iOS 16.6 Beta Coming Soon for iPhones Ahead of iOS 17 at WWDC

Apple has ramped up internal testing of iOS 16.6 over the past week, according to a reliable source of information. This suggests the first beta version of the update will be seeded to developers and public beta testers in the coming days.

iOS 16.6 will likely be a smaller update given that iOS 17 is on the horizon, but it remains to be seen which new features, changes, and bug fixes will be included. Apple previously announced that iMessage Contact Key Verification would be available in 2023, but it is unclear exactly when the optional security setting will launch.

iOS 16.6 should be released to the public in the weeks after WWDC, which begins June 5. There is no sign of Apple testing iOS 16.7 yet, but it's still early.