Apple releases iOS 16.3 and macOS Ventura 13.2 with Apple ID FIDO key support, new wallpaper, major fixes and more

In late 2022, Apple publicly launched iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS Ventura, and watchOS 9, providing users globally with a new iPhone lock screen, Stage Manager, and more. Since then, the company has further developed these operating systems by working on smaller, subsequent updates. These releases aim to fix leftover bugs and security flaws, while also introducing some of the new features that didn’t ship with the main X.0 versions.

iOS 16.3, iPadOS 16.3, macOS Ventura 13.2, and watchOS 9.3 are now available to everyone around the world. Apple had been beta testing these versions for several weeks, and they have now reached the stability that users typically expect. While they don’t offer a ton of new visual changes and features, there’s still a lot to unpack here!

iOS 16.3

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In terms of new features, iOS 16.3 is arguably the most packed compared to the other Apple OS updates we received today. For starters, potentially the most obvious change, we have a new Unity background that users can view or set by going to the wallpaper settings. While not exactly a huge addition, having more default background options to choose from is always a welcome change.

Another notable iOS 16.3 offering is FIDO security key support for Apple ID. This optional setting allows users to add another layer of security by requiring a physical key every time they sign into their Apple accounts on a new device. And speaking of security and privacy, iOS 16.3 also enables Advanced Data Protection for users worldwide. The optional feature, which was initially limited to the US, end-to-end encrypts even more iCloud data types, such as photos, notes and device backups.

Apart from the aforementioned changes, nothing much is new. Of course, as always, there are bug fixes too, including ones for the iPhone 14 Pro Max display issue and the Freeform app not syncing some elements properly on shared cards. You can read the full iOS 16.3 changelog below.

iOS 16.3 Changelog

This update includes the following improvements and bug fixes:

New Unity wallpaper honors black history and culture to celebrate Black History Month
Apple ID Security Keys allow users to strengthen the security of their account by requiring a physical security key as part of the sign-in process for two-factor authentication on new devices
Support for HomePod (2nd generation)
SOS emergency calls now require the side button with the volume up or nerv button to be held down and then released to prevent accidental emergency calls
Fixes an issue in Freeform where some strokes created with Apple Pencil or your finger might not appear on shared boards
Fixes an issue where the background may appear black on the lock screen
Fixes an issue where horizontal lines may temporarily appear when waking the iPhone 14 Pro Max
Fixes an issue where the Home Lock Screen widget does not display the Home app status correctly
Fixes an issue where Siri might not respond correctly to music requests
Addresses issues where Siri requests in CarPlay may not be understood correctly

iPadOS 16.3

Unlike iOS, iPadOS 16.3 doesn’t come with that many changes. For those curious, the new Unity wallpaper is exclusive to the iPhone. So even if you update to the latest iPadOS version, you won’t be able to see or set it as wallpaper on your iPad. However, you do get support for FIDO Security Key for Apple ID, Advanced Data Protection if the feature isn’t already available to you, support for the new HomePod 2, and some bug fixes. You can view the official iPadOS 16.3 changelog below.

iPadOS 16.3 Changelog

This update includes the following improvements and bug fixes:

Apple ID Security Keys allow users to strengthen the security of their account by requiring a physical security key as part of the sign-in process for two-factor authentication on new devices
Support for HomePod (2nd generation)
Fixes an issue in Freeform where some strokes created with Apple Pencil or your finger might not appear on shared boards
Fixes an issue where Siri might not respond correctly to music requests

macOS Ventura 13.2

Moving on to macOS Ventura 13.2. Similar to iPadOS, you don’t get many new changes compared to iOS. Instead, you get the same FIDO security key and support for Advanced Data Protection. That’s, expectedly, in addition to Mac-exclusive bug fixes. The full macOS Ventura 13.2 changelog is available below.

macOS Ventura 13.2 Changelog

This update introduces Apple ID security keys and includes other improvements and bug fixes for your Mac.

Apple ID Security Keys allow users to strengthen the security of their account by requiring a physical security key to sign in
Fixes an issue in Freeform where some strokes created with Apple Pencil or your finger might not appear on shared boards
Fixes an issue where VoiceOver may stop offering audio feedback while typing

watchOS 9.3

Finally, apart from bug fixes, the only obvious change in watchOS 9.3 is a new Unity Mosaic watch face. The new face is very minimalist and matches the aforementioned wallpaper included in iOS 16.3. However, it does not support any Apple Watch complications.

watchOS 9.3 Changelog

watchOS 9.3 includes new features, improvements and bug fixes, including the new Unity Mosaic watch face in honor of Black History Month.

Now that this round of Apple OS updates has been rolled out publicly, we can expect the next developer patch to land as soon as this week. While it’s too early to tell, we hope iOS 16.4 introduces support for Unicode 15.0 emoji and the Apple Music Classical app. With the 2022 operating system starting to mature, we may not see many new and exciting additions until iOS 17 and macOS 14 make their developer debuts in June.

What is your favorite feature in iOS 16? Let us know in the comments section below.

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