[Updated: Sept. 04] Apple iOS 15/iPadOS 15 update tracker: Here's everything we know so far

New updates are being added at the bottom of this story…

Original story (published on April 13, 2021) follows:

The next milestones to be offered by Apple for the smaller screens are probably going to be the iOS 15 and iPadOS 15.

After having successfully conducted the current rollout drive and almost nearing that time of the year when Apple usually unveils the next iteration, rumours of the next generation of the software have started to flow in.

From what it appears, Apple may continue the number sequence in the nomenclature of both iOS and iPadOS, taking it to 15 this time.

It’s quite obvious to predict the eligible devices for the next generation OS but this time around, the older iPhone SE, iPhone 6s, and iPhone 6s Plus may just be dropped.

Here’s the list of devices that are most likely to bag the major update.

– iPhone 12 Pro Max
– iPhone 12 Pro
– iPhone 12 mini
– iPhone 12
– 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 SE (2nd generation)
– iPod Touch (7th generation)

As for iPadOS 15, anything newer than the iPad Air 2 (2014), iPad mini 4 (2015), and ‌iPad‌ 5 (2017) is likely to get the upgrade.

Apple is expected to unveil the iOS 15/iPadOS 15 at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) sometime in June, much like last year’s iOS 14/iPadOS 14 and others before it.

With the launch still a couple of months away, it is only the new logo of the Apple Music for Artists app and redesigned control center that has come to light. We are yet to explore more features.

Apple has been pretty consistent and disciplined towards the update rollout and this year’s rollout is anticipated to be in line with what Apple has been doing for years.

A beta program will kick off soon after its revelation at WWDC. iOS 15 doors will then soon open for public beta testing sometime in July followed by the full-scale in September.

This story will continue to expand as and when more information starts flowing in. So stay tuned.

11:10 am (IST): Some new details are beginning to leak about Apple’s next big mobile OS update:

1. Notification filters based on user status: A new menu accessible from the lock screen as well as the Control Center will allow users to have more granular control over how notifications are displayed based on various profiles.

2. iPad home screen changes: The iPad home screen may also allow adding widgets just like iOS did with its latest iteration released last year.

3. Quick access to privacy data: A new menu may let users see what information apps are collecting about them. A shortcut for this may be included in the iOS lock screen itself.

4. Upgrades for iMessage: iMessage may see some major changes to compete with the likes of WhatsApp “with the eventual goal of acting as more of a social network.”

More details for all of the above can be found here.

04:56 pm (IST): Weeks ahead of the official launch of iOS 15, iPhone users are expecting their favorite features to make it to the new version of OS. Here are 10 features that users are expecting.

05:07 pm (IST): Apple reportedly plans to add a new food tracking feature to the Health app which could allow users to log the food items that they consume.

This info will help the Health app provide nutritional details and calorie tracking functionality.

01:54 pm (IST): The Apple iOS 15 update was announced yesterday with WWDC 2021 and brings along the following new features:

1. More natural FaceTime calls through Spatial Audio and shared experiences with SharePlay.
2. Focus feature to filter notifications and apps based on what a user wants to focus on.
3. Notifications redesign adding contact photos for people and larger icons for apps for easy identification.
4. Live Text through Apple Camera app now recognizes text in a photo and allows users to take action.

5. Safari re-design with bottom-heavy controls easier to make one-hand usage easier.
6. Weather, Note, Maps apps updates.
7. Added support for additional types of keys to Apple Wallet, making it possible to access everyday places with just a tap.

02:05 pm (IST): iPadOS 15 will come with the following features:

1. Multitasking and Keyboard Shortcuts
2. iOS 14-like Widgets and App Library
3. System-wide Quick Notes to make it easier to organize thoughts
4. More natural FaceTime calls through Spatial Audio and shared experiences with SharePlay
5. Safari re-design with simplified controls

6. Focus feature to filter notifications and reduce distractions
7. Live Text now recognizes text in a photo and allows users to take action
8. Translate app has arrived to iPad to make conversations easier and more natural
9. Swift Playgrounds to build and run apps directly on iPad to learn coding

12:18 pm (IST): While the official iOS 15 new features list is pretty lengthy in and out of itself, eagle-eyed beta testers have been finding several other new features that haven’t exactly been highlighted in the official changelog.

