Exciting New iOS 15 Features and Updates

Apple recently rolled out iOS 15 (this is the most up-to-date operating system) which brought major improvements to several of the features that iPhone users already knew and loved. They also created new tools that have never been seen. Apple strived to create a better user experience for Apple users by introducing new features that are not just beneficial in the digital world, but in the real world too. Keep reading to learn about some of the new features and updates in iOS 15.

Improvements to Maps

Maps now lets you see the world like never before. Using augmented reality, Maps creates a more accurate view of the world around you by offering step-by-step directions when walking. This makes it easier to navigate a walking route with confusing directions, or a place you’ve never been before. While driving, Apple has also made it easier to navigate confusing intersections by shifting into a street level perspective so that it’s easier to see where to go. The updates to Maps provide iPhone users with a safer and easier to use navigation system.

Weather App has expanded

The Weather app received a fresh new look in iOS 15. Previously, you could only see the hourly and 10-day forecast. Now, you can see that plus more information such as percentage of precipitation in the 10-day forecast, air quality, humidity, and more. The new updates to the Weather app help you get way more information about what’s going on outside.

Photos are now searchable

Photos are now searchable in Spotlight. You can type and search for locations and objects in your photos. You can even search for photos that have specific text in them. This makes it easier to browse through the thousands of photos and memories that a lot of us keep saved in our phones.

Health App updates

The Health app also received a major update. It now has a sharing tab. This means users can share their health information with their families, loved ones, and caregivers. The data you want to share is completely up to you. You can choose from health data such as heart rate, detected falls, hours of sleep, exercise minutes, and more.

Perhaps the most unique update to the Health app is a feature known as Walking Steadiness which is available on iPhone 8 or later with iOS 15. Walking Steadiness is a feature that is used to help determine your risk of falling. As you walk with your iPhone, your balance, stability, and coordination are assessed by sensors built into the iPhone. The app then classifies everyday movements as OK, low, or very low. When your score is low or very low, the app will send you a notification. You will then be shown visual exercises that aim to increase strength and balance.

New Facetime features

iOS 15 also brings new features to Facetime, allowing you to share more meaningful experiences with others. Facetime now has spatial audio to make sound feel more natural, along with voice isolation using machine learning and wide spectrum to bring in more ambient sounds. A new feature within Facetime called SharePlay allows you to engage with friends and family in a new way while on Facetime. You can listen to the same music on Apple Music together or watch the same tv shows and movies on the screen together. Facetime also has the ability to Facetime Android and Windows users by sharing a link for them to use within a web browser.

Safari updates

Safari was updated to be easier to use with one hand, this means that the tab bar is located at the bottom of the screen, and it disappears as you scroll. Tab groups are another new feature added to Safari. Tab groups allow you to add several web pages into a “group” that can be labeled and kept for future use and accessibility. For example, if you were searching for the best chocolate cake recipes, you could name the group “chocolate cake recipes” and have various webpages saved in the group to read through and reference later. you can then share your tab group with any of your Apple devices that run iOS 15, macOS 12 Monterey, or iPadOS 15. That means you can pick up where you left off on more than one of your shared Apple devices.

If you aren’t too fond of the tab bar being at the bottom of the screen (change is hard, we know), you can change it back to reside at the top in Settings. Simply choose the Single Tab option.

Which iPhones are compatible with iOS 15?

iOS 15 is compatible with the following iPhones below. Please note that some features will only work with an A12 Bionic Chip or newer. This includes, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone SE (2nd gen), iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 13, and iPhone 13 Pro.

  • iPhone 6s
  • iPhone 6s Plus
  • iPhone SE (1st generation)
  • iPhone SE (2nd generation)
  • iPod Touch (7th generation)
  • iPhone 7
  • iPhone 7 Plus
  • iPhone 8
  • iPhone 8 Plus
  • iPhone X
  • iPhone XR
  • iPhone Xs
  • iPhone Xs Max
  • iPhone 11
  • iPhone 11 Pro
  • iPhone 11 Pro Max
  • iPhone 12 mini
  • iPhone 12
  • iPhone 12 Pro
  • iPhone 12 Pro Max
  • iPhone 13 mini
  • iPhone 13
  • iPhone 13 Pro
  • iPhone 13 Pro Max

How to update your iPhone’s iOS

Now that we have gone over just some of the many new features and updates that iOS 15 brings, feel free to update your phone and experience it for yourself. Here is how you can update your phone and install iOS 15:

  1. Plug your iPhone into power and connect to Wi-Fi
  2. Go to Settings > General > then tap Software Update
  3. You should see iOS 15
  4. Tap “Install Now”. If you see “Download and Install” instead, tap it to download the update. Then enter your passcode and tap “Install Now”