Apple in iOS 15 is adding new Separation Alerts to the Find My app, which will let you know if you leave an Apple device, a device attached to an AirTag, or a Find My-enabled third-party device behind.
Enable separation alerts, and if you leave a device, AirTag, or compatible third-party item behind, your iPhone will alert you with notifications and Find My will give you directions to your item.
For any item in the Find My app, whether it's an AirTag or an Apple device, you can tap into it and select the "Notify When Left Behind" toggle. This will send an alert if you get out of range of your item.
You can set exceptions for certain locations, such as if your item is safely at home, and this new feature should help you keep a much better watch over items that are easy to lose like AirPods.
With the launch of iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS Monterey, Apple is making its Screen Time API available to third-party developers, which will let official Screen Time data be used in parental control apps.
Apple first unveiled Screen Time in the iOS 12 update that was released in 2018, allowing users to keep track of the amount of time spent in iOS apps. Parents were also able to use Screen Time for Parental Control purposes, limiting apps and device usage.
Since launch, Screen Time has been built directly into the iPhone and no APIs or SDKs have been made available to developers prior to now, which app developers have not been happy with. That's set to change with iOS 15. From Apple's iOS 15 features page:
Developers can use the Screen Time API in parental controls apps to support an even wider range of tools for parents. The API provides developers with key features like core restrictions and device activity monitoring, all in a way that puts privacy first.
Ahead of when Apple launched Screen Time, it started banning many parental control apps that used Mobile Device Management to let parents control iOS devices belonging to their children. The change led to antitrust issues for Apple following complaints from developers that made parental control apps.
In 2019, developers petitioned Apple to release a Screen Time API that would let them access the same functionalities that are available with the built-in Screen Time feature to level the playing field. Apple may have finally implemented the feature to ease some of the antitrust scrutiny that it is facing from lawmakers in various countries.
Apple today announced that iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS Monterey feature system-wide translation, allowing users to translate text by simply selecting it and tapping or right clicking on the Translate option that appears.
iPhone, iPad, and Mac users can also translate selected text in photos as part of a new Live Text feature in the latest software versions.
Apple also announced that the Translate app is available on the iPad starting with iPadOS 15, after launching on the iPhone last year. On both iOS 15 and iPadOS 15, a new Auto Translate feature lets users translate speech without tapping the microphone button in a conversation, and selecting languages is now easier with convenient drop‑down menus.
If you've ever wanted to see the EXIF data for a photo right on your iPhone Photos app, then you're going to want to install the iOS 15 update right away.
With iOS 15, each image in the Photos app has a new "Info" button available that displays image format, the details of the camera used to capture it, and the location where it was taken.
Prior to now, there was no way to view this information directly in the Photos app on the iPhone, so you had to use either a third-party app, a Shortcut, or a different device to view it.
This interface can be used to add captions and to see the location where a photo was taken, plus there is an option to adjust metadata such as date captured.
Some photos will also have a sparkle next to the Info button, which means there's info that you can see in Look Up mode. On a photo of a flower, for example, the Photos app is able to compare it to other flower images on the web, providing a possible identification for the flower type. In the screenshot below, this is indeed an accurate assessment of the type of flower in the image.
There's also a new option to tap the "Live" button for any Live photo to automatically turn it a Loop, Bounce, or Long Exposure.
With the iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS Monterey updates, Apple is expanding the reach of FaceTime by allowing anyone, even those without Apple devices, to join a FaceTime call.
In iOS 15 and its sister updates, you can create a link to a FaceTime conversation that can be shared anywhere. Using this link, friends and family members who do not have an Apple device can log into a FaceTime call using a web browser.
Non-Apple users can join a one-on-one FaceTime call or a Group FaceTime call, effectively making FaceTime a more platform-agnostic video service that is no longer just limited to iOS users. You do, however, need an iOS user to start a FaceTime call and send a link.
Invite anyone to join you in a FaceTime call, even friends who don't have an Apple device.2 They can join you for one-on-one and Group FaceTime calls right from their browser instantly -- no login necessary.
Apple says that non-Apple users can join calls using the newest versions of Chrome or Edge. Sending video requires H.264 video encoding support.
There are a ton of other updates and improvements to FaceTime, including Spatial audio support, Portrait mode support, Voice Isolation mode for drowning out background noise, Grid view for seeing all participants, and a new SharePlay feature that's designed to let you watch movies, listen to music, and share your screen with friends and family members.
