(NEXSTAR) – That queazy feeling of hitting send on an iPhone message with an embarrassing typo or over-zealous autocorrection will soon be a thing of the past, thanks to editable messages in Apple’s upcoming iOS 16 update.
While the rollout isn’t set to happen until the fall, you can play around with the new feature – and several others – now, by enrolling in the Apple Beta Software Program.
You get to play around with the latest features before everyone else has them, and Apple developers benefit from the early feedback.
Anyone with a valid Apple ID who accepts the program agreement can participate, but there are a few things you should know before signing up. Apple warns that, since the software hasn’t been released commercially yet, it may contain errors or inaccuracies. You should back up your iPhone or other Apple device if possible before installing the software.
“Install the beta software only on non-production devices that are not business critical,” Apple advises. “We strongly recommend installing on a secondary system or device, or on a secondary partition on your Mac.”
The program and software are free, but the program is considered confidential, so you won’t be able to tweet out screenshots of your latest iOS 16 discovery.
Editing messages
Once you sign up and start playing around with iOS 16 on the iPhone, there are a number of notable developments, but one of the biggest crowd favorites may change the way we send messages.
iOS 16 public beta allows you to edit messages. After fixing that unfortunate message-message autocorrection, the other person will see a small “edited” note appear under the message.
You’ll also be able to “unsend” messages, preventing friends and family from judging the trash fire of a text you accidentally sent before cleaning up.
New lock screen options
Apple is offering new ways to customize your lock screen – not a small feature considering the number of times we all look at our phones during the day.
New font styles, a widget display and the ability to showcase your favorite photos with different color filters will be available. Using widgets, you can now see the weather, calendar events, Activity rings and more without having to open your phone.
Live Activities will also allow you to display the score of a sports game or the progress of a food delivery in real-time on the lock screen.
Tap and drag using Visual Lookup
This iOS 16 advancement allows you to do with one finger what might have taken hours of YouTube tutorials and Photoshop experimentation to master.
While iOS 15 provided Visual Look Up to automatically recognize and give additional info about pets, plants and landmarks, for instance, the tap and drag function allows you to separate one of those subjects from the photo’s background.
By tapping and holding on a photo, you can lift the subject away from the background and use it in a different app, such as Messages.
Now you can pay later
iOS 16 will allow you to create your own payment plan when you choose the “pay later” option, allowing you to split the cost of an Apple Pay purchase into four payments over six weeks. The feature comes with no interest or fees.
When it comes to the Apple Wallet, you will also be able to store your ID. For those who don’t want to advertise their birthday, the ID will give the option to confirm whether or not someone is over 21 without revealing an exact age.
Another Wallet feature allows users to share keys with friends or relatives.
See more information about joining the Apple Beta Software Program or a full list of iOS 16’s upcoming features on Apples website.