A week after releasing tvOS 16.3.1, Apple is now seeding iOS 16.3.1 to iPhone users. This update comes three weeks after Apple unveiled iOS 16.3. In addition, the company is also seeding macOS 13.2.1 and HomePod 16.3.2 to all users.
According to Apple, iOS 16.3.1 brings multiple bug fixes, including some related to iCloud and Siri requests for the Find My app. In addition, the company is improving Crash Detection, which still suffers from false positive triggers.
With HomePod 16.3.2, this update resolves an issue where Siri would fail to complete a request the first time you ask by repeating “on it” or “working on that.” Last week, Apple launched tvOS 16.3.1 with general improvements and bug fixes related to the HomePod 2.
With iOS 16.3, Apple brought support to physical Security Keys for Apple ID. With that, users can strengthen the security of their accounts by requiring a physical security key as part of the Two Factor Authentication sign-in process on new devices. This is a follow-up of other security features Apple introduced in the past few months.
In addition, iOS 16.3 update brought new Unity wallpaper that honors Black history and culture in celebration of Black History Month. This update also enabled support for HomePod 2.
iOS 16.3 was also crucial for the bugs it fixes and the new tweaks it brought, including:
- Emergency SOS calls now require holding the side button with the up or down volume button and then releasing it to prevent inadvertent emergency calls;
- Fixes an issue in Freeform where some drawing strokes created with Apple Pencil or your finger may not appear on shared boards;
- Addresses an issue where the wallpaper may appear black on the Lock Screen;
- Fixes an issue where horizontal lines may temporarily appear while waking up iPhone 14 Pro Max;
- Fixes an issue where the Home Lock Screen widget does not accurately display the Home app status;
- Addresses an issue where Siri may not respond properly to music requests;
- Resolves issues where Siri requests in CarPlay may not be understood correctly.
BGR will report once we learn more about the new iOS 16.3.1 features. Apple is expected to start testing iOS 16.4 soon.
