Apple releases iOS 16.5 and iPadOS 16.5 with Sports in Apple News and more

Apple has released iOS 16.5 and iPadOS 16.5 to all users. The update features a new Sports tab in Apple News, a new Pride celebration wallpaper, and a bunch of bugfixes for CarPlay, Spotlight and Screen Time.

Apple previously released iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 to the general public with new features including new emojis, push notifications support for web apps, voice isolation for cellular calls, and more.

What’s new in iOS 16.5 and iPadOS 16.5?

May 18 – The final version of iOS 16.5 and iPadOS 16.5 is now available for all compatible iPhone and iPad models.

This update includes the following enhancements and bug fixes:

– A new Pride Celebration wallpaper for the Lock Screen to honor the LGBTQ+ community and culture
– Sports tab in Apple News gives easy access to stories, scores, standings, and more, for the teams and leagues you follow
– My Sports score and schedule cards in Apple News take you directly to game pages where you can find additional details about specific games
– Fixes an issue where Spotlight may become unresponsive
– Addresses an issue where Podcasts in CarPlay may not load content
– Fixes an issue where Screen Time settings may reset or not sync across all devices

Some features may not be available for all regions or on all Apple devices. For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222

You can also download iOS 16.5 and iPadOS 16.5 firmware files.

May 15 – Apple has released the second release candidates to developers.

May 9 – Apple has seeded the release candidate.

May 2 – Apple has released the fourth developer beta.

April 25 – Apple has released the third public betas to developers.

April 12 – The second public beta is now available for testers.

April 11 – Apple has released the second developer beta for iOS 16.5 and iPadOS 16.5.

March 30 – Apple has released the first public beta for iOS 16.5 and iPadOS 16.5.

March 28 – Although the version number implies a significant update, the changes have been relatively minor in this release. Apple still seems to be playing catch up to the features it originally announced for iOS 16, as confirmed by the new dedicated Sports tab in iOS 16.5 Apple News app. Unfortunately, the Apple News app is still limited to just four markets: Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States, even all these years after its launch. Yes, users can change the region on their devices to gain access to the app, but it still does not function properly.

Another minor update is that Siri can now start a screen recording with the user just talking to it. We are unsure how useful it will be for most users but it’s there if needed.

If you are interested in trying out the new beta on your iPhone or iPad, simply make sure that your iCloud account is the same one that is registered to an Apple Developer Account. You will see an option when you go to Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates. Simply select iOS 16 Developer Beta here and you should be able to update your device.

As Apple Developer Accounts are not free, you can also opt for the iOS 16 Public Beta, which is free to try. Just beware that both developer and public beta builds can be buggy due to the nature of pre-release software so keep your data backed up.

Is your iPhone or iPad compatible with iOS 16.5 and iPadOS 16.5?

You can check whether your device is compatible with the latest software updates by checking the list of supported devices below:

iPhone 8 or later models
iPhone X or later models
iPhone SE (2nd generation or later)
iPad Pro (all models)
iPad Air (3rd generation and later)
iPad (5th generation and later)
iPad mini (5th generation and later)

What’s new in iOS 16.5 and iPadOS 16.5?

Is your iPhone or iPad compatible with iOS 16.5 and iPadOS 16.5?

Imran Hussain