We have cherry-picked these and drafted a list that has been given below:

1. The iOS 15 video player now has YouTube-like video playback speed settings as demonstrated below:

2. The iOS 15 text from camera feature can be pulled up from several apps by simply holding down on the text area and click on the “Text from camera” context menu. You can then insert text from the resultant camera view:

3. The iPhones now remain findable through AirTags after they power off or even after their battery runs out. This is clear from the updated power menu that shows a text at the bottom saying that the iPhone’s location is still visible even after power off.

4. The new notifications may have been made more informative and easier to decipher but the banners have been redesigned to be much less obstructive thanks to their more compact design:

5. The weather widget is now more dynamic and reflects upon the time of the day as does the Weather app:

6. Among the many changes introduced with the Apple Safari browser is the new pull down to refresh gesture that has been demonstrated below:

7. The markup option when editing photos has now been brought out to the front, out of the hidden context menu, as shown in the picture below.

8. The new welcome screen when you power on your iPhone on iOS 15 has been shown below.

9. Voice messages sent/received through the iOS 15 Messages app can now be scrolled/scrubbed as demonstrated here.

10. On iPadOS 15, you can now drag to make multiple selections at once on the Finder app.

11. Finally, with iPadOS 15, you can use apps that force portrait mode in the landscape view.

12. You now have the drag and drop feature from iPadOS on iOS 15 as well.

13. The Low Power Mode that has been missing on iPad since forever even after being available on iPhones is now finally available on iPad as well.

14. The iOS 15 new app designs are now live on almost every app with the new card layouts.

15. iOS 15 beta 1 has brought about a return of the old time picker UI that was found on iOS 13.

16. DND can now be scheduled for different times for different days. More details here.

17. iOS 15 beta 1 allows you to translate a text message directly in iMessage.

18. If a site offers two-factor authentication, you can set up verification codes under Passwords in Settings without the need to download an additional Authenticator app. Once set up, verification codes autofill when you sign in to the site.

19. You can now adjust the time and date of a photo from the native Photos app itself.

20. There is a new UI for the QR code scanner tool as well

Of course, we will be keeping tabs for more of such features so stay tuned to our tracker.

07:38 pm (IST): The iOS 15 beta 1 update allows users to delete and install apps directly from Spotlight among other improvements to the said feature. Also, users can now set custom start page background image in Safari on the latest iOS beta. More on that here and here.

05:14 pm (IST): Not all the advertised features of iOS 15 are going to make it to all the iPhone models available in the market. Many of them are restricted to higher-end chips and models. Check out the list here.

05:40 pm (IST): According to a recent SellCell survey, these are the top 5 features that iPhone/iPad users think Apple should have included in iOS 15/iPadOS 15 update.

12:28 pm (IST): The recent SellCell survey has also shed some light on which iOS 15 feature users like the best and which one excites them the least. Check out the complete coverage by heading here.

12:00 pm (IST): Apple has now released iOS 15 beta 2 and iPadOS 15 beta 2 to developers with bug fixes for iCloud Private Relay, new Maps icon, option to customize memoji outfits, and much more.

11:30 am (IST): Apple has released the iOS 15 Public Beta. To register, users need to sign in to the Apple beta website with their Apple ID. Then, they need to go to the “Guide for Public Beta” section and swipe down under the Get Started section.

Then, users need to tap “Enroll Your iOS Device.” Swipe down again and tap “Download Profile” > Allow > Close. This will download the certificate from Apple’s public beta website.

Next, to install the iOS 15 beta, users need to head to Settings on their iPhone, then tap “Profile Downloaded” near the top. Then, users need to tap install on the top right corner, and enter your passcode if needed. Then, users need to go through the consent argument, then tap Install two more times. Your iPhone will prompt you to restart to complete the certificate installation. More on that here.

08:12 pm (IST): Apple has recently released the iPadOS 15 beta update with several changes, however, users are not liking the new home screen and Safari changes. More details here.

06:45 pm (IST): The latest iOS 15 beta update allows users to receive “Critical alerts” in HomeKit notifications, but use-cases are still limited. For more details regarding this, head here.

