Apple releases iOS 16.4 and macOS Ventura 13.3 with new emojis and features

Apple today released new updates for most of its software platforms, including macOS Ventura 13.3, iOS 16.4, iPadOS 16.4, tvOS 16.4, and watchOS 9.4.

These are all feature updates, meaning they actually add new features in addition to fixing bugs or fixing security vulnerabilities.

In terms of accessibility, iOS and iPadOS can now automatically dim the screen when playing videos with flashing lights, and VoiceOver is now supported on maps found in the Weather app.

tvOS 16.4 only has one of these changes: the flashing lights protection feature we just mentioned for iOS and iPadOS.

As for the Apple Watch, watchOS 9.4 is mainly about adding features to new regions. Cycle Tracking is now supported in Moldova and Ukraine, and the AFib story has reached those two regions as well as Colombia, Malaysia and Thailand.

Then there’s another big one: macOS Ventura 13.3. It includes several of the same features as iOS 16.4, including new emoji, a duplicate Photos album, and accessibility features. It also adds a “move background”feature to Apple’s Freeform visual note app that “isolates an object in your image.”There are also some macOS-specific bug fixes and you’ll find extended keyboard language support.

iOS 16.4 release notes

This update includes the following improvements and bug fixes:

• 21 new emojis including animals, hand gestures and objects are now available in the emoji keyboard.
• Notifications for web apps added to the home screen
• Voice isolation for mobile calls prioritizes your voice and blocks out ambient noise.
• The Duplicate Album in Photos expands support for detecting duplicate photos and videos in iCloud Shared Library.
• VoiceOver support for maps in the Weather app
• Accessibility settings to automatically dim video when flashing lights or stroboscopic effects are detected
• Fixes an issue where “Ask to Buy”requests from children might not appear on the parent’s device.
• Fixes issues that could cause Matter compatible thermostats to become unresponsive when paired with Apple Home.
• Optimized crash detection on iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models.

macOS Ventura 13.3 Release Notes

This update includes new emoji as well as other improvements, bug fixes and security updates for your Mac.

• 21 new emojis including animals, hand gestures and objects are now available in the emoji keyboard.
• The Remove Background option in Freeform will automatically isolate the object in your image.
• The Duplicate Photos album expands support for detecting duplicate photos and videos in iCloud Shared Library.
• Transliteration support for Gujarati, Punjabi and Urdu keyboards.
• New keyboard layouts for Choctaw, Chickasaw, Akan, Hausa and Yoruba.
• Accessibility settings to automatically dim video when flashing lights or stroboscopic effects are detected
• VoiceOver support for maps in the Weather app
• Fixes an issue where trackpad gestures could sometimes become unresponsive.
• Fixes an issue where “Ask to Buy”requests from children might not appear on the parent’s device.
• Addresses an issue where VoiceOver may become unresponsive after using the Finder.