With the iOS and iPadOS 15 updates, Apple is adding new customization options to the Memoji that can be used in Messages, FaceTime, and more.
There are more than 40 new outfit choices to choose from, and three new outfit colors to pick. Apple has introduced an option to select a different color for the right eye and the left eye for those with heterochromia, and there are three new glasses options.
Apple has added new multicolored headwear options so people can represent their favorite sports teams or universities, and there are new accessibility options for depicting cochlear implants, oxygen tubes, or a soft helmet.
Along with these new customization options, Apple has introduced nine new emoji stickers for sending a shaka, a hand wave, a lightbulb moment and more, but the new stickers don't appear to be available just yet.
Apple today previewed new privacy protections coming in iOS 15, iPadOS 15, macOS Monterey, and watchOS 8. The software updates are available in beta for developers starting today and will be publicly released later this year.
First, a new App Privacy Report feature will let users see how often apps have used the permission they've previously granted to access their location, photos, camera, microphone, and contacts during the past seven days. Users can also find out with whom their data may be shared by seeing all the third-party domains an app is contacting.
App Privacy Report will arrive as part of a future software update to iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and watchOS 8 later this year.
Second, a new Hide My Email feature will provide users with access to unique, random iCloud email addresses that forward emails to their personal inbox anytime they wish to keep their personal email address private. Hide My Email will debut in the Mail app as part of a future update to iOS 15, iPadOS 15, macOS Monterey, and iCloud.com, and it will enable users to create and delete as many email addresses as needed at any time.
Apple has introduced a new iCloud+ subscription plan that combines Apple's existing iCloud storage tiers with privacy features such as Hide My Email, iCloud Private Relay, and expanded HomeKit Secure Video support, at no additional cost.
Private Relay is a new VPN-like service that's built right into iCloud, allowing users to connect to and browse the web in a more secure and private way. When browsing in Safari on Apple devices, Private Relay will ensure all traffic leaving the device is encrypted.
Apple on Private Relay:
All the user's requests are then sent through two separate internet relays. The first assigns the user an anonymous IP address that maps to their region but not their actual location. The second decrypts the web address they want to visit and forwards them to their destination. This separation of information protects the user's privacy because no single entity can identify both who a user is and which sites they visit.
iCloud+ expands built-in support for HomeKit Secure Video, allowing for unlimited cameras:
50GB of iCloud storage with one HomeKit Secure Video camera for $0.99 per month
200GB of iCloud storage with up to five HomeKit Secure Video cameras for $2.99 per month
2TB of iCloud storage with an unlimited number of HomeKit Secure Video cameras for $9.99 per month
Next up is Siri, which is moving to on-device speech recognition with iOS 15 and iPadOS 15, meaning the audio of users' requests is processed right on their iPhone or iPad by default. For many requests, Siri processing is also moving on device, enabling requests to be processed without an internet connection, such as launching apps, setting timers and alarms, changing settings, or controlling music.
Since the release of iOS 14, an iPhone displays a green or orange dot in the status bar when an app is using the device's camera or microphone, respectively. Now, starting with macOS Monterey, users can also see which apps have access to their Mac's microphone in Control Center. A new software indicator augments the camera indicator light by showing you whenever an app has access to the microphone. This complements the hardware-based green light that appears next to a Mac's webcam when it is active.
Other new privacy features outlined by Apple:
With share current location, users can easily share their current location with an app just once, without giving the developer further access after that session. Developers can customize the share current location button, and integrate it directly into their apps.
With enhanced Photos limited library access, developers can offer smart functionality — like a recent photos folder for specific albums — even when a user has only granted limited access.
With secure paste, developers can let users paste from a different app without having access to what was copied until the user takes action to paste it into their app. When developers use secure paste, users will be able to paste without being alerted via the pasteboard transparency notification, helping give them peace of mind.
These are only some of the new privacy features coming in Apple's new software updates, and we'll be highlighting others in the coming days.
The iOS and iPadOS 15 updates that were released today introduce several expanded widget options, which can be used on the Home Screen or in the Today section of the Notification Center on the iPhone and iPad.
Apple has created several new widgets for Apple products and services, as listed below:
Find My - Track your friends and personal items from the Home Screen.
