Apple's attention on the software side of the iPhone may soon be devoted to iOS 17, but that doesn't mean work on iOS 16 has completely stopped. As a participant in Apple's public beta program, you can download a beta version of the latest version of iOS 16 to your iPhone.

Specifically, Apple is offering beta testers access to iOS 16.6. if you thought the amount of updates and enhancements in iOS 16.5 were fairly small, the pace of changes in iOS 16.6 is even slower.

That's because it has been almost a year since Apple first previewed the iOS 16 update and nine months since the first release was widely available to the public. Since then, Apple has released five major updates to its iPhone software, ranging from Live Activities in iOS 16.1 to new emoji in iOS 16.4. The latest update, iOS 16.5, added a new "My Sports" tab to the built-in News app, but that was the only change.

We are only up to the first beta version of iOS 16.6, so a full release is not expected until late June. This means that when WWDC 2023 is held on June 5, iOS 16.6 will likely remain in beta and a preview of iOS 17 will be released. iOS 17 will allow Apple to add active widgets, as well as significant Wallet and Health apps. There are rumors that it will be updated, and more substantive changes may be made.

But until that iOS 17 preview appears next month, here's what you need to know about iOS 16.6.

There are detailed instructions on how to download the public beta of iOS 16, but the short version is that you must first enroll your device in Apple's public beta program. and follow the on-screen instructions.

Once you have joined the program, or if you have already registered, you can find the iOS beta download by going to the Settings app, selecting General, and tapping Software Updates. If a beta version awaits you, tap Download and Install and follow all on-screen instructions to get the app on your phone. Don't forget to back up your iPhone first, however.

Models that have always supported iOS 16 can continue to run this update. That is, iPhone 8 or earlier. iOS 16.6, while quite sophisticated, recommends that you install the beta software only on your backup iPhone, not on your regular device.

Right now, there appears to be only one addition from the iOS 16.6 beta that may not be active at this time.

iMessage contact key authentication: Apple first announced plans to add security key support for Apple ID and iCloud accounts late last year, and offered the feature in the iOS 16.3 update in early 2023. Now Apple is extending this feature to iMessage, allowing you to verify that the person you are texting is who you say they are.

Basically, if you enable contact key verification in iMessage, you can chat with people who also have this feature enabled and receive alerts if Apple's cloud servers are compromised. As you may have guessed, this feature is not for everyone. Apple added this feature for those who face unusual digital threats. That is, journalists, human rights activists, government officials, and others who may be targets of cyberattacks.

According to reports, iMessage contact key verification was included in the developer beta of iOS 16.6, which was released a few days before the public beta. According to these same reports, it appears that this feature is still a work in progress, as nothing seems to happen when this feature is enabled. Personally, I do not see iMessage Contact Key Verification in the Messages section of the Settings app, but I do not have Security Keys enabled on my phone either.

iOS 16. Now that the 6 public beta is in the hands of developers and the general public, we will be hearing more reports about features and fixes added to the new software. But don't expect a big laundry list of enhancements. iOS 16 is pretty much complete at this point, as Apple is in the process of shifting gears toward iOS 17, which will arrive as a full release later this year.