Apple Confirms iOS 16.5 Will Be Released Next Week With These New Features
In a press release introducing a new Pride Edition band for the Apple Watch today, Apple confirmed that iOS 16.5 and watchOS 9.5 will be released to the public next week. The software updates have been in beta testing since late March.
"The new Pride Celebration watch face and iPhone wallpaper will be available next week, and requires watchOS 9.5 and iOS 16.5," said Apple.
In addition to a new Pride Celebration wallpaper, iOS 16.5 includes just one small but useful change for the iPhone, a new Sports tab in the Apple News app. Overall, the update is a relatively minor one and comes just weeks ahead of Apple announcing iOS 17 at WWDC in June.
An overview of iOS 16.5 changes follows.
Pride Wallpaper
iOS 16.5 will include a new Pride Celebration wallpaper designed to match the new Pride Edition band for the Apple Watch.
Sports Tab in Apple News
Apple has added a Sports tab to the News app on iOS 16.5, giving you easy access to news, scores, and schedules for your favorite teams and leagues. This information was previously available in the Today tab, but it is now featured more prominently as Apple continues to push deeper into sports content across its services.
iOS 16.5 Release Notes
This update includes the following enhancements and bug fixes:
- A new Pride Celebration wallpaper for the Lock Screen to honor the LGBTQ+ community and culture
- Sports tab in Apple News gives easy access to stories, scores, standings, and more, for the teams and leagues you follow
- My Sports score and schedule cards in Apple News take you directly to game pages where you can find additional details about specific games
- Fixes an issue where Spotlight may become unresponsive
- Addresses an issue where Podcasts in CarPlay may not load content
- Fixes an issue where Screen Time settings may reset or not sync across all devices
Popular Stories
Apple will adopt the same rear chassis manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 that it is using for the upcoming standard iPhone 16, claims a new rumor coming out of China. According to the Weibo-based leaker "Fixed Focus Digital," the backplate manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 is "exactly the same" as the standard model in Apple's upcoming iPhone 16 lineup, which is expected to...
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
Israel-based mobile forensics company Cellebrite is unable to unlock iPhones running iOS 17.4 or later, according to leaked documents verified by 404 Media. The documents provide a rare glimpse into the capabilities of the company's mobile forensics tools and highlight the ongoing security improvements in Apple's latest devices. The leaked "Cellebrite iOS Support Matrix" obtained by 404 Media...
If you have an old Apple Watch and you're not sure what to do with it, a new product called TinyPod might be the answer. Priced at $79, the TinyPod is a silicone case with a built-in scroll wheel that houses the Apple Watch chassis. When an Apple Watch is placed inside the TinyPod, the click wheel on the case is able to be used to scroll through the Apple Watch interface. The feature works...
A widespread system failure is currently affecting numerous Windows devices globally, causing critical boot failures across various industries, including banks, rail networks, airlines, retailers, broadcasters, healthcare, and many more sectors. The issue, manifesting as a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), is preventing computers from starting up properly and forcing them into continuous recovery...
Apple in 2025 will take on a new compact camera module (CCM) supplier for future MacBook models powered by its next-generation M5 chip, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Writing in his latest investor note on unny-opticals-2025-business-momentum-to-benefit-509819818c2a">Medium, Kuo said Apple will turn to Sunny Optical for the CCM in its M5 MacBooks. The Chinese optical lens company...