Contacts - Includes options to call, Message, FaceTime, locate, or email contacts, and with Family Sharing, you can approve purchases or Screen Time requests from kids.
Game Center - The Continue Playing widget shows recently played Game Center games, and a Friends Are Playing widget shows the games your friends are playing.
App Store - The App Store widget displays stories, collections, and new in-app event options on the Home Screen.
Sleep - Shows data about how you slept and lets you review your sleep schedule.
Mail - Shows your latest email at a glance and offers up access to one of your mailboxes.
In iPadOS 15, widgets on the iPad mirror widgets on the iPhone and can be placed anywhere on the Home Screen for the first time, rather than being limited to a specific widget block.
Apple has also added a new Default widgets feature that shows a default layout with widgets from the apps you use most arranged in Smart Stacks, plus there are new intelligent widget selections.
Suggested widgets from the apps that you use will appear in your Smart Stack at the right time based on past app usage activity, and you can now reorder your Smart Stacks.
Apple today updated its App Store Review Guidelines to reflect its newly unveiled software versions, including iOS 15, iPadOS 15, macOS Monterey, watchOS 8, and tvOS 15. The updated guidelines also address developer trust and safety issues.
In addition, two updates have been made to the App Review contact form on Apple's website. First, developers who appeal an app rejection can now specify if they believe their app was rejected due to unfair treatment by the App Review team, including political bias or other forms of bias. Second, developers can now report other apps if they believe they present trust or safety concerns, or otherwise violate the App Store Review Guidelines.
The updated App Store Review Guidelines:
1.4.1: "Hookup" apps that may include pornography or be used to facilitate prostitution will be rejected.
1.2.1: Added new guideline for creator content.
1.4.3 and 5.1.1(ix): Addressed in-app sales from licensed and legal cannabis dispensaries.
1.7: Apps for reporting alleged criminal activity must involve local law enforcement, and can only be offered in countries where such involvement is active.
2.3.1: Clarified that misleading marketing, whether it takes place inside or outside of the App Store, is grounds for removal from the App Store and the Apple Developer Program.
2.3.10: Simplified the rule on irrelevant information in app metadata.
3.1.1: Clarified that digital gift cards can only be sold using in-app purchase, and that physical gift cards that are sold within an app and then mailed to customers may use payment methods other than in-app purchase.
3.1.2(a): Expanded the guideline that allows cellular carrier apps to include music and video subscriptions in pre-defined bundles attached to data plans to clarify that carrier apps can include other kinds of subscriptions, so long as in-app purchase is supported for new users and the carrier provides a mechanism for customers to revert to an in-app purchase subscription after the bundled service expires or terminates.
3.1.3: Clarified the email communication policy for apps that are permitted to use purchase methods other than in-app purchase.
4.2: Clarified that apps that do not provide adequate utility may not be accepted on the App Store.
4.3: Added drinking game apps as a saturated category.
4.7: Reformatted by adding 4.7.1 and 4.7.2 for clarity.
5.1.1(v): Apps supporting account creation must also offer account deletion.
5.6 and 5.6.1 – 5.6.4: Expanded the Developer Code of Conduct to address additional developer trust and safety issues. New rules in this section require developer identity information to be accurate and up to date; make clear that manipulating any element of the App Store experience such as reviews and charts is not permitted; and that excessive customer reports about concerns with an app may be a factor in deciding whether the developer is complying with the Code of Conduct.
Bug Fix Submissions: Bug fixes for safety issues will not be delayed over guideline violations.
If you're low on iCloud storage but want to buy a new device and transfer your data, Apple is making the process easier in iOS 15 with a temporary storage boost.
Apple says that the new feature will grant you as much storage as you need to complete a temporary backup for up to three weeks, letting users transfer their apps, data, and settings to a new device using iCloud even when there's an inadequate amount of iCloud storage available.
Now when you buy a new device you can use iCloud Backup to move your data to your new device, even if you're low on storage. iCloud will grant you as much storage as you need to complete a temporary backup, free of charge, for up to three weeks. This allows you to get all your apps, data, and settings onto your device automatically.
For those who have not upgraded past the standard 5GB of storage included with a free iCloud plan, this change should make upgrading to a new device a much more seamless experience.
Apple today also announced that its paid iCloud storage plans are now known as iCloud+, with new features that include a Private Relay that hides your browsing activity, a Hide My Email option, and a new feature for personalizing an iCloud Mail address with a custom domain name that can be shared among family members.
