What's New in Apple's iOS 16.4: Should You Upgrade to Apple iOS 16.4?

Six weeks after iOS 16.3.1, Apple published iOS 16.4, which is jam-packed with features and security updates. Here is all the information you require.

It's for whom?

All iOS 16-compatible devices, which include the iPhone 8/iPhone X and newer, may now download Apple iOS 16.4. The iPhone 6S and 7 series as well as the iPod Touch are no longer supported by iOS 16. To defend older devices, Apple has also published iOS 15.7.4, a specialised security upgrade.

You may manually install the most recent updates if you don't get an update notification by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Before publicly published upgrades show on your device if you are using more recent beta software (see "The Road Ahead" section at the bottom), you must enrol your device.

Although I will include relevant topics in these tutorials, this guide is not focused on prior iOS versions, iPadOS, or macOS.

The Deal-Changers

The first 24 hours after the release of iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 have been comparatively trouble-free for upgraders. There aren't any glaring flaws, but a few graphical errors seem to have made it into the finished product. There have been sporadic instances of the wallpaper being distorted, the Reminder widget not filling, and the cellular strength symbol missing.

Additionally, there are still issues with iOS 16's reporting of "system data," which for some users again expanded after updating to iOS 16.4. In iOS 17, Apple must address this.

So, what exactly do you get?

The following new features and fixes are included in Apple's iOS 16.4 release notes:

— The emoji keyboard now includes 21 new emoji, including animals, hand motions, and objects.
— Web app notifications have been introduced to the Home Screen.
— For cellular calls, Voice Isolation focuses your voice and cuts out extraneous noise.
— photographs' Duplicates album now detects duplicate photographs and videos in an iCloud Shared Photo Library.
— Maps in the Weather app now support VoiceOver.
— An accessibility option that dims video automatically when light flashes or strobe effects are detected.
— Resolves an issue in which Ask to Buy requests from children did not display on the parent's device.
— Addresses a problem in which Matter-compatible thermostats became unresponsive when associated with Apple Home.
— Improvements to Crash Detection for iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro devices.

These changes are only the tip of the iceberg. Even by Apple's standards, the iOS 16.4 release notes are exceptionally short, leaving out a slew of new features and adjustments such as:

Support for badges on web applications' home screens.
Third-party browsers can access home screen web applications.
Support for the PlayStation 5 DualSense Edge controller has been added to iOS 16.4, iPadOS 16.4, tvOS 16.4, and macOS Venture 13.3.
Apple Podcasts' user interface has been updated, with a new profile symbol, playback controls in the Up Next area, and access to Channels via the Library section.
CarPlay Up Next further on this capability by include podcast discovery in Browse.
Focus Mode now has a new Always-on Display filter.
Apple Wallet now features an order tracking widget.
AppleCare 'Coverage' in Settings displays all of your active and expired AppleCare plans.
There are 13 new and 11 modified Shortcut actions.
The long-awaited return of Apple Books' conventional page-turning animation.
Austria, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Portugal are now supported by Emergency SOS via Satellite.
T-Mobile will have 5G standalone support. (US).

It's a lengthy list (thanks to MacRumors), far longer than the official iOS 16.4 release notes. It's unclear why Apple would eliminate so many innovative and valuable features.

iOS 16.4 Safety

Apple's iOS 16.4 security page lists a total of 33 new security fixes. The good news is that none of the vulnerabilities are so-called 'Zero Day' threats, which means hackers could not exploit them until Apple released a patch.

However, the latest updates cover the Apple Neural Engine, Calendar, Camera, CarPlay, Bluetooth, Find My, iCloud, Photos, Podcasts, Safari, Webkit (the browser engine underpinning Safari), and more.

There are also two solutions (CVE-2023-27969 and CVE-2023-27933) for the Kernel, which is at the heart of the iOS and iPadOS operating systems, that address vulnerabilities that might have allowed hackers to execute malicious code on iPhones and iPads. In a nutshell, iOS 16.4 is a significant release.

Verdict on Apple iOS 16.4: Upgrade

Major iOS upgrades are known to generate more complications, but as iOS 16 matures, it is not surprising to see iOS 16.4 deliver a slew of new features and security fixes with no major concerns. Keep in mind that we are just 24 hours into the release, so bugs may still be discovered as more iPhone and iPad users update, but I am pleased to encourage that eager upgraders click that button right now.

If you are a careful iPhone or iPad user who prefers to wait, my final decision will be delivered in a week. So save this page.

The Way Forward

While iOS 17 will be revealed at WWC in early June, I predict several more "minor point" upgrades to iOS 16 (such as iOS 16.4.1) before its replacement is released in September.

I would also not count out iOS 16.5, however given Apple's 6-8 week testing procedure for significant point upgrades, we should know about it in the coming weeks. You may join the Apple Beta Software Program if you want to try out iOS upgrades during the testing process, but be warned: there will be issues!