Table of Content
iOS 15 was released on September 20th, 2021, and was introduced by Apple in June of that year.
FaceTime conversations get a host of improvements in iOS 15. Tools to cut down on distractions, notifications get a makeover, and privacy settings get beefed up. iOS 15’s notification design now includes contact photographs for people, as well as larger app icons. Distraction is minimised via a notification summary, which groups alerts together for delivery at a convenient time and ranks them according to priority for delivery.
Short Intro Of iOS 15 Features
Focus is a new feature that allows users to focus on specific notifications or apps based on their preferences.
It is possible for someone to hide their Focus from others when it is blocking incoming notifications in Messages.
The on-device intelligence in iOS suggests several Focus settings, such as working hours or calming down for bed, but users can also establish their own Focus. As soon as one Apple device is assigned a Focus, the Focus is automatically applied to all other Apple devices as well.
The look and feel of Safari has been entirely redesigned. As a result, it’s much easier to use the controls now that they’re one-handed. With the new, slimmed-down tab bar at the bottom of the screen, users may swiftly switch between open tabs with a swipe.
Using Tab Groups, users can keep their favourite tabs and have quick access to them on any device, no matter where they are. For the first time, the start page can be customised, and web extensions are available..
How to Install iOS 15 on Your iPhone or iPad
As of right now, iOS 15 is only accessible to developers and public beta testers as a preview beta release.
The profile for iOS 15 beta is available for registered developers to download from the Apple Developer Center. Beta updates will be made available over-the-air once the profile is installed.
iOS 15’s public beta can be downloaded via beta.apple.com for free. Because iOS 15 is an early release, it’s best installed on a separate device to avoid encountering any problems.
iOS 15’s new features and issues will be fine-tuned during the course of the testing cycle, which is expected to span several months. During the beta testing period, developers will be allowed to implement new iOS 15 features and support the new operating system. On the 20th of September, iOS 15 was made available to all users with supported devices.
iOS 15: The Latest Version
iOS 15.0 was made available to the general public on September 20th. Face ID anti-spoofing models were strengthened, and additional vulnerabilities were fixed. The beta testing period for iOS 15 revealed that key functionality, such as AirPods Find My and SharePlay support, had been delayed and were not yet available. Apple has seeded a beta version of iOS 15.1 to developers. Public beta testers, allowing users to add vaccination cards to their Apple Wallets and re-enabling SharePlay functionality.
Latest Notification Design
Notifications have been entirely overhauled in iOS 15. App icons will now have larger, more prominent icons in notification centres. Making it easier for users to distinguish between them. Unimportant notifications can now be gathered in a tailored notification summary. Sent at a more convenient time, such as early in the morning or late at night.
On-device intelligence analyses the user’s interactions with apps to prioritise alerts. So the most important and relevant ones appear at the top of the list. The delivery of urgent messages will send immediate. Notifications that are time-sensitive will continue to be immediate. iOS 15 allows you to temporarily mute alerts from any app or chat thread, and it will advise that you do so if a thread is especially active even when you aren’t participating in it.
Additionally, developers now have access to a new notification API that enables them to deliver Time Sensitive notifications and use the new design for notifications from people.
Background Noice Focus
Focus is a new feature in iOS 15 that’s meant to help users stay focused by reducing background noise and other sources of distraction. It is possible to use a Focus on only certain notifications. Home Screen pages at a given time, while still receiving all other notifications. As focus incoming alerts block, others in Messages will immediately see the user’s status as “Unavailable”.
In order to identify which individuals and applications should notify you at certain moments, iOS will automatically suggest Focuses to users. User context is taken into account when making focus suggestions. Such as whether someone is winding down for the evening or getting ready for work. When setting up a Focus, users have the option of just showing selected notifications. Home Screen pages, as well as allowing interruptions for only the most critical notifications or apps. A Focus set on one Apple device syncs with all of them. Third-party messaging apps can reflect a Focus state using a new Status API implemented by developers…
FaceTime
When using FaceTime on iOS 15, you may use Spatial Audio, which makes it appear as if the person on the other end of the video call is in front of the camera. It’s possible to employ new microphone modes to isolate a user’s voice from outside noise. As an alternative, to make background noise in Wide Spectrum mode. As a result of the introduction of FaceTime’s Portrait mode and mute alerts. Now, users can make video calls with their backgrounds blurred their faces in focus. The back camera now has an optical zoom control as well as a new grid view for group FaceTime chats, allowing participants to see more faces at once.
SharePlay is a new FaceTime feature that lets users share media like Apple Music music, TV episodes, or movies with each other while on a FaceTime conversation. There are shared playback controls, so anyone in a SharePlay session can play, pause, or skip content, as well as contribute to a shared queue. Media is played in sync for all participants and shared playback. In a FaceTime chat, participants can also use SharePlay to share their screens and view apps together.
