Apple introduces iOS 16.4 update. Find out what’s new and fixed

To update their devices to iOS 16.4, iPadOS 16.4, tvOS 16.4, or macOS Ventura 13.3, users can go to the Settings app, choose General, and then select Software Update. If the update is not visible immediately, users can periodically check for updates as they should be available for everyone soon. Once the installation process begins, the device will download the update and then ask the user to restart it to complete the process. It is important to keep in mind that the device will be temporarily unusable while the update is being installed.

Apple has made it easier for those enrolled in its developer programme to access the developer beta option. Users can now enable the beta option directly from the Software Update section of the Settings app by going to General > Software Update > Beta Updates and selecting the developer beta. This eliminates the need to install a profile from the Developer Center and provides quick access to the stable developer beta version. However, as the user will need to be signed in to an Apple ID associated with a developer account, sharing developer beta profiles publicly will no longer be possible.

The release notes for the iOS 16.4 update reveal the addition of 21 new emojis, including long-awaited ones such as a pink heart, a shaking face, and two pushing hands. Other new emojis include a Wi-Fi symbol, various animals, and objects. These emojis were approved by the Unicode Consortium last year, and it was announced in February that they would be part of the latest iOS update. The new batch of emojis also includes grey and light blue hearts, a folding hand fan, ginger, a pea pod, jellyfish, a moose, a goose, a hair pick, maracas, a flute, and more.

With this update, another feature that has been added is the voice isolation option for cellular calls. This feature prioritizes the user’s voice by filtering out ambient sounds. While this feature was already available for FaceTime and other VoIP apps, it is now also available for cellular calls. To use this feature, users can access the Control Center during the call, select Mic Mode, and then choose Voice Isolation from the available options.

At last year’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple introduced a feature that allowed developers to send web-based push notifications to targeted consumers. This feature was added to Safari 16.1 with an update to macOS Ventura, and is now available on iOS. This allows iOS developers to send notifications to users who have pinned a web application to their Home Screen after obtaining permission.

This update could benefit some of Twitter’s new competitors, such as Post and T2, who do not yet have native iOS apps but would like to notify users of important discussions. It also helps Apple to counter claims that the App Store is the only way to reach mobile consumers, which could assist in the company’s legal battle against antitrust regulations and other lawsuits.

The iOS 16.4 update also addresses several bugs, including duplicated albums in Photos and the ability to detect duplicate photos or videos in an iCloud Shared Library. The Weather app now supports VoiceOver for maps, and a new accessibility setting automatically dims videos when flashes of light or strobe effects are detected.

In addition, the iPhone keyboard now supports indigenous languages such as Chickasaw and Choctaw, and transliteration for Gujarati, Punjabi, and Urdu language keyboards has been added. The update also fixes issues with Ask to Buy requests from children failing to appear on the parent’s device and Matter-compatible thermostats becoming unresponsive when connected to Apple Home devices.

Lastly, the iOS 16.4 update includes Crash Detection optimizations for iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Plus, and iPhone 14 Pro Max.