iOS 16.1 public beta 2 now available with tweaked battery indicator, more

A day after seeding iOS 16.1 beta 2, Apple is now releasing the public beta for users to try it out. This software brings awaited features first announced during the WWDC 2022 keynote, alongside new tweaks that Apple has been working on. Read on as we roundup everything new with this operating system.

Today’s build is 20B5050f. Alongside iOS 16.1 public beta 2, Apple is seeding iPadOS 16.1 public beta 3, watchOS 9.1 public beta 2, tvOS 16.1 public beta 2, HomePod 16.1 public beta 2, and macOS Ventura 13 public beta 6.

With iOS 16.1, Apple will bring:

• 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.

Exclusive with iOS 16.1 public beta 2, Apple has added a Lock Screen charging indicator previously available on iOS 15, as you can read more about here. The company has also fixed the “copy and paste” bug, alongside the three-fingers gesture bug.

Spot any changes in today’s release of iOS 16.1 public 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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