Apple has unveiled iOS 15. This update is coming to select iPhones and adds many new features. You can read the most important iOS 15 improvements in this article.
iOS is the operating system that the iPhone runs on. Every year Apple presents a new version, this year 15. iOS 15 comes via an update to eligible iPhones. This happens in the fall, probably September. Until then, you can already install iOS 15 as a test version on your iPhone. Apple will release several beta updates in the near future with improvements and new features. Keep in mind that the iOS 15 beta is not completely stable and not all functions work (properly).
iOS 15 improvements for your rest
Many important iOS 15 improvements concern you. iOS 15, for example, has a new notification bar where your notifications appear. You can set a status – for example that you are studying, sitting in the car or sleeping – and the notifications automatically adjust accordingly. Your status syncs on all your Apple devices, so you can work quietly on your iPad and Mac.
You also get to see quick responses to notifications, which you can send with one touch. This way you spend less time with your smartphone. There will also be a do not disturb mode. If you turn it on, others in apps like iMessage will see your status and know that you don’t want or can’t answer right away. In an emergency, they can ignore the mode. Do not disturb mode also syncs with all your Apple devices.
Also pay a lot of attention to your mental and physical health. Apple is expanding the capabilities of the Health app to give you more insight into your activity and fitness. If you wear an Apple Watch, you can view even more stats. The collaboration between the iPhone and Apple Watch has been further improved with iOS 15.
Spotlight expanded
Spotlight’s quick search feature has also been expanded in iOS 15. You’ll see more information about contacts, for example. In addition, Apple apps will work better together. For example, you can now play music from Apple Music in the Photos app. The Apple Maps app gets new, improved maps with air quality information and more. There will also be 3D maps on which you can estimate the height of buildings and landscapes. The app is also getting a dark mode. All these cards will not be available in the Netherlands for the time being, possibly later.
AirPods get smarter with iOS 15
Another handy feature of iOS 15 is that you can find the earbuds better via the Find my app. You’ll get more detailed directions to find them. You will also receive a warning message if your iPhone recognizes that your earbuds are left behind somewhere, for example when visiting or on the city bench.
In addition, you can set more background noises, adjust how much ambient noise the AirPods (Pro or Max) should suppress and you can indicate that the earbuds should let through important notifications.
More versatile video calling with Facetime
Apple is also improving Facetime, the app for video calling with someone who (until today is required) also has an Apple device. The audio should now sound more realistic and there is a mode to block out distracting background noise. Also new is Gridview, for group conversations. Everyone is now more clearly in the picture.
You can now also make Facetime calls on Android and Windows, from a favorite web app. So that’s a change that makes Facetime more suitable for groups. In addition, you can have music played in Facetime, where the music sounds from everyone’s speaker at the same time. It is possible to create a shared playlist, to which all participants can add music.
Instead of music, you can also watch a movie, TV show or documentary together. For this feature, Apple partners with well-known video services, including Disney+, HBOMax and TikTok – but not Netflix. The video sharing feature only works if both partners have an Apple device.
watchOS 8 was also presented
Which iPhones are suitable for iOS 15?
The iOS 15 update is expected to be available for the iPhone 7 (Plus) and newer. Think of the iPhone 8, Xs, 11 and 12. iPhones that are already (at least) five years old are probably not getting an iOS 15 update. Apple stops the version updates for the iPhone 6S (Plus) and original iPhone SE. Those stick to iOS 14. The iPhone 13 series will be released this fall, which will run on iOS 15 out of the box.
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