A little more than two months after releasing iOS 16.3, Apple has finally started rolling out iOS 16.4 to all iPhones. The new software update comes with your usual bug fixes and a bunch of security updates (some of which crucial), as well as several new features.
You can check more about the latest major iOS software by visiting our iOS 16 page.
iOS 16.4: new features
Let’s start with the more juicy stuff first. Apple has made a number of new additions to iOS with this latest update, so here they are:
- Voice Isolation for cellular calls — the Control Center now has a new toggle that, when enabled, will make your phone single out your voice during calls, while simultaneously reducing background noise.
- New emoji, hooray! — there are a total of 21 new emoji added to the roster including new heart colors, a face that looks like its vibrating, 5 animals, two new symbols, 4 items, and 3 nature-related
- The Podcasts app — Up Next queue feature improved. Now you can filter episodes and browse podcasts by season
- New Apple Wallet widget now available
- Apple Books — page-turning animation is back (an animation where the corner of the page would fold as you are turning it)
- Web push notifications — iOS 16.4 enables web applications that are saved to the home screen to send notifications to the phone. Websites would still need you to give them permission the same way apps trigger a pop-up prompt.
- Duplicates album in Photos can now detect duplicate photos and videos in shared photo libraries on iCloud
- VoiceOver support added for maps in the Weather app
- A new accessibility setting allows the phone to detect flashes of light or strobe effects and dim the display automatically
- Crash Detection optimizations on iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models
iOS 16.4: security updates and fixes
There are many security issues that were addressed via the iOS 16.4 update, but some of the most important ones are:
Calendar:
- Impact: Iimporting a maliciously crafted calendar invitation may exfiltrate user information.
- Description: Multiple validation issues were addressed with improved input sanitization.
Find My:
- Impact: An app may be able to read sensitive location information.
- Description: A privacy issue was addressed with improved private data redaction for log entries.
WebKit:
- Impact: A website may be able to track sensitive user information.
- Description: The issue was addressed by removing origin information.
How to update your iPhone to iOS 16.4
Sometimes your iPhone does not automatically update to the latest iOS software even if you have turned Automatic Updates on. To update to iOS 16.4 go to the Settings app > General > Software Update > Download and install. The phone will then go on to instruct your through the update and restart.