07:05 pm (IST): The iOS 15 update has added a new option under the HKSV (HomeKit Secure Video) notifications setting. Check out the complete coverage for more details by heading here.

01:25 pm (IST): According to recent reports, the iOS 15 public beta 3 update brings along changes for the Safari browser and more. It must be noted that the iOS 15 developer beta 3 also came out pretty recently.

12:44 pm (IST): The iOS 15 beta 4 update just went live with Safari updates, lock screen camera icon tweaks, share focus status, App Store account design tweaks, Photos memory sharing, and more.

04:53 pm (IST): The iOS 15 latest beta adds a ton of new features to Siri including on-device speech processing and personalization, offline support, improved context between requests, HomeKit improvements, and more.

The iOS 15 public beta 4 update also does away with the hated Safari UI changes where the address bar was moved to the bottom and more.

10:02 am (IST): One of the new App Store features coming in iOS 15 is App Store‌ events, which will see Apple highlighting timely events within apps and games. Apple is now experimenting this feature on App Store on iOS 15 with reports surfacing for the TikTok app. More on that here.

11:15 am (IST): New reports now indicate that the latest iOS 15 Beta builds seem to automatically remove the lens flare in images in some cases. More on that here.

10:02 am (IST): As Apple inches ever so close to the stable release of its various upcoming operating systems including iOS 15, iPad OS15, macOS Monterey, tvOS 15, and watchOS 8, the company is inviting even more users to take part in this beta program.

In an email sent out to Apple users in the Beta Software Program, the company says:

“The iOS 15, iPadOS 15, macOS Monterey, tvOS 15, and watchOS 8 public betas are now available. As a member of the Apple Beta Software Program, you can help shape Apple software by test-driving pre-release versions and letting us know what you think.”

More on that here.

10:02 am (IST): Apple is reportedly pushing out the 5th Beta update of iOS 15 and iPadOS to developers and users in the beta program, more on that here.

12:41 pm (IST): As part of Apple’s efforts to push its Find My Network, iOS 15 is said to be pairing AirPods to Apple IDs. More on that here. Also, Apple is reportedly adding WebM audio codec support to Safari with iOS 15 so clearly, iPhone users have a lot to look forward to in the upcoming release.

10:02 am (IST): Apple recently unveiled a new developer tool that is reportedly made to force devices running iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 to prioritize a 5G connection over a WiFi connection when on an insecure WiFi network or when a WiFi connection is slow. More on that here.

11:02 am (IST): The iOS 15 Spotlight is getting a bunch of new enhancements and improvements, all revolving around Rich Results, Web Images, Photos Search, Lock Screen Access, and More.

02:58 pm (IST): Apple is hellbent on getting you to ditch your traditional wallet and instead carry everything you might need in your phone through the iOS 15 Wallet App.

The app comes with support for ID, home keys, car keys, archived passes, and more. Of course, several of these features are dependent on whether third-party companies and services adopt them, so it might take a while for it all to become mainstream.

09:48 am (IST): Apple is now reportedly seeding out iOS 15 Beta 6 to users in the developer channel.

10:42 am (IST): New reports now indicate that the latest iOS beta 6 update seems to have fixed the Safari address bar issue and now lets users move it back to the top. More on that here.

11:23 am (IST): Apple unveiled the Developer Beta 6 for the upcoming iOS 15 about 5 days ago and today, it is coming to light that the company is now pushing out the iOS 15 Pubic Beta 6 update.

10:17 am (IST): Apple is seeding out the iOS and iPadOS Beta 7 builds to eligible users and you can learn more about this in the official release notes for the said iOS & iPadOS 15 Beta 7 here.

IST 10:55 am: Now, it is coming to light that Apple is set to release iOS 15 iCloud Private Relay as a Public Beta. More on that here.

1:21 pm (IST): iPhone users on iOS 15 Beta 7 now report that they aren’t able to double-tap images to zoom as that invokes the Live Text feature. A suggested workaround is to disable the Live Text function and only turn it on when you need to use it. More in our coverage of the same here.

03:10 pm (IST): Apple has added a new prompt to iOS 15 that asks users if they want to see personalized ads which are connected to their Apple ID.

Previously, Apple automatically enabled ‘Personalized ads.’ Users had to dig into four levels of settings if they wanted to opt out of the program. More on that here.

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