During the opening presentation of this year’s WWDC 2021 conference, Apple announced a range of new software updates to its ecosystem. This includes iOS 15, iPadOS 15, Mac OS ?? and Watch OS. Apple has worked on a range of tweaks and new features across the board for all of the software available to users.
iOS 15
iOS 15 is bringing a range of new features to iPad and iPhone. Spatial Audio for FaceTime being one of them. Apple says that calls will sound better than ever with this new feature. In addition, Noise Reduction further adds a new level of clarity to the app. FaceTime is also getting a cleaner Grid View that sorts the users on your call. There’s also a Portrait View that will soften the image around you and blur the background.
Facetime links create a link before the call by creating an event. Great for meetings and chats. Facetime links is available for Windows and Android devices too. Apple wants to tackle the Zoom industry.
If entertainment during FaceTime calls is your thing then SharePlay lets you listen to music together, watch movies together and share your screen with your Facetime users. Apple says that you can automatically start a song in Apple Music and it will play for your FaceTime callers. The same goes for entertainment through the Apple TV app.
iMessage is also getting a revamp that includes new stacks of photos, reactions in those photos and a new “Shared With You” feature that keeps track of all the content users receive during the day in the app. Shared With You tracks music, articles, videos and other content. If you can’t access that content at the time, it will be available across various apps. For example, the photos you get sent are found in the photo app. Music is in the music app and articles are in the Apple News App. Users can pin content and iOS 15 does the rest.
iOS 15 is getting a new Focus mode that is tweaking the notifications system. Instead of notifications piling up, iOS 15 will automatically compile all the notifications and put them together in a summary. Apple says the most relevant ones will be on top and users can turn all unwanted notifications off.
Focus is also a new way to adjust your notifications and apps depending on your setting. A “Work Focus” will rearrange your home screen to disable apps that may break your focus. Users can adjust and tweak this focus mode to their liking.
iOS 15 includes a new Live Text feature that lets users automatically select text from photos and turn it into text that can be sent in emails and messages. The feature also enables a new way to search for objects, art and animals. Apple says users just need to tap on a supported item and it will search for it. An example is searching for a dog breed. In your photos, iOS 15 will detect the dog and offer the option to search for the breed.
Apple is also adding new features to Photo Memories including Apple Music support. Users can now create unique slideshows using different songs that will tweak not only the flow of a memory but also its filter.
Apple is tweaking Siri by adding offline, on-device support. Users can issue a range of commands locally without the need for internet. Apple showcased these features including opening apps and adjusting system settings. Apple says the offline version of Siri is extremely fast. Users can also choose from a range of new Siri voices that are arriving in iOS 15.
Other features
- Redesigned Weather Apps
- Redesigned Maps
- ID Card support for Wallet App
- Suggested Widgets
- New Memoji outfits
- Find My Supports powered-off iPhones
iPadOS 15
There isn’t a lot happening in iPadOS 15. However, users will be happy to know that the update is catching up to iOS 14. This includes adding the iPhone App Library to the iPad along with a quick note feature that lets users quickly take notes by swiping up from the bottom of their display. iPadOS 15 is also getting the same Focus Mode, Live Text and FaceTime features.
Developing…
