iOS 16.7 revealed as Apple’s next iPhone release – here’s what we expect

Since the Wall Street Journal reported that Apple was aware of a Screen Time parental controls bug affecting iOS 16.6, users have been waiting for an iOS 16.6.1 update. Now, according to information from X user with a good track record, Apple might be skipping iOS 16.6.1 and focusing on releasing iOS 16.7 instead. Here’s what we expect Apple to focus on in its upcoming iOS 16.7 update.

Although it isn’t clear why Apple isn’t addressing this bug as soon as possible, the company might be dealing with more bugs and security issues than we know. With that in mind, a 16.7 update makes more sense than a 16.6.1.

In addition, the company could have released this minor update yesterday when it released watchOS 9.6.1 with a fix for an issue that prevented access to motion data for apps that use an API to track tremors and symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease. In addition, macOS users are also facing some bugs related to location access, and Apple hasn’t addressed it either.

That said, we might be coming closer to an iOS 16.7 release, and since it might focus on security and bug fixes only, the company decided not to make available a beta version beforehand.

Screen Time parental controls bug fix could come with iOS 16.7

According to The Wall Street Journal, after updating to iOS 16.6, parents couldn’t set restrictions on their kids’ devices. That said, imagine adding one hour of social media usage. After that period, a message wouldn’t appear locking all those social media apps on your kids’ devices, meaning they could keep using Instagram, for example.

Besides parental control, Screen Time is very useful to avoid having your data stolen if you get robbed. By adding a screen time for bank apps or e-mails, after that period, you’ll need to add a different passcode to continue accessing these apps. That said, if you are robbed, even if your iPhone is unlocked, the criminals won’t be able to access this data.

Apple acknowledged this bug a few weeks ago: “We are aware that some users may be experiencing an issue where Screen Time settings are unexpectedly reset,” an Apple spokeswoman said. “We take these reports very seriously, and we have been, and will continue, making updates to improve the situation.”

BGR will let you know once iOS 16.7 is available to all users. In the meantime, you can learn more about iOS 17 in our guide.