Apple releases iOS 16.4 update with new emoji, voice isolation for calls and more: details

Apple has released iOS 16.4 for iPhone users, which includes a number of new features such as an extensive set of emojis, voice isolation for calls, website push notifications, and more. Along with the iOS update, Apple has released the iPadOS 16.4 update for the iPad. The company also released tvOS 16.4 and macOS Ventura 13.3. The stable version of iOS 16.4 is already available for iPhone users around the world.

Users can update their devices by going to Settings application by selecting Generaland then Software update. If they don’t see the update right away, keep checking back periodically as the updates should be available to everyone soon. When the installation process begins, the iPhone or iPad will download the update and then prompt the user to restart the device to complete the process. It is worth noting that during the installation of the update, the device will be inoperative.

Those enrolled in the Apple Developer Program can now instantly turn on the Developer Beta from the Software Update section by going to Settings > General > Software update > Beta updates and beta selection for developers. Instead of installing a profile from the Developer Center, this is a quick way to get a stable developer beta. However, since you will need to sign in with the Apple ID associated with the developer account, beta developer profiles will no longer be shared.

List of changes iOS 16.4 update includes 21 new emojis, including a shaking face, a long-requested pink heart, two pushing hands, a Wi-Fi symbol, and more, including various animals and objects. These emojis were approved by the Unicode Consortium last year and were confirmed in February to be included in the latest iOS update. Also in the new batch there are gray and blue hearts, a folding fan, ginger, a pea pod, a jellyfish, an elk, a goose, a hair clip, maracas, a flute and other emoticons.

Another feature added in this update is voice isolation for mobile calls, which prioritizes user voices while blocking out ambient sounds. This feature has already been used for FaceTime as well as other VoIP applications, but has not yet been used for mobile calls. To access this feature, open Control center during a call, press Microphone modeand then from the list of available select Voice isolation.

Last year at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple showed off a feature that allows developers to send push notifications over the web to targeted consumers. With the macOS Ventura update, the company previously added this feature to Safari 16.1. iOS developers can now send notifications to users who pin a web app to their home screen after requesting permission.

This web app update may be directly applicable to some of Twitter’s new competitors, such as Post and T2, who have not yet developed native iOS versions of their apps but would like to notify the user of important discussions. It also allows Apple to soften claims that its App Store is the only way to connect with mobile consumers, which could help the company fight antitrust and other litigation.

Apple’s new iOS 16.4 update also fixes bugs related to duplicate albums in Photos and also brings support for detecting duplicate photos or videos in iCloud Shared Library. The Weather app now supports VoiceOver for maps. In addition, a new Accessibility setting can automatically dim video when flashing lights or strobe effects occur.

The iPhone keyboard now supports local languages ​​such as Chickasaw and Choctaw, and Apple has also added transliteration support for Gujarati, Punjabi and Urdu keyboards.

Finally, the update also fixes an issue where previously Ask to buy requests from children often didn’t show up on their parents’ device. It fixes an issue that could cause Matter compatible thermostats to become unresponsive when connected to Apple Home devices. The iOS 16.4 update also includes crash detection optimizations on iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Plus, and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

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