Apple Seeds Fourth Betas of iOS 16.6 and iPadOS 16.6 to Developers - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

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

by

Apple today seeded the fourth betas of upcoming iOS 16.6 and iPadOS 16.6 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming over two weeks after the release of the third 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 beta, hints of iMessage Contact Key were available, but the option was not fully enabled.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Popular Stories

iOS 27 Next to iPhone

Here's When iOS 27 Rolls Out Today in Every Time Zone [Update: It's Out]

Sunday September 13, 2026 3:00 am PDT by
Update 10:04 a.m.: iOS 27 is rolling out now, though it may take a bit for all users to see it, so keep checking! Apple is about to release iOS 27, which will finally deliver more advanced Siri AI capabilities as well as a variety of other refinements, improvements, and new features to iPhones. It's Apple's biggest software update of the year, and Apple announced at Wednesday's iPhone event...
Read Full Article • 151 comments
iOS 27 Icon iPhone

iOS 27 Available Now With These 8 New Features

Monday September 14, 2026 9:00 am PDT by
Update — 10 a.m. Pacific Time: Apple has released iOS 27. During its iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo event last week, Apple announced that iOS 27 will be released widely on Monday, September 14. iOS 27 should be available around 10 a.m. Pacific Time / 1 p.m. Eastern Time today via the Settings app, under General → Software Update. Below, we have highlighted eight new features and...
Read Full Article • 111 comments
Apple iCloud Plus expansion hero

iCloud+ Now Includes Apple TV, Apple Arcade, and Curated Apple Music Stations in Over 100 Countries

Tuesday September 15, 2026 1:43 am PDT by
Apple today announced a new subscription initiative that turns paid iCloud+ subscriptions into a broader services bundle in more than 100 countries. In select countries, Apple says every paid iCloud+ plan, including the cheapest 50GB tier, now includes Apple TV and Apple Arcade "at no additional cost," while family sharing extends the storage, TV and Arcade access to up to five people....
Read Full Article • 103 comments

Top Rated Comments

ThomasJL Avatar
ThomasJL
42 months ago

Same. Still on 15.7 on my iPhone 8, waiting to see how 16.6 turns out to be. I was going to update to 16.5.1 but that SMS bug has me doubting.
I wish I had stayed on iOS 15. I'm using an iPhone SE (2nd generation) which has an A13 processor. Although iOS 16.5 is still buggy, even if the upcoming iOS 16.6 was somehow miraculously free of bugs, if I were on iOS 15.7, I would probably stay on iOS 15.7 for the faster speed. Every iOS 16 version I've used has been slow and laggy.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sbailey4 Avatar
sbailey4
42 months ago

What modem firmwares and carrier profiles are in this build?
Here is the best place to find your answer. First post. All models listed.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/ios-16-6-beta-4-bug-fixes-changes-and-improvements.2394346/
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Populus Avatar
Populus
42 months ago

Still on 15.7, hoping 16.6.1 won't take forever to arrive.
Same. Still on 15.7 on my iPhone 8, waiting to see how 16.6 turns out to be. I was going to update to 16.5.1 but that SMS bug has me doubting.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
S
Stromos
42 months ago
Public Beta is available.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ThomasJL Avatar
ThomasJL
42 months ago

I hope you don’t mind it if I ask you how iOS 16.6 feels on your SE2 once it’s released (if I remember to lol). I still have hope that this version is indeed much smoother and snappier.
I don't mind at all. I'll be glad to reply.

By the way, I've been using iPhones since 2009, so I'm very familiar with them. iOS 16.5 introduced a new problem for me, which has not been fixed by iOS 16.5.1 (the version I'm currently on):
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/ios-16-5-notifications-not-working-consistently.2390110/
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
D
dfwiddoc
42 months ago

What modem firmwares and carrier profiles are in this build?
Thank you for posting something more productive than the usual tedious whining about how inept the firmware release is. The modem firmware is 1.80.01. I believe the carrier profile depends on which cellular service is installed on the phone—mine, for AT&T, is 54.0.1.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments