iOS 15 and more: Apple releases RC versions

Apple has now released the release candidate versions (RC) of iOS 15, iPadOS 15, tvOS 15 and watchOS 8 for registered developers.

The new version of iOS 15 is available to developers as an over-the-air update available. Alternatively, the new build can also be downloaded from the Developer Center. In addition to iOS 15, the RC version of iPadOS 15, tvOS 15 and watchOS 8 was also released. Accordingly, Apple will soon make the new software generation available to all users worldwide.

iOS 15: Short Summary

iOS 15 comes with a ton of great features. There are a number of new features for FaceTime, including SharePlay (not available at launch), video calling, and web support for Android and Windows. There's the new Live Text feature in the Camera and Photos app, the new Focus mode, redesigned notifications, revamped Safari, and much more. As you'd expect from a milestone release, the changes are extensive. Apple continues its push to protect user privacy and security in the latest version. You can find details on each of the changes in our big summaries below.

• iOS 15: All the new features in the Health app
• iOS 15: All the new features in HomeKit
• iOS 15: All new features in the weather app
• iOS 15 innovations: How Apple makes Siri better
• iOS 15: All new features in Find My at a glance
• iOS 15: All the new notifications
• iOS 15: All new features in iMessage at a glance
• iOS 15: All the new features in FaceTime

iPadOS 15

Alongside iOS 15, Apple also released iPadOS 15, complete with the new ability to apply widgets to the home screen and more. While it includes many of the feature changes from iOS, it also has some changes that are aimed only at tablet users. The changes range from support for new widgets on the home screen to major improvements in how apps handle multi-tasking.

tvOS 15 Update: Small but nice

For example, tvOS 15 will see SharePlay and a new "Shared with you" section in the TV app. This continues the work that began last year with tvOS 14, which introduced "Home view" for controlling smart home accessories, audio sharing, multi-user support, game controllers, and more. Here are the new features coming to tvOS 15:

• Support for Spatial Audio with AirPods Pro and AirPods Max
• Lossless audio (coming later this year)
• HomePod mini can be used as a speaker for Apple TV
• “Hey Siri” can be used to play content on the TV
• A new “Shared with you” section in the TV app displays content that has previously been shared with the user

watchOS 8

Of course, watchOS 8 also adds a few interesting new features. The Breathe app is now part of the Mindfulness app on Apple Watch. Apple has also added a new animation to the Breathe screen during the exercise.

Sleep & Fitness+

The Sleep app now tracks breathing rate, a health metric that helps users determine the quality of their nightly sleep. Apple also added two new workouts to the Fitness app - Thai Chi and Pilates. These workouts are also included in the new Apple Fitness+ sessions that will be available to users in the fall.

watchOS 8: Photos & Messages

The Photos app has a new iPhone-like design with a mosaic layout, reminders, and featured photos. Users can navigate through the app with the Digital Crown and select images with a tap. The sharing feature in Photos has also been improved and allows users to share an image via iMessage or Mail. When sending a message, users can control the cursor with the Digital Crown. Apple has also added a GIF search within the Messages app. Below we have listed the update descriptions verbatim. (Photo by yalcin.sonat / Bigstockphoto)

iOS 15 update description:

FaceTime

• During a group FaceTime call, 3D audio makes voices sound like they're coming from the direction of the people speaking (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, and later).
• Voice Isolation mode blocks out background noise so your voice sounds crystal clear (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, and later).
• Wide Range mode lets you hear all background noise during a call (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, and later).
• Portrait mode puts you in focus and blurs the background (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, and later).
• Grid view shows up to six people at once during a FaceTime call. All tiles are the same size and the person speaking is highlighted.
• FaceTime links let you invite others to a FaceTime call. People with Android or Windows devices can also join from their browser.