A number of third-party services have committed to integrating SharePlay. These are including Disney+, ESPN+, HBO Max, Hulu, MasterClass, Paramount+, Pluto TV, TikTok, and Twitch. As a result, users can connect using FaceTime while watching TV shows or movies on a larger screen using SharePlay. You can hear your friends even if the shared content is playing loudly thanks to smart volume management. In-app Messages controls are also available in SharePlay.
FaceTime Links
Messages, Calendar, Mail, and third-party apps will all be able to share a link to a FaceTime call. Web browsers , Android and Windows devices can now open FaceTime links in the FaceTime app On Apple devices. FaceTime calls made via the web are encrypted from beginning to end to protect user privacy.
Store Memories With iOS 15
A significant upgrade to Memories can be found in the Photos app. It includes a new design, connectivity with Apple Music, a more engaging interface, and a new look for the Memory function. Using your Apple Music listening history, Memories will make personalised music recommendations. It can be sync with movies and photographs for a more enjoyable listening experience. Swapping through the different Memory mixes lets you hear different songs at different tempos and in varied environments, allowing you to personalise your memories.
For a consistent look, there are 12 Memory looks that analyse each photo or video. Apply the appropriate amount of contrast and colour adjustment. It’s possible to recognise particular dogs and cats in the upgraded pet memories. New Memory kinds such as international holidays, child-focused recollections, historical trends, and more.
A bird’s-eye view of a Memory allows you to see and change all of its material. Watch Next section directs you to related memories you might enjoy watching next. People album naming problems are now easier to correct thanks to improvements in the People identification system’s person recognition.
Photo Info Pan
Feature Less lets Photos know that a particular date, place, holiday, or person should be reduced in the Featured Photos. Memories sections make separate as well as in the Library page of Photos. Photos in iOS 15 now has a more detailed Info pane. You can see things like the camera, lens, shutter speed, file size, or who sent you a Shared with You photo in Messages. This information was previously only available in the Photos app. You may also change the date and location of the photo, add a caption, and see what Visual Look Up found.
You may now select photographs for sharing in a precise order using the Photos image picker, including in the Messages app. When you allow access to certain items in the Photos library, third-party apps can offer simpler selection workflows. In iOS 15, Apple claims that iCloud Photos first sync on a new device is faster.
An interactive world view is now available in Maps, and the details in a new 3D view of cities have been much improved. In addition to updated road colours and labelling and custom-designed landmarks, the game also shows neighbourhood details, business district elevation information as well as a new “moonlit” night-time option.
A new 3D city driving experience featuring road elements like turn lanes, medians, bike lanes, and pedestrian crosswalks is available in the Maps app for iPhone and Apple CarPlay. Travelers can now identify nearby stations and save their favourite lines with the overhaul of transit navigation. While using public transportation, Maps will automatically track the route and alert users when it’s time to get off.
A new augmented reality walking instructions view is also available. Users only need to hold up their iPhone for the Maps app to generate a precise location for delivering detailed walking directions via the camera. It’s now much easier to access and engage with information about businesses, locations, and physical elements thanks to newly redesigned place cards! Guides Home has been updated with editorially selected data about new locations.
There are new ways to narrow down results when looking for a new spot, such as by cuisine type or hours of operation. When you move about on the map, search results will be updated automatically, and the most-used settings are now all in one place.
Wallet With iOS 15
With iOS 15, the Wallet app now supports more key types, such as key cards for your house, office, company, or hotel accommodation. Car keys are now supported by the Wallet app, which uses Ultra Wideband to unlock, lock, and start your car while it remains in your pocket. As a result of Ultra Wideband’s accurate spatial awareness, iOS will prevent you from locking or starting your automobile while it is inside.
This new feature allows you to lock or unlock your car remotely using your Wallet. As well as use the remote to make an audible honk, preheat the car, or open the trunk. In 2021, Driver’s licence and state ID holders in participating states will be able to store their information in the Wallet app. Wallet subscribers will be able to utilize their digital Identity Card on different places.
The Wallet app will now now archive boarding cards and event tickets that have expired. In addition, Safari allows you to add several passes to Wallet in a single step rather than entering them one at a time manually..
Safari
iOS 15’s new Safari appearance debuts with the release of the operating system’s latest update. The controls have been relocated to the bottom of the screen for one-handed use. To make it easier for users to switch between open tabs, Google has added a new compact tab bar at the bottom of the screen that includes a Smart Search area. By utilising Tab Groups, users may preserve and sync their open tabs between their iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
In addition, a grid view is now available as a new tab on the toolbar.
Users may simply refresh a web page by pulling it down, and voice search is now supported. The new mobile web extensions and a customisable start page are also available in Safari for the first time. New privacy features in Safari in iOS 15 include Intelligent Tracking Prevention, which prevents trackers from profiling you based on your IP address, and automated HTTPS site upgrades in Safari from insecure HTTP.
