Apple iOS 16: Six New Features for Business Users
Mobile Device Technician Liam Wilson-Cobb shares his takeaways from Apple’s recent WWDC Event.
By Liam Wilson-Cobb
On June 6th, Apple held their latest World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC) event. Traditionally an event for the technology giants to announce their latest product releases, I had heard rumours of a long-awaited announcement of an iOS16 update; a software change which will likely affect a large number of our customers who already use Apple devices.
As Welcomm’s Mobile Device Technician, I make sure to keep informed of the latest product releases and software updates from the top manufacturers, so I have the knowledge and expertise required to answer any customer queries. That’s why, after attending this year’s virtual WWDC event, I wanted to report back and share some of the new features revealed by Apple during the conference that I believe business users should be excited about!
Here are my top six features, available this September with the latest iOS 16 update:
Customizable Lock Screen
Improve Productivity With Widgets
Our first feature offers new ways to customize the lock screens of your staff’s Apple devices. Through the use of widgets, (compact versions of your favourite apps that can be resized to fit on screen), users can have instant access to key information about their day with a single tap or button click!
From customizable clocks, to email summaries and even calendar reminders; these new widgets can help your teams keep track of their day, without having to head into the application or unlock their phone.
Depending on your preference, you can also customize the colours, fonts and background to match your brand, or simply let your staff express themselves!
Source: Appleinsider
Safety Check
Revoke Shared Access In a Single Tap
In recent years, Apple has been working closely with Domestic Abuse charities to create a much needed ‘Safety Check’ feature for iOS devices. Once rolled out in September’s update, in just one click of a button users will be able to remove any Sharing and Access given to another Apple ID, folowed by a prompt to review their Account Security.
This update will be an extremely useful tool for individual users, enabling greater control of exactly who has access to their data and logins. There are also business applications too – this tool would be another way to revoke access from devices ahead of a wipe and reset!
Source: Variety
FaceTime remains the tool of choice for Apple users conducting video calls, and is increasingly used by businesses to conduct virtual ‘face-to-face’ meetings. In recognition of this, Apple have developed a new Handoff feature to enable a seamless transfer of calls between iPhone, iPad and iMac devices.
Whilst on a FaceTime call, a new handover button will be available within the interface, which will then let the user choose which device to transition to. Even better, your Bluetooth headphones will also move with the connection – perfect for meetings on the go!
Source: MacRumors
Message Editing
Correct Typos and Grammar After Sending
With SMS and instant messaging now playing an increasing role in business communications, it’s crucial that every message your staff send is as well written as your emails or call scripts. However, mistakes happen to even the best of us, and that’s where this brand new feature comes in..
Apple users will soon have the ability to edit their messages AFTER they’ve been sent:
- Sent a message to the wrong person? It can be unsent.
- Made a typo or grammatical error? Mistakes can be edited and updated!
Just long tap the message and you will see the options appear to Edit or Unsend.
Source: iDropNews
Stage Manager
New Multitasking Features for iPad
Powerful new M1 chips used by Apple in their most recent devices bring new ways to multitask when using iPad Air and iPad Pro devices. Stage Manager lets you easily drag and drop documents and files you’re working on from your tablet screen onto a larger monitor, with support for resolutions of up to 6k.
This huge feature leap means that heavier work laptops you’ve been carrying around in bags for years now have strong competition – the latest generation of iPads are now lighter, faster, and can connect with any number of external bluetooth devices, including keyboards and mice!
Source: The Verge
Sometimes you can’t beat a good brainstorming session, especially at the start of a new project! Freeform is a fascinating productivity app that can act as a hub for your team to share ideas, inspirations and tasks on a virtual whiteboard.
Sketches and notes can be added by hand using the Apple pencil and Documents, Video, Audio files and even Web Links can all easily be inserted for enhanced collaboration. Ideal for Marketing and Project Management teams, I know I will be using Freeform to plan a number of future projects!
Source: Tech Crunch
