Apple iOS beta 16.4 has new emoji and transliteration support for some South Asian languages
Apple has pushed the latest beta for iOS developers 16.4and it includes some interesting updates, including expanded emoji support, keyboard updates for certain languages, and support for web app notifications.
The new emoji come from Unicode version 15.0, introduced in September. Some notable icons include a shaking face emoji, a pushing hand that can be fully used as an “I’ll put you there” and a Khanda decal representing Sikhism.
International keyboards are also getting updates, including autocorrect enabled by default for the Korean keyboard and predictive text support for Ukrainian.
In addition, some South Asian languages including Urdu, Punjabi and Gujarati will have transliteration layouts in the new beta. Presumably it should let people type words with Roman letters and not be subject to English autocorrections. For years, South Asian iPhone users, including myself, have had to wait for their devices to learn words through predictive text.
For anyone using the Apple Pencil on compatible devices, hover now has support for tilt (height) and orientation (azimuth).
An update for Matter accessories is also included in the beta version, which enables “manual and automatic software update support” for Matter accessories. The feature may allow accessories to be updated directly from the Home app, which should be easier to test MacRumors reports the beta reintroduces the HomeKit architecture upgrade that Apple removed from iOS 16.2.
Apple is also introducing a switch for getting developer updates in Software Update. The new option in the settings menu will be automatically enabled for devices enrolled in the developer program with a registered Apple ID and will become the default way to install betas in the future. (Configuration profiles are no longer used to grant access; just flip the software switch.)
Apple’s most recent update to the masses was iOS 16.3.1, which includes updates to the Crash Detection feature on new iPhones and Apple Watches, and issues with Siri Find My requests on HomePods.