iOS 16 was released earlier this week and offers many more features than what was shown off at WWDC 2022. According to two sources, Apple’s forthcoming iPhone OS will have several new APIs, including one that allows third-party apps to use walkie-talkie capabilities. A presentation at WWDC 2022 is said to have presented the functionality, its workings, and how developers might use it in their projects. Another innovation in iOS 16 will be the ability to transfer eSIM connections between iPhones over Bluetooth.
The news regarding the walkie-talkie capabilities comes from a 9to5mac story, which claims the API is called “Push to Talk.” In layman’s terms, the API allows developers to integrate a walkie-talkie into their iOS apps. With this, audio messages may be sent and played in real-time with the touch of a button, even if the app is operating in the background.
Users can see “conversation at the top of the screen,” according to the report, with the app icon and the name of the person communicating displayed on top. It will also allow users to respond real-time with the audio or exit the conversation. Push to Talk is said to work for both solo and group interactions. It’s worth noting that Apple’s watchOS 5 comes with a walkie-talkie software pre-installed.