Apple’s iOS 16 is now available for download

(CNN Business) — Apple on Monday released its next generation of mobile software, iOS 16, with new features that allow users to customize their iPhone’s lock screens and change the way they text friends via iMessage.

One of the most anticipated changes is the ability to edit and unsend recently sent iMessages, or mark messages as unread if users want to view them again later. Recipients will get an alert that the original message has been edited or deleted, and it only works if both users are on iOS 16. Apple previously said this was one of the most requested features by users.

But perhaps the biggest change is the interactive lock screen. Now features custom fonts, new photo effects, custom wallpapers, and widgets that add information at a glance.

Widgets include calendar events, battery life, alarms, Apple Watch activity rings and weather, as well as the ability to follow “live” activities, such as the progress of an Uber ride, updates on a sports game or food deliveries. (Android introduced an interactive lock screen last year.)

There are also options to create multiple lock screens with different backgrounds that can be changed throughout the day. Users can search for wallpapers with suggested images from the user photo library, and notifications now appear at the bottom of the screen to stay out of the way.

The updated software works with any iPhone model since the iPhone 8, released in 2017. Apple previously teased the features in June at its annual developer conference.

Last week, Apple introduced its new iPhone 14 lineup, among other devices. For customers who are hesitant to trade in their old iPhones for a relatively bulky upgrade — especially amid fears of an impending recession — downloading iOS 16 could breathe new life into their smartphones.

With the new updates, users will also be able to share browser tabs with groups and find more filters for their Focus app, like unmuting favorite apps and messages from certain people. Apple is also offering the option to use the Fitness app to track movement without an Apple Watch for the first time.

And the funniest feature of all may be the ability to crop the subject of an image or its background, and drop it somewhere else, like in iMessage.

To download the new software, visit the Software Update section in Settings. However, the first version of next-generation mobile software updates often contain bugs; users can back up important photos or files before downloading it or wait until the second version is released, probably in the next few weeks.