Apple’s iOS 15, iPad OS 15 and watchOS 8 updates are dropping September 20th, days ahead of iPhone 13 lineup. The latest version of iOS adds new features for FaceTime and Messages, smarter notifications and a new LiveText feature.
With the update, iPhone and iPad owners can take advantage of FaceTime improvements, including the addition of spatial audio and noise reduction features to eliminate distracting background sounds, The revamped Messages app adds a new “shared with you” feature that makes it easier to track photos, music and news articles that are shared in chats with a dedicated section for shared content.
Apple is also changing up its notifications, with new tools to control how and when you receive push alerts. New “Focus” modes, allow you to tune out all alerts except for apps and people you specifically want to hear from, and you can set specific profiles for working, sleeping and other activities. These profiles can also change the arrangement of apps on your home screen based on the apps you’re most likely to use throughout the day.
One of the more intriguing features of iOS 15 is Live Text, which uses the camera to scan your surroundings and surface relevant information. If you point it at a whiteboard, for example, it could pull out the written text for you to share. It could also identify art, landmarks, plants and pets.
Notably, the initial release won’t include Apple’s new SharePlay features, which is expected in a later update. The company also recently confirmed it would delay iOS 15’s most controversial features: the planned child safety update that will allow the company to detect illegal child abuse imagery on users’ devices. Apple said earlier this month it was delaying the changes in order to “make improvements” to the widely-criticized system.
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