Apple Releases First Public Betas of iOS 16.6 and iPadOS 16.6
Apple today seeded the first betas of upcoming iOS 16.6 and iPadOS 16.6 updates to public beta testers, allowing non-developers to test out the software head of its official launch. The public betas come just a few days after Apple provided the betas to developers.

Those who have signed up their accounts for Apple's free beta testing program can enable the beta by opening up the Settings app, going to General, selecting Software Update, tapping on Beta Updates, and selecting the iOS 16 Public Beta option.
iOS 16.6 seems to be a relatively minor update, although Apple does appear to be laying the groundwork for the launch of the previously announced iMessage Contact Key Verification feature in this update.
Development on iOS 16 is slowing down as Apple prepares for the unveiling of iOS 17 in just two weeks at WWDC, and iOS 16.6 is likely to be one of the last updates to iOS 16 before the public release of iOS 17 expected in September.
An initial public beta of watchOS 9.6 has also been released.
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