iOS 16.1 beta 2 now available to developers, here’s what’s new

A week after releasing iOS 16.1 beta 1, Apple is seeding beta 2 to developers. This version brings Clean Energy Charging, Live Activities API support, and more. Here’s what’s new.

Today’s build is 20B5050f. Apple is bringing several new features for iOS 16.1. Here are them:

• Live Activities: Live Activities help you stay on top of things that are happening in real-time, right from your Lock Screen;
• Live Activities API: Follow an ongoing sports game or track the progress of your ride or order with just a glance. Glance at Live Activities from your favorite third-party apps with the new developer API;
• Apple Wallet app can be deleted: OS 16.1 now lets users delete the Wallet app for the first time. As you’d expect, deleting the Wallet app means you won’t be able to use a number of different features, including Apple Pay, Apple Cash, and Apple Card.
• Matter support: Matter is a new smart home connectivity standard that will enable compatible accessories to work together seamlessly, across platforms;
• iCloud Shared Photo Library: A new way for families a new way to share photos seamlessly with a separate iCloud library that up to six users can collaborate on, contribute to, and enjoy. Users can choose to share existing photos from their personal libraries, or share based on a start date or people in the photos
• Clean Energy Charging: Clean Energy Charging aims to decrease the carbon footprint of the iPhone by optimizing charging times for when the grid is using cleaner energy sources
• Battery percentage for more iPhones: After first launching late in the iOS 16 beta cycle, the battery percentage icon is also now available on the iPhone XR, the iPhone 11, the iPhone 12 mini, and iPhone 13 mini.

Developers can update their iPhone to iOS 16.1 beta 2 by heading to the Settings app, choosing General, then choosing Software update. Apple has also released new developer profiles that can be installed on the iPhone 14 devices as well.

Spot any changes in today’s release of iOS 16.1 beta 2? Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter @9to5Mac. Stay tuned for our full hands-on coverage with the new releases right here at 9to5Mac today and throughout the rest of the week.

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