In June last year, Apple had first showed off the latest iOS – the iOS 15. On Sept 20th, it was released as well. Some of the latest features in iOS 15 include redesigned Apple Maps, Safari, more privacy protection, a fresh notification system, as well as FaceTime calls.
The redesigned notifications are a great addition to the home screen. It involves larger app icons and personalized contact photos. A new feature known as notification summary gathers all the notifications and only sends them at a pre-determined time to reduce distractions.
Another new feature in the new iOS 15 is the Focus mode feature. As the name implies, it filters out apps and notifications depending on the user’s preference. Also setting Focus applies to all Apple devices you own. Safari’s redesign involves a better, compact UI and easier time navigating between tabs.
The new Apple Maps features a fresh 3D city view that shows a lot more details. iOS 15 also features Spatial Audio and voice isolation when users are calling anyone over FaceTime.
The Apple Wallet now supports new types of keys in iOS 15 – these can be keys for hotel rooms, offices, or homes. This year, residents in some select US states can also add their state ID or driver’s license to their Apple Wallet app.
There have also been features added such as Live Text. Live Text uses artificial intelligence present on the Apple device to recognize text from a picture. Users can then copy, highlight, and search for the text in the picture scanned by Live Text.
The Latest Privacy Protection
As for the privacy protection in iOS 15, there has been a host of new additional features. An example is how the iPhone can now directly process Siri requests. This also makes for better responsiveness.
Mail Privacy Protection has been introduced to Apple Mail that can prevent senders from knowing if the recipient has opened an email. By doing so, Mail Privacy Protection also prevents the senders from finding out the IP address of the recipient.
There is another privacy protection feature known as the App Privacy Report that has been added. It simply shows how often the Apple apps actually use the permissions that they ask for and have been given.
iOS 15 is available to iPhone 6s as well as later models. This means that every device that could run iOS 14 can run iOS 15 as well.
How To Get iOS 15
All Apple users that have compatible devices can get iOS 15. Apple users can get it by simply navigating to Software Update inside their Apple Settings.
The latest iOS 15 version is 3.1. It was publicly released on Feb 10th, Thursday. It featured a security patch as well as bug fixes, primarily for the Safari web browser.
The second beta version of iOS 15 version 4 was made available to public beta testers and developers on Feb 8th, Tuesday. It adds new features such as the Apple wallet being able to hold vaccine certificates in the EU.
The latest version also lets Apple users use Face ID even if they are wearing masks. This feature is available to iPhone 12 and newer models. Other features include a widget for Apple Cards, notest for iCloud Keychain, personalized email domains, share sheet Shareplay, and quite a few more.
The Notification Summary Update And Focus Mode
The brand new notification summary is a personalized feature that collects unimportant notifications. It then delivers them at a time when it is more appropriate, like the evening or morning. In the notification summary mode, the notification is arranged according to priority. The device’s intelligence analyzes how much the user interacts with the sets the priority accordingly.
The Focus mode can filter notifications as well as the Home Screen depending on the preferences of the user. But it will still show the most important notifications. When incoming notifications are being blocked by a user’s Focus Mode, other people in Apple Messages will automatically see their status.
The Focus Mode settings will be automatically suggested to Apple users by the intelligence onboard the device. Focus Modes sync across all the Apple devices owned by a user.
The Latest Apple Wallet In iOS 15
The Apple Wallet’s car keys support has also expanded. It now uses Ultra-Wideband to start, lock, and unlock without the need to actually have the iPhone in your hand. Moreover, Ultra-Wideband gives accurate spatial awareness- this means that the iOS 15 will prevent from locking the car if the iPhone is inside or starting the car when the iPhone is outside.
Apple wallet supports remote entry controls without keys as well now. Beginning in 2022, some select Apple users in specific US states can add their state ids and driver’s license to the Apple Wallet. As per the statement from Apple, the Transportation Security Administration has been working on enabling security checkpoints at airports as the first test for customers to use their Apple Wallet identity card.
Music Updates And Miscellaneous
As for the music capabilities of the iOS 15, Apple users will be able to use AirPods Max and AirPods pro to listen. These AirPods also support the Apple-exclusive dynamic head tracking and Dolby Atmos to create a fantastic experience. Moreover, the Apple Music app can now highlight music that someone else has shared over Apple Messages.
For Apple ID, Apple users will now be able to select at least one more trusted person to be an Account Recovery Contact. They can choose more than one for this role as well.
The brand new Digital Legacy program lets users designate people as Legacy Accounts. These people can access the user’s Apple ID and account if the user dies.
Finally, perhaps most importantly, Apple no longer forces users to upgrade to the latest iOS 15 version. Users can choose to continue on Apple iOS 14. Apple Inc has stated that iOS 14 users will still get important security patches until the user decides to upgrade to iOS 15.