iOS 15 is now available, as are iPadOS 15 and watchOS 8. Here's a list of iPhones that get them, how to download them and the new features that Apple's mobile operating system update brings.
List of iPhones that Get iOS 15
iPhone 13
iPhone 13 Mini
iPhone 13 Pro
iPhone 13 Pro Max
iPhone 12
iPhone 12 mini
iPhone 12 Pro
iPhone 12 Pro Max
iPhone 11
iPhone 11 Pro
iPhone 11 Pro Max
iPhone XS
iPhone XS Max
iPhone XR
iPhone X
iPhone 8
iPhone 8 Plus
iPhone 7
iPhone 7 Plus
iPhone 6s
iPhone 6s Plus
iPhone SE (1st generation)
iPhone SE (2nd generation)
iPod touch (7th generation)
How to Download iOS 15
Currently, iOS 15 has been released via Over The Air (OTA). Because of its large size, it is better to use a WiFi connection and it is recommended during the battery update process in a full condition.
To update iOS 15 the way is as follows:
Open the Settings app or Settings
Press General or General
Press Software Update or Software Update
If it appears iOS 15 press Download and Install
Wait until the process is complete
New Features of iOS 15
1. Facetime
Spatial Audio support in Group FaceTime calls sounds like it's coming from where the person is on the screen (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR or later)
Sound Isolation, a new microphone mode using machine learning to eliminate background noise and prioritize the user's voice (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR or later)
The Wide Spectrum feature brings all background noise into calls (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, and later)
Portrait Mode blurs the background and focuses on the user (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR or later)
Grid view shows up to six people at once in a group FaceTime call in equal sized tiles and highlights who's talking
FaceTime links allow users to invite friends to FaceTime calls, even friends using Android or Windows devices can join from their browser.
SharePlay will provide users with new ways to share experiences with friends and family while making FaceTime calls, such as listening to a song together, watching a TV show or movie, completing an exercise together, or sharing their screen for viewing.
2. Messages and Memoji
Shared with You is a new section appearing in Photos, Safari, Apple News, Music, Apple Podcasts, and the Apple TV app featuring photos, articles, music, and other content shared by friends and family in Messages.
Memoji brings users more ways to express themselves with colorful headdresses, more eyewear styles, and new accessibility options including cochlear implants, oxygen cylinders, and soft helmets. Memoji stickers can be customized with over 40 outfit options and nine new sticker poses including shaka, waving, and more.
3. Notifications
Notifications have been redesigned, adding a photo of the contact and a larger icon making it easier to identify.
Notification Summary is a collection of notifications that are sent every day at a scheduled time specified by the user. Using on-device intelligence, summaries are organized by priority, with the most relevant notifications rising to the top based on how the user interacts with the app.
Notifications from the app can be muted for the next hour or the whole day
4. Safari
The tab bar is now placed at the bottom for easier access. To move between tabs, you can now swipe left or right
Tab groups help store and organize tabs and access them easily across devices
Tab overview grid view showing open tabs
Start page can be customized with background image
Support web extension on iOS
Support voice search
5. Focus
iOS 15 introduces Focus, a new way to help users reduce distractions by filtering notifications based on what the user wants to focus on at that moment. For example, Work Focus can be set during work hours to only allow notifications from coworkers and the apps they work with, Personal Focus can be used during breaks with friends and family, or Fitness Focus can help users stay in the zone while completing a workout.
Users can create a custom Focus or choose a provisioned Focus, which uses on-device intelligence to suggest notifications from which people and apps to allow.
When using Focus, status is automatically shown to contacts in Messages and supported third-party communication apps like Slack, so others know not to interfere. Users will even receive suggestions to enable Focus based on time or location, and when Focus is set on one Apple device it will automatically apply to all of the user's Apple devices.
6. Live Text
In an effort to help users deal with large amounts of written information, Apple brought Live Text. This is the automatic optical character recognition feature of the Camera app.
Users can point the camera at text on a board, sign, or page, and Live Text makes it selectable, copied and pasted elsewhere.
Leveraging machine learning, this feature isn't just limited to the Camera app. Live Text can be used to conveniently scan images, including previously captured photos and web images. This new feature includes support for seven languages, and can recognize objects and scenes.
7. Spotlight
Photos now appear in Spotlight search results. Additionally contact search is also improved, complete with indicating whether Do Not Disturb (DND) mode is enabled by them.
Many new cards have been included, featuring information for actors, movies, and other types of content.
8. Weather
Weather now features a completely new design. There are high-res in-app maps, and new background animations. Apple also brings changes to the display based on conditions.
9. Maps
Maps provides a much more detailed 3D and globe view of a number of cities. There are new road details to help drivers and more information in the Transit view.
Maps automatically follows users during transit routes and can remind you when to get off, as well as offer more detailed directional information.
10. Health
The Sharing tab allows users to allow users to share their health data with family, caregivers, or care teams, providing users with trends.
Trends allow users to see how certain health metrics are progressing over time and can let you know when new trends are detected.
Walking Steadiness is a new metric that can assess fall risk and notify users if walking stability is low (iPhone 8 or later)
Verifiable health records allow users to download and save COVID-19 vaccination certificates and lab results.
