Whether a sole proprietor or managing a team of employees, iOS 16’s release should provide relevant quality of life improvements for all who use iPhones as a work tool. Here we’ll dig into our favorite features announced at WWDC 2022 that businesses should consider when the update becomes available this fall.
iOS 16
Lock Screen no longer means “locked up.”
The new Lock Screen experience will allow users to modify the font, theme filters, and adjust the placement of a photo in relationship to the time and date (normally located at the top). For business owners, this means having the opportunity to brand a device, creating a more engaging “on brand” style for issued iPhones. This includes adding widgets of their most productivity-focused apps, creating multiple layouts for department-specific need, or scheduling focus modes ahead of time to reduce workday interruptions.
All of your stops, when on the go…
Planning efficient local delivery routes or simply getting from one place to another on busy days can be difficult. Luckily, the updates coming to Apple Maps has ping pong traveling in its sights. With the addition of multi-stop routing, users can add up to 15 stops in one easy to navigate route. For business users, this may improve driver and delivery efficiency when needing to know where to start and finish (including stopping for lunch).
Take transactions, while transcontinental.
Picture this: a small business owner is traveling to sell their products abroad only to realize they forgot their card reader iPhone attachment. Tap to pay on iPhone promises a revolutionary way to expand the capabilities of Apple Pay. Businesses will be able to take contactless payments, without the need for additional hardware. And don’t worry, it works with many known service providers, like Chase, Clover, and Square.
Live Text, no matter the context.
If you weren’t aware of this feature, (which came out in iOS 15), we forgive you. But spend enough time in the Camera app and you’d be sure to notice a small icon each time an iphone was pointed at anything with visible text. Live Text is a feature that allows the user to copy text from photos, images in Safari, screenshots, and now videos. Great for getting the talking points from a recorded presentation, workshop, or just to have a digital rolodex of all those business cards from the conference fishbowl.
WatchOS 9
In the upcoming Apple Watch update, we see Activity and Health take the center stage yet again. Great if you’re a Personal Trainer or Healthcare Professional, but slightly lacking in other improvements to really take advantage of the Apple Watch in other business environments. We are hoping to see Apple add additional business-minded advancements in future updates.
Meet like a Pro while on the go.
For times when getting back to the computer before the meeting isn’t an option.
Life events, delays in travel, and spontaneous collaboration are some of situations that stick a wrench into having participants in the same meeting, at the same time. In partnership with developers of VoIP web-calling apps like Webex, the Apple Watch is now a way to enter, leave, or mute in active meetings when away from a computer (or not in an ideal space to vocally participate while on the go).
These are just some of the great business-minded updates coming in iOS 16 and WatchOS 9. Since it comes free to most iPhones, there should be no reason not to update and take advantage of them when released Fall 2022.
If you are as excited to implement these features as we are, we should chat. FTTS is a part of the Apple Consultants Network® and has over 50+ combined years of experience working with Apple® products. Let us help you with your company’s Apple® device needs: Reach out here.
