Apple Seeds Third Betas of iOS 16.6 and iPadOS 16.6 to Developers

Apple today seeded the third betas of upcoming iOS 16.6 and iPadOS 16.6 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming two weeks after the release of the second betas.

iOS 16
Registered developers can opt in to the betas by opening up the Settings app, going to Software Update, tapping on the “Beta Updates” option and toggling on the iOS 16 Developer Beta. Note that an Apple ID associated with a developer account is required to download and install the beta.

iOS 16.6 and iPadOS 16.6 lay the groundwork for iMessage Contact Key Verification. It is meant to let Apple device owners verify that they are messaging with the people they intend to message rather than a malicious entity that has intercepted a message or is eavesdropping on a conversation.

The feature is designed for Apple users who are facing “extraordinary digital threats.” Apple intends for iMessage Contact Key Verification to be used by journalists, human rights activists, government officials, and others who are in danger of malicious digital attacks from state-sponsored attackers or other malicious actors.

Apple said that iMessage Contact Key Verification would be available on the iPhone and other Apple devices at some point in 2023, and it is one of the last features we are expecting to see in iOS 16. In the first two betas, hints of iMessage Contact Key were available, but the option was not fully enabled.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

iPhone SE 4 With Apple's Own 5G Modem 'Confirmed' to Launch in March

Tuesday November 19, 2024 12:12 pm PST by
Barclays analyst Tom O'Malley and his colleagues recently traveled to Asia to meet with various electronics manufacturers and suppliers. In a research note this week, outlining key takeaways from the trip, the analysts said they have "confirmed" that a fourth-generation iPhone SE with an Apple-designed 5G modem is slated to launch towards the end of the first quarter next year. In line with previo...
airtag purple

AirTag 2 Rumored to Launch Next Year With These New Features

Sunday November 17, 2024 5:18 am PST by
Apple released the AirTag in April 2021, so it is now three over and a half years old. While the AirTag has not received any hardware updates since then, a new version of the item tracking accessory is rumored to be in development. Below, we recap rumors about a second-generation AirTag. Timing Apple is aiming to release a new AirTag in mid-2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman....
Magic Mouse Next to Keyboard

No, Apple CEO Tim Cook Didn't Say He Prefers Logitech's MX Master 3 Over the Magic Mouse

Sunday November 17, 2024 3:03 pm PST by
While the Logitech MX Master 3 is a terrific mouse for the Mac, reports claiming that Apple CEO Tim Cook prefers that mouse over the Magic Mouse are false. The Wall Street Journal last month published an interview with Cook, in which he said he uses every Apple product every day. Soon after, The Verge's Wes Davis attempted to replicate using every Apple product in a single day. During that...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Real Mock

Apple Releases iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 With Security Fixes

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:10 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1, minor updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that debuted earlier in September. iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 come three weeks after the launch of iOS 18.1. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple has also released iOS 17.7.2 for...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 1 Redux

'iPhone 17 Air' Rumored to Surpass iPhone 6 as Thinnest iPhone Ever

Monday November 18, 2024 1:07 pm PST by
In a research note with Hong Kong-based investment bank Haitong today, obtained by MacRumors, Apple analyst Jeff Pu said he agrees with a recent rumor claiming that the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" will be around 6mm thick. "We agreed with the recent chatter of an 6mm thickness ultra-slim design of the iPhone 17 Slim model," he wrote. If that measurement proves to be accurate, there would be ...
bug security vulnerability issue fix larry

Make Sure to Update: iOS 18.1.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 Fix Actively Exploited Vulnerabilities

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:52 am PST by
The iOS 18.1.1, iPadOS 18.1.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 updates that Apple released today address JavaScriptCore and WebKit vulnerabilities that Apple says have been actively exploited on some devices. With the JavaScriptCore vulnerability, processing maliciously crafted web content could lead to arbitrary code execution. The WebKit vulnerability had the same issue with maliciously crafted...
at t turbo indicator iphone 16 pro max v0 8hrh7w5f3w1e1

AT&T Turbo Indicator Showing Up in iPhone Status Bar for Subscribers

Wednesday November 20, 2024 3:42 am PST by
AT&T has begun displaying "Turbo" in the iPhone carrier label for customers subscribed to its premium network prioritization service, according to reports on Reddit. The new indicator seems to have started appearing after users updated to iOS 18.1.1, but that could be just coincidence. Image credit: Reddit user No_Highlight7476 The Turbo feature provides enhanced network performance through ...
New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

18 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Wednesday November 13, 2024 2:09 am PST by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.2 next month, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. There are a handful of new non-AI related feature controls incoming as well....

Top Rated Comments

xpxp2002 Avatar
19 months ago

Wait - you read another Mac-related site besides MacRumors? How could you? ?
I stopped going there after that awful site redesign a couple months ago. It's just a pain to read and navigate. The dark/light background switch still doesn't even work on iOS/iPadOS Safari.

I can get the same news here and a better forum format on a website that's easier to read and actually works.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lazyrighteye Avatar
19 months ago

Not seeing it at all. How can the build be 20G5047d when beta 2 was 20G5037d?
That build was mentioned on 9to5mac ('https://9to5mac.com/2023/06/15/apple-releases-ios-16-6-beta-3/').
Wait - you read another Mac-related site besides MacRumors? How could you? ?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jjudson Avatar
19 months ago
All I care about is: Does it finally get rid of this monstrosity???



Attachment Image
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Miicat_47 Avatar
19 months ago

I stopped going there after that awful site redesign a couple months ago. It's just a pain to read and navigate. The dark/light background switch still doesn't even work on iOS/iPadOS Safari.

I can get the same news here and a better forum format on a website that's easier to read and actually works.
Same for me, I still sometimes check their site, if they have something exclusive, but nothing more
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Realityck Avatar
19 months ago

Wait - you read another Mac-related site besides MacRumors? How could you? ?
I just now see Apple site updated and it shows that its is available at 11:43 AM PST. Wow they are slow today.

* iOS 16.6 beta 3 (20G5047d) - June 15, 2023
* iPadOS 16.6 beta 3 (20G5047d) - June 15, 2023
* macOS 13.5 beta 3 (22G5048d) - June 15, 2023
* watchOS 9.6 beta 3 (20U5548c) - June 15, 2023
* tvOS 16.6 beta 3 (20M5548b) = June 15, 2023
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jdavid_rp Avatar
19 months ago

I stopped going there after that awful site redesign a couple months ago. It's just a pain to read and navigate. The dark/light background switch still doesn't even work on iOS/iPadOS Safari.

I can get the same news here and a better forum format on a website that's easier to read and actually works.
Same, I have some issues by how minimal the interface is and the similarity between news and ads
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)