More iOS 16 Tidbits: New FaceTime Video Call UI, Redesigned Video Player, and More

Apple this week announced iOS 16, a major release filled with significant customization features for the Lock Screen, new features for Focus mode, the ability to edit and retract iMessages, and so much more.

ios 16 lock screen
While Apple showcased some of iOS 16's major features during its jam-packed WWDC keynote, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of smaller features and changes left for users to discover. Below, we've compiled a list of six changes and new features you may not have known about.

Transparent FaceTime Video Call UI

ios 16 transparent video call ui
During a FaceTime video call, Apple has updated the UI in iOS 16 to be fully transparent, with buttons for camera, microphone, message, speaker, and SharePlay now larger and easier to tap.

iMessage Mention Suggestions Now Include Contact Images

ios 16 imessage mentions
When mentioning a contact on iMessage, mention suggestions now include a contact image in the Quick Tap bar. This can be particularly helpful in group chats where multiple people may share a first name.

Entirely Redesigned Video Player UI

ios 16 updated vidoe player ui
Apple has redesigned the stock video player UI in iOS 16, making it cleaner by getting rid of unnecessary clutter while highlighting basic controls such as volume, play/pause, and Picture in Picture.

Redesigned Voice Messaging Experience in iMessage

ios 16 new audio recording imessage
Apple has redesigned the voice messaging experience on iMessage with iOS 16, making it its own separate iMessage app that lives in the app bar.

The app lets users tap, hold, and record messages more quickly. Apple has replaced the previous hold and swipe-up gesture to record voice messages with a new Dictation button. On a related note, users can now skim through voice messages on iOS 16.

Privacy Access History

ios 16 privacy access history
On iOS 16 Apple is adding a neat trick that lets users check which apps have recently accessed their camera, microphone, location, and other sensitive sensors on their iPhone. The new view can be accessed by tapping on the top of Control Center shortly after an app has used access.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Top Rated Comments

a104375 Avatar
24 months ago
I hate that the new video controls dim the screen and are needlessly in the middle. What was wrong with having them off to the side out of the main content area?
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Reeneman Avatar
24 months ago
These are some very welcome small features :)
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kylo83 Avatar
24 months ago

These are some very welcome small features :)
None will really change anything, we need the batt % number back at the top and the home bar gone that would make a big change
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BJMRamage Avatar
24 months ago

None will really change anything, we need the batt % number back at the top and the home bar gone that would make a big change
I'd even go as far as the Battery is shown but once it hits 20% you instead get a Percentage to better track things.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mousse Avatar
24 months ago

The native iOS video player STILL does not have a rotation button, or play videos in landscape by default. I had a jailbreak tweak for this literally over a decade ago. What gives?
That's because the average person records video in the vertical orientation. It's one of the few things that triggers me when I see the way most people record videos on their smartphones. Record in landscape orientation ya Philistines.?

Anyhow, I only use my iPhone for games. I used my android phone for watching videos because it's ten billion percent ('//www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlUBIM_6oUI') easier to get movies on and off via microSD. And the video players on Android are superior to those on iOS.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
trost Avatar
24 months ago

I hate that the new video controls dim the screen and are needlessly in the middle. What was wrong with having them off to the side out of the main content area?
I thought I was the only one! The new video controls would be fine if they didn’t have to dim the entire video to change volume or scrub video track..
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple to Launch New iPad Pro and iPad Air Models in May

Thursday March 28, 2024 11:07 am PDT by
Apple will introduce new iPad Pro and iPad Air models in early May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman previously suggested the new iPads would come out in March, and then April, but the timeline has been pushed back once again. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple is working on updates to both the iPad Pro and iPad Air models. The iPad Pro models will...
General Apps Messages

Google Reveals When to Expect RCS Support on iPhone for Improved Texting With Android Users

Friday March 29, 2024 7:14 am PDT by
In November, Apple announced that the iPhone would support the cross-platform messaging standard RCS (Rich Communication Services) in the Messages app starting "later" in 2024, and Google has now revealed a more narrow timeframe. In a since-deleted section of the revamped Google Messages web page, spotted by 9to5Google, Google said that Apple would be adopting RCS on the iPhone in the "fall...
airtag new orange

Criminals in Montreal Using AirTags to Steal Vehicles

Friday March 29, 2024 12:50 pm PDT by
Thieves in Montreal, Canada have been using Apple's AirTags to facilitate vehicle theft, according to a report from Vermont news sites WCAX and NBC5 (via 9to5Mac). Police officers in Burlington, Vermont have issued a warning about AirTags for drivers who recently visited Canada. Two Burlington residents found Apple AirTags in their vehicles after returning from trips to Montreal, and these...
top stories 30mar2024

Top Stories: WWDC 2024 Announced, New iPads Delayed, and More

Saturday March 30, 2024 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's WWDC 2024 dates have been announced, giving us timing for the unveiling of the company's next round of major operating system updates and likely some other announcements. This week also saw some disappointing news on the iPad front, with update timing for the iPad Pro and iPad Air pushed back from previous rumors. We did hear some new tidbits about what might be coming in iOS 18 and...
iphone 16 cases sonny dickson 1

First iPhone 16 Cases Outline New Rear Vertical Camera Bump

Friday March 29, 2024 4:09 am PDT by
Photos of the first iPhone 16 cases have been shared online, offering another preview of the rumored new vertical rear camera arrangement on the standard iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus. Image credit: Accessory leaker Sonny Dickson Over the last few months, Apple has been experimenting with different camera bump designs for the standard iPhone 16 models, all of which have featured a vertical ...
Apple iPhone 15 Pro spatial video capture lifestyle

$3 App Shoots Better Quality Spatial Video Than iPhone's Camera App

Friday March 29, 2024 4:48 am PDT by
A $3 third-party app can now record spatial video on iPhone 15 Pro models in a higher resolution than Apple's very own Camera app. Thanks to an update first spotted by UploadVR, Spatialify can now record spatial videos with HDR in 1080p at 60fps or in 4K at 30fps. In comparison, Apple's native Camera app is limited to recording spatial video in 1080p at 30fps. Shortly after Apple's Vision ...