Apple Releases Updates for Major Platforms with New Emoji and Improved Features

Apple has officially released updates for its major platforms, including MacOS 13.3, iOS/iPadOS 16.4, and WatchOS 9.4. The updates bring new features, including 21 new emoji, improved voice isolation for calls, and bug fixes.

One of the major highlights of the updates is the addition of five new animals, two new hand gestures, three new colored hearts, and several household objects such as a folding fan, a flute, and maracas to the emoji keyboard. Other new features include Voice Isolation for cellular calls to block out ambient noise, and a new accessibility feature that dims the screen when it detects flashing lights or strobe effects in video content.

The Duplicates album in Photos will now cross-check with images stored in the iCloud Shared Photo Library, and a series of bug fixes address issues with content management for parents, accidental alarm muting, and more. Additionally, Apple has reintroduced the HomeKit architecture that was pulled from iOS 16.2 and MacOS Ventura 13.1 last year due to users reporting certain Siri commands not working correctly and smart home devices not showing up correctly in the Home App.

Apple notes that the new updates also resolve a pairing issue with Matter-compatible devices. Users are encouraged to check their devices for the updates and install them as soon as possible to enjoy the latest features and improvements.