With iOS 16.4 installed, iPhone call quality will greatly improve
The upcoming iOS 16.4 update is going to make it easier for iPhone users to hear certain phone calls because of a feature called Voice Isolation. The latter is used to block out ambient noise on VoIP calls on platforms like FaceTime, WhatsApp, and other apps running on devices with iOS 15 or later installed. By blocking out background noise, the quality of phone calls will improve. Again, this feature won't work on cellular calls until the iOS 16.4 update is installed.
Voice Isolation for cellular calls is coming to iOS 16.4 which could be released next week
Apple dropped the Release Candidate (RC) version of iOS 16.4 and iPad OS 16.4 today to registered developers via OTA updates. In the changelist for the updates, you'll find the following: "Voice Isolation for cellular calls prioritizes your voice and blocks out ambient noise around you." This is similar to a feature called Clear Calling that improves cellular call quality on the Pixel 7 series.
Voice Isolation enabled for FaceTime
During a FaceTime call, you can activate Voice Isolation by opening the Control Center, tapping on Mic Mode, and then selecting Voice Isolation. This will also work when you're on a cellular call to enable Voice Isolation once you've installed iOS 16.4 on your iPhone. If you want to disable the feature, open the Control Center, tap on Mic Mode, and select the option named "Standard." Voice Isolation will work the best during phone calls in noisy environments such as a busy city street, an airport, a bar and other loud locations.
The iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 updates also includes the addition of 21 new emoji including animals, hand gestures, and objects. Users will also get notifications on their home screens related to web apps. With the update, the VoiceOver feature, used by those who have problems with their vision to provide an audible description of everything on a user's screen, will include support for maps in the Weather app. And an Accessibility setting will automatically dim video when the phone detects flashes of lights or strobe effects.
The iOS and iPadOS 16.4 changelist also includes:
- Duplicates album in Photos expands support to detect duplicate photos and videos in an iCloud Shared Photo Library.
- Fixes an issue where Ask to Buy requests from children may fail to appear on the parent’s device.
- Addresses issues where Matter-compatible thermostats could become unresponsive when paired to Apple Home.
And an important bug, one that causes the new Crash Detection feature to be set off by a non-emergency impacts, will be exterminated. Crash Detection is activated when sensors inside an iPhone 14 series model or a 2022 Apple Watch (Series 8, Apple Watch Ultra, and Apple Watch SE 2) detect a severe car, pickup truck, or SUV crash. If you don't dismiss the alert within 10 seconds, the device will call emergency services using an automated message that will include your location.
The update will also exterminate a Crash Detection bug
One problem with Crash Detection was a bug that caused the sensors to be too sensitive. During one weekend in December, the Summit County 911 Center in Colorado received 71 automated notifications in an area known for skiing. Skiers making quick stops and falling into the snow set off the Crash Detection feature on their iPhones or Apple Watches and not one of the 71 incidents was caused by a real emergency.
Thankfully for the dispatchers and first responders covering ski resort areas in the states, the final version of both iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 could be released as soon as next week. When the update is ready to be downloaded and installed, you'll be able to find it by going to Settings > General > Software Update.
As for iOS 17, we should get a preview of the next iOS build during Apple's WWDC developers conference which is expected to kick off in early June.
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