10 iOS 16 Features That Will Make You More Productive
Apple’s new software update, iOS 16, is officially here, and it comes with a lot of new features that can make you more productive.
Here are the 10 features I’m most excited about for getting more done in my life and business.
Feature #1 Customized Lock Screen
One of the coolest new features in iOS 16 is the ability to customize your lock screen more than ever before.
You can now add widgets for things like your calendar, weather, notes, and to-do list.
I’ve written recently about breaking phone addiction, and this feature will be helpful since it will show you key things you might want to see without requiring you actually to get into your phone.
Feature #2 Improved Focus Features
Apple’s focus feature has been great ever since they released it, but the new updates make it even better.
One of the best improvements is the ability to specify which apps you want to be accessible for a specific focus setting.
You can also ensure that your deep work sessions don’t come at the expense of missing an important message from someone, thanks to the ability to whitelist certain contacts while in certain focus modes.
For example, I want calls from wife and my son’s school to come through no matter what focus setting I have on.
You can also set specific boundaries in individual apps. For example, you can block emails from work colleagues after 5 o’clock.
Feature #3 Improved Collaboration in IMessage
Watch out, Basecamp and Asana; Apple is coming for you. Expanded functionality inside of the native messaging of your iPhone makes it much easier to collaborate with others.
This is a great feature for small businesses that don’t need the full suite of features offered by project management apps and already communicate a great deal through IMessage.
Featured #4 Improved Email
iOS 16 now allows users to…
- Schedule emails for specific times
- Unsend emails
- and set follow-up reminders.
These new features are essentially free replacements for premium tools like Followup.cc or Boomerang that actually work in your native mobile inbox.
Feature #5 Grab Live Text from Videos
This was a feature I didn’t know I wanted until they announced it. You can now pause videos and copy text from the screen.
This is great for YouTuber learning junkies.
Feature #6 Background Removal for Images
There are several improvements to the photos app, but the coolest and most useful is going to be the background removal tool.
You can also lift images from backgrounds, which will be killer for things like thumbnails on YouTube.
Feature #7 Live Captions for Audio Messages
One of my pet peeves is long audio messages. I just prefer reading them. This new feature gives instant captions to these pesky audio clips people send.
Feature #8 Freeform App
There isn’t much information out on this yet, but it looks like a legitimate replacement to popular collaboration and note taking apps like Evernote and Notion.
Feature #9 Updated Reminders App
You can now save, create, or share lists as templates to reuse them for routines, packing lists, and other regularly recurring tasks.
Feature #10 Use Dictation and Keyboard Seamlessly
Move easily between composing notes with touch or dictation.
I rarely use the dictation feature for taking text notes, but this might change my approach.