Messages and Memoji

• The new Shared with You section in Photos, Safari, Apple News, Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, or the Apple TV app shows content that others have sent you through conversations in the Messages app.
• Pinned content highlights content you select and increases its visibility in the Shared with you section, in searches in Messages, and in the conversation details view.
• Multiple photos sent in the Messages app appear as a neat collage or scrollable stack.
• There are more than 40 Memoji outfits available and up to three different colors to customize the clothing and headwear of your Memoji stickers.

focus

• With the Focus feature, you can automatically filter notifications based on your current activity (such as fitness, sleeping, playing, reading, driving, working, or “me time”).
• During configuration, the Focus feature uses the device's artificial intelligence to suggest apps and people you want to allow to send notifications while you have an active Focus.
• Home screen pages can be customized to contain apps and widgets that fit a particular focus.
• Context-dependent suggestions recommend a focus depending on the situation and use indicators such as your location or the time of day.
• In Messages conversations, your contacts will see your status, which indicates whether you have muted notifications using a focus.

messages

• The new design shows contact photos for people and larger icons for apps.
• Generated daily according to a schedule you set, the Notifications Overview provides a useful summary of your notifications.
• Notifications can be muted in any app or conversation (for the next hour or for the entire day).

cards

• Detailed city maps show elevations, trees, buildings, landmarks, crosswalks and turning lanes, and offer 3D views for navigating complex traffic intersections for the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York and London, among others—more cities to come (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and later).
• New driving features include a new map that shows details such as traffic volumes and disruptions, as well as a route planner for your upcoming trip that allows you to specify departure and arrival times in the future.
• Immersive and detailed pedestrian routes using augmented reality (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and newer).
• Redesigned transit information gives you one-tap access to nearby departure times, lets you view and interact with your route with one hand, and lets you know when you reach your stop.
• An interactive 3D globe shows optimized details for mountain ranges, deserts, forests, oceans, and more (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, and later).
• Redesigned place maps make it easy to learn more about and interact with places. Get the best recommendations for places you'll love in the new home for editorially curated travel guides.

safari

• The bottom tab bar is easier to reach and makes it easier to switch between tabs by swiping left or right.
• Tab groups make it easier to secure and organize tabs and access them across devices.
• The open tabs are displayed in the grid view of the tab overview.
• The home screen can be customized with a background image and there are new sections such as “Privacy Report,” “Siri Suggestions,” and “Shared with You.”
• Web extensions in iOS make it easier to personalize your browsing experience and can be downloaded from the App Store.
• With voice search you can search the internet using your voice.

wallet

• House Keys lets you unlock a supported door lock in your home or apartment with a simple tap (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, and later).
• Hotel room keys allow you to unlock your room at a participating hotel with a simple tap.
• Office keys allow you to unlock your office with a simple tap if your company supports this.
• Car keys with Ultra Wideband technology can be used to unlock, lock, and start a supported car without taking your iPhone out of your bag or pocket (iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 models).
• Functions of the remote key for your car allow you to lock, unlock, honk, preheat the seats or open the tailgate of supported vehicles.

Live Text

• Live Text makes text in photos in Photos, Screenshot, Quick View, and Safari interactive so you can copy, paste, look up, and translate it. Live Text is also available in live previews in the Camera app (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, and later).
• Data recognition for Live Text detects phone numbers, email addresses, dates, postal addresses, and more in photos so you can interact with those texts.
• Live Text is available via the keyboard, allowing you to insert text directly from the camera's viewfinder into any text field.

Spotlight

• Detailed search results give you all the information about contacts, actors, musicians, movies and TV shows you are looking for.
• Photos can be searched through your photo library by location, people, scenes, text, and subjects such as a dog or a car.
• The image search on the Internet allows you to search for images of people, animals, monuments and more.

photos

• Memories have a new look, featuring a new interactive interface, animated cards with smart, dynamically responsive titles, new animation and transition styles, and multi-image collages.
• If you subscribe to Apple Music, you can add songs from Apple Music to your Memories. Personalized song suggestions combine expert recommendations with your music taste and the content of your photos and videos.
• Throwback mixes allow you to choose music and a look that suits your mood.
• New types of recaps include international holidays, recaps with kids, trends over time, and improved pet recaps.
• The info window now displays detailed information about the photo such as camera and lens, exposure time, file size and more.

Health

• The Share feature lets you share health data, alerts, and trends with people you care about or who support you.
• Trends show you how certain health values develop over time. You can be notified when a new trend is detected.
• Walking Stability is a new health metric that assesses your risk of falling and alerts you when your walking stability is low (iPhone 8 and later).
• The Verifiable Records feature allows you to upload and save verifiable versions of COVID-19 vaccinations and lab results.

