iOS 15 includes a ton of new features for your iPhone.
Apple
This story is part of Apple Event, our full coverage of the latest news from Apple headquarters.
It’s official: iOS 15 is on the way. We got a first look at Apple’s next major operating system update at the company’s virtual Worldwide Developers Conference in June, followed by a developer beta and now a public beta (here’s how to download the iOS 15 public beta). While we recently saw a lot of new features arrive with iOS 14.5 in April, including being able to unlock your iPhone with Face ID while wearing a mask, stop apps from tracking you for advertising purposes and choose from four Siri voices, iOS 15 adds even more.
New iOS 15 features include the ability to start FaceTime calls with Android users, easier sharing in iMessage and better directions in Maps. Keep reading for everything we’ve learned about iOS 15 so far, including when it will be generally released, how to download it and some of the biggest new features.
iOS 15 release date: Fall 2021
Apple revealed iOS 15 at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference on June 7, as is typical. The new OS was first available for developers to test, and began available to download as a public beta on June 30.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said the final version of iOS 15 will launch in the fall. It’s likely that this will happen in September, alongside the launch of the iPhone 13.
iOS 15 new features
Apple’s iOS 15 gets a bunch of new features.
Apple
Here are a few of the key new features coming to iOS 15, unveiled at WWDC 2021. (And here’s an overview of all of the new features in iOS 15.)
FaceTime upgrades: Spatial audio, support for Android and Windows
FaceTime will offer spatial audio to make people’s voices appear to come from their position on the screen, making your video chats feel more natural and lifelike. FaceTime will also start to look more like Zoom, allowing you to see all participants in a grid view, schedule calls and share links to calls that can be accessed via browser on Google Android and Microsoft Windows devices.
iMessage sharing features
iOS 15 adds some new iMessage sharing features for photos, news articles and playlists. When a friend sends you multiple photos over iMessage, they’ll appear in a dynamic collage formation that allows you to swipe through them or tap through to view the whole bunch in your photos app. If you want to access the same photos later, you’ll find them stored in a new Shared with You folder, as well as mixed in with your own featured photos and memories. You’ll also find news articles and playlists shared through iMessage in new Shared with You tabs in your News and Apple Music apps.
Apple Maps gets 3D street data, AR walking directions
Apple Maps gets an upgrade, with more elevation data, road colors and driving directions, rich labels, 3D landmarks and improved night mode. In terms of public transportation, you can also pin nearby public transit stops and station information to your iPhone and Apple Watch devices, and receive automatic updates and notifications as you ride and approach your stop. When traveling on foot, a new augmented reality feature lets you scan nearby buildings in the area with the iPhone’s camera to determine their precise position for more accurate walking directions, which are also presented in augmented reality.
How do you download iOS 15?
If you’d like to test out iOS 15 before it’s generally released in the fall, you can download it now as a public beta (check if your iPhone can run iOS 15 here). Just be warned: Betas are usually buggy, and we don’t recommend that you download them on your primary device. But if you want to, here’s how to download the iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 betas. (And if the bugs get you down, here’s how to change back to iOS 14.)
Once iOS 15 is generally available in the fall (likely in September), Apple will probably send a notification letting you know you can update. Or you’ll be able to do it manually, by going to the Settings app > General > Software Update.
For more, here’s every iPhone 13 rumor we’ve heard so far.