Messaging
When you receive content via Messages, it displays in a new area called “Shared with You” in the appropriate app’s interface. Photos, Safari, Apple News, Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, and the Apple TV app all feature Shared with You. In Shared with You, Messages search, and Conversation Details, users can elevate noteworthy content that has been shared with them by pinning it. Messages now display a glanceable collage or a swipeable stack of photographs based on the number of photos delivered. Users of the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, and subsequent models with Dual SIM capability will be able to smoothly swap between phone numbers in the middle of an iMessage chat with iOS 15.
Other regional changes include undesired SMS filtering in Brazil. Notification choices in India and China. Allows users to turn off notifications for specific sorts of communications.
Weather
In iOS 15, the Weather app received a major overhaul. A full-screen map and dynamic layout are now included in the Weather app, so you can see the weather data in a more visually appealing way. Due to the sun’s current position and weather conditions, Apple has updated the dynamic backgrounds in the Weather app.
Rain and snow start and stop notifications are also available.
Health
As of iOS 15, the Health app now allows users to share specific health data with loved ones or caregivers via a new sharing tab. Descriptions, highlights, and the option to pin results have been added to lab results for ease of use. Users will be alerted to significant changes in their personal health measures when they see them in Health.
Walking Steadiness has been included as a new metric to the Health app to assist reduce fall risk.
COVID- A healthcare provider’s QR code can be used to store 19 immunizations and test results in the Health app. There are now interactive charts for blood glucose that display values when sleeping or exercising.
Find My App
The Find My app adds new capabilities to the Find My network to assist locate a lost or erased device. You know who chooses to share their location with you will now be able to give you directions. An idea of how fast they’re moving. In addition, AirPods Pro and AirPods Max now support Apple’s Find My network. New Find My widget gives you quick access to your current location. The new Separation Alerts will let you know if you’ve accidentally left an AirTag. An Apple device, or a Find My Accessories network somewhere you’re not familiar with.
Notes & Reminders
Notes in iOS 15 include new ways to sort and categorise notes thanks to user-created tags.
There’s a Tag Browser for swiftly viewing notes that have been tagged with several tags by tapping on them together. New custom folders collect notes based on tags automatically. A new Activity view reveals the recent modification history for shared notes, and users can mention one another to inform one another of updates.
Tags have been added to Reminders to make organising them easier, and you may search for and filter reminders based on tags. The new Tag Browser lets you easily examine reminders that have been tagged with multiple tags by simply tapping on them. New personalised smart lists collect reminders based on tags automatically. Improved natural language support. Increased suggested properties such as tags, flags, and priority are also part of iOS 15’s list of new features.
Siri
The Neural Engine in iOS 15 processes Siri requests locally on the device. Increasing security and responsiveness while also eliminating the need for an internet connection. As you use your device, speech recognition and understanding on the device improves. Moreover, As you interact with Siri, she learns about the people and things you’re most interested in, as well as new words you write and articles you read.
As a result, Siri can now send in-app things like images, web pages, podcasts, Apple News stories, Maps locations, and more as attachments to messages, or even capture a screenshot and send it as an attachment.
Siri may now send a message or make a phone call based on the current situation displayed on the screen.
Siri now does a better job of remembering context between queries, so you may bring up earlier questions in a conversation. When you leave home, for example, you can send a request to operate a HomeKit gadget at a specified time. There are now additional languages available in iOS 15 for Siri’s neural text-to-speech voice.
Siri also supports languages.
Child Protection Feature In iOS 15
New child safety measures will be added to Apple’s platforms through software updates. According to the company, the functionalities would initially be available solely in the US. Than later on rolled out to other nations.
Safety in Communication
A new Communication Safety feature is coming to the Messages app for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. These apps will alert children and their parents when they receive or send sexually inappropriate photographs. For image attachments, Apple has claimed the Messages app would utilise on-device machine learning to assess whether or not they are sexually explicit. If this happens, the image attachment will be automatically blurred and the child will be alerted.
Messages will warn children who seek to view a photo marked. It may contain intimate body parts and may be hurtful. Parents may also be able to choose whether or not their child sees the sensitive photo. There will also be an option for their child to transmit an explicit photo to another contact even after being warned.
Updates to iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS Monterey, which will include the Communication Safety feature. That will be available later this year for iCloud accounts set up as families. End-to-end encryption will keep iMessage chats secret, so Apple won’t be able to read them.
Analyzing Images to Look for Evidence of Child Sexual Abuse (CSAM)
The NCMEC is a NGO that collaborates with U.S. law enforcement agencies. They detect photographs of known Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) saved in iCloud Photos later this year. As far as Apple is concerned, the detection method for well-known CSAM is created with privacy.
Instead of scanning photographs in the cloud. The Apple claims that the technology will match CSAM image hashes from the NCMEC. Other child protection groups against a database on the device itself. This database will be converted into a secure set of hashes that can only be accessed by the users’ devices.