Weather

• A new design shows the most important weather information for a specific location and includes new map modules.
• Weather maps can be viewed in full screen mode and show precipitation, temperatures and air quality in supported countries.
• Next-hour precipitation alerts let you know when rain or snow is expected soon, or when the precipitation will stop (Ireland, UK, and USA).
• New animated backgrounds show the position of the sun, clouds, and precipitation even more precisely (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, and later).

Siri

• On-device speech processing means that audio of your requests does not leave your device by default and that Siri can process many requests offline (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and later).
• Use Siri to share items you see in Maps, such as photos, web pages, and places, with your contacts.
• Context on the display can be used by Siri to, for example, send a message or call displayed contacts.
• On-device personalization enables improved voice recognition by Siri – privately on your device (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and later).

data protection

• Email privacy protection prevents email senders from obtaining information about your email activity, seeing your IP address, and determining whether you have opened the email, thus protecting your privacy.
• Safari's Intelligent Tracking Protection now prevents known trackers from creating a profile of you based on your IP address.

iCloud+

• iCloud+ is a cloud subscription service that provides you with premium features and additional iCloud storage.
• iCloud Private Relay (Beta) sends your requests through two separate internet relays and encrypts internet traffic leaving your device so you can browse more securely and privately in Safari.
• Hide Email Address lets you create unique, random email addresses that forward emails to your personal inbox. This lets you send and receive emails without revealing your real email address.
• HomeKit Secure Video supports connecting additional security cameras without using iCloud storage.
• With your own email domain, you can personalize your iCloud email address and invite family members to use the same domain.

accessibility features

• Use VoiceOver to discover more details in images and get additional information about people and objects, as well as text and table data in photos.
• VoiceOver image descriptions in Markups let you add your own image descriptions that VoiceOver can read aloud.
• App-specific settings allow you to individually adjust the display and text size for the apps you want.
• With the "Background Sounds" option, you can select balanced, bright or gloomy sounds, ocean, rain or river noises that will be played continuously in the background to mask annoying ambient noise.
• Sound Actions for Switch Control let you control your iPhone with simple mouth noises.
• Audiograms can be imported into the Settings app so you can make appropriate headphone adjustments based on the hearing test results.
• New languages for voice control include Mandarin (Mainland China), Cantonese (Hong Kong), French (France) and German (Germany).
• Memoji options include a cochlear implant, oxygen goggles, and head protection.

This version also includes additional features and improvements:

• Tags in Notes and Reminders let you quickly categorize your items to make them easier to find, and you can use custom Smart Folders and Smart Lists to automatically group your notes and reminders based on rules you define.
• Mentions in Notes let you alert others to important updates in shared notes, and the new Activity Overview shows all recent changes to a note in a single list.
• 3D audio with dynamic tracking of your head movements in Apple Music offers an even more immersive listening experience for Dolby Atmos music with AirPods Pro and AirPods Max.
• The system-wide translation feature lets you select and translate text with just one tap – even in photos.
• The new widgets include Find My, Contacts, App Store, Sleep, Game Center and Mail.
• A cross-app drag-and-drop feature allows you to transfer images, documents and files from one app to another.
• A magnifying glass on the keyboard enlarges the text as you move the cursor.
• As the account recovery contact for your Apple ID, you can specify one or more trusted people who can help you recover your password so that you can regain access to your account.
• With iCloud temporary storage, iCloud provides you with as much storage as you need for a temporary backup of your data, free of charge, for up to three weeks after purchasing a new device.
• If you turn on Lost Alerts in the Find My app, you'll receive a notification when you leave a supported device or item in a location, along with directions to the item.
• Gaming highlights can be saved in the form of a clip containing a maximum of the last 15 seconds of gameplay using game controllers such as the Xbox Series X|S Wireless Controller or Sony PS5 DualSense™ Wireless Controller.
• Discover limited-time in-app events in apps and games—like gaming competitions, a new movie premiere, or live streams—right in the App Store.

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