit a whole bunch of photos all at the same time? Or even track your medication or supplement intake?

Never fear! In this week’s tip, we’ll show you five of our favorite new features in this long-awaited update to the iPhone so you can enjoy your device even more.

First thing’s first: Update your device.

If you haven’t updated your device to iOS 16 yet, now’s the time. Here’s how:

  1. Make sure to plug in your phone to a power source and ensure you’re connected to the internet through a WiFi network.
  2. Go to Settings > General > Software Update
  3. Choose Download and Install (if it’s already downloaded, choose Install Now)
  4. If you do not see the above options, it is likely your device is already updated to the latest operating system
  5. It’s also a good idea to turn on Automatic Updates, too.

Unsend or edit iMessages

Hooray! You can now recall and edit previously sent iMessages in iOS 16. The feature works best when you and your recipient are both using iOS 16. If your recipient has a previous iOS version, they are likely to get a notification or message that you edited or recalled your message. If your recipient has a non-Apple device or you sent the message as an SMS, these features will not work.

  • To unsend an iMessage, it must be recalled within two minutes of sending. Tap and hold the message bubble you want to recall, then tap Unsend Message
  • To edit an iMessage, you can edit the message up to five times within 15 minutes of sending. Open the conversation that you want to edit, then tap and hold the message bubble you want to edit. Note that your recipient will have a notification that the message was edited.

Schedule emails

Hooray times 2! With the iOS 16 Mail app, you can schedule emails in the future to be sent at the perfect time. We love this one because when we’re working late, we want to respect our fellow CREDO colleague’s off time, so we schedule emails bright and early the next morning.

  • To schedule email delivery, compose your message in the Mail app, then tap and hold the blue arrow. Select Send Now or choose a time in the future for your email to send.

Unsend emails

We’ve all mistakenly sent an email to the wrong person or before we’ve finished, and since the dawn of the internet, we’ve never been able to take those emails back (don’t get us started on trying to recall an email in Outlook).

  • In iOS 16’s Mail app, you can quickly undo a send within a few seconds of hitting send before it hits your recipient’s mailbox. To revoke your email, select “Undo Send” at the bottom of your mail list. You can also change the time to unsend in Settings → Mail → Undo Send Delay 

Track medication and supplements

In iOS 16, you can now add, track and schedule your medications and supplements on your iPhone. New features can alert you to potential interactions, and you may be able to connect with your pharmacy, physician or provider to get information about previous medications.

Important note from Apple: The Medications feature is not a substitute for professional medical judgment. Additional information is available on the labels of your medications. Consult your healthcare provider prior to making any decisions related to your health.

  1. Open the Health app
  2. ​​Tap Browse at the bottom right, then tap Medications.
  3. Tap Add a Medication (to start your list) or Add Medication (to add to your list).
  4. To identify the medication, do one of the following:
    • Type the name: Tap the text field, enter the name, then tap Add.
      In the U.S. only, suggestions appear as you begin typing. You can select a suggestion, or finish typing the name, then tap Add.
    • Use the camera: (U.S. only; on supported models) Tap the camera icon next to the text field, then follow the onscreen instructions.
      If a match isn’t found, tap Search by Name, then type the name (as described above).
  5. Follow the onscreen instructions to optionally create a custom visual of the medication and to optionally set a schedule.

When you set a schedule, you receive notifications from Health reminding you to log the medication.

Edit multiple photos all at once

Have you ever taken a bunch of photos all at the same time and needed to edit them, but it was just so tedious making the same changes to each one over and over? In iOS 16, you can now batch edit all of the photos in one fell swoop. Here’s how:

  1. Open the Photos app.
  2. Choose the photo you want to edit, make your changes and choose Done.
  3. Tap the three dots > Copy edits, then choose the back arrow to see all of your photos.
  4. Tap Select and choose the photos you want to batch edit.
  5. Tap the three dots > Paste edits.

If you want to see all the new and fun features in iOS 16, check out the entire list on Apple’s website.