The macOS 12 Monterey and iPadOS 15 updates that Apple introduced today bring a key iPhone feature over to the Mac and iPad -- Low Power Mode. On Apple's Monterey page that breaks down all of the new updates, there's a listing for Low Power Mode.
According to Apple, Low Power Mode on Mac reduces the system clock speed and the display brightness in order to extend your battery life even further. This means that if you're doing less intensive tasks like watching videos or browsing the web, you can eke even more out of your Mac's battery.
On the Mac, Low Power Mode is compatible with the MacBook (Early 2016 and later) and MacBook Pro (Early 2016 and later).
There is no mention of Low Power Mode on Apple's iPadOS 15 page, but there is a Low Power Mode feature available after installing the update.
There are a slew of new features in iOS 15, so many in fact that Apple did not have time to cover all of them during today's keynote event.
One of these new features is a built-in authenticator that will let iOS devices be used to generate verification codes for additional sign-in security.
Right now, app-based two-factor authentication is handled by third-party apps like Authy and Google Authenticator, but now Apple is building this functionality right into iOS so you won't need a separate app.
Generate verification codes needed for additional sign-in security. If a site offers two-factor authentication, you can set up verification codes under Passwords in Settings -- no need to download an additional app. Once set up, verification codes autofill when you sign in to the site.
Apple says that you can set up verification codes under Passwords in the Settings app, and once set up, verification codes will autofill when you sign into a site, which will make using two-factor authentication on an iPhone or iPad much more streamlined.
This feature is available on iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS Monterey.
Apple plans to allow iPhone and iPad users to remain on iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 even after the launch of the iOS and iPadOS 15 updates, according to new details on the software pages for the new updates.
iOS now offers a choice between two software update versions in the Settings app. You can update to the latest version of iOS 15 as soon as it's released for the latest features and most complete set of security updates. Or continue on iOS 14 and still get important security updates until you're ready to upgrade to the next major version.
With prior updates, Apple has prompted users to update right away and has stopped signing past versions of iOS to make it impossible to downgrade, but it sounds like Apple is planning to relax that policy going forward.
This will be useful for those who are not able to update their devices because of device restrictions or requirements implemented by work organizations or schools.
macOS Monterey is compatible with many of the Macs that were able to run macOS Big Sur, but it drops support for some older MacBook Air and iMac models from 2013 and 2014.
Apple is providing the new iOS 15, macOS Monterey, tvOS 15, and watchOS 8 updates to developers for testing purposes as of today, giving Apple a chance to work out initial bugs in the software.
After a few weeks of testing, Apple plans to provide the betas to its public beta testing group as well, with Apple CEO Tim Cook confirming plans to release the new software to public beta testers at some point in July.
This is also the testing format that Apple used for the iOS 14 updates last year, so public beta testers can look forward to getting the new software to test out in a month.
Apple plans to publicly release all of the new updates in the fall.
With watchOS 8, Apple will finally allow users to set multiple timers within the Timers app. Each specific timer can be given a label, such as laundry or cooking timer, and is viewed in a single list.
watchOS 8 has a wide range of features, including a new standalone Find My app that allows users to find and locate items part of the Find My network right on their wrist. Additionally, watchOS 8 renames the Breathe app to Mindfulness with an "enhanced Breathe experience" and new session types such as Reflect. Learn more about watchOS 8 here.
After today's keynote event that saw the introduction of macOS Monterey, the latest version of the Mac operating system, Apple has seeded the first beta of macOS Monterey to developers for testing purposes.
Registered developers can download the beta through the Apple Developer Center and once the appropriate profile is installed, betas will be available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences.
As with all new betas, Apple recommends not installing the new macOS update on a primary machine because it is early release software and could have bugs.
macOS Monterey is only available to registered developers right now, but later this summer, Apple will make a public version of the new beta available in July to give public beta testers a chance to try the software before it sees a public launch this fall.
In addition to seeding the first betas of iOS 15, iPadOS 15, tvOS 15, and macOS 12, Apple has also seeded the first beta of the watchOS 8 update to developers for testing purposes.
To install watchOS 8, developers will need to download the configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center. Once installed, watchOS 8 can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software update.
To update to new software, an Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery life, it must be placed on the charger, and it needs to be in range of the iPhone. It's not recommended to install watchOS 8 on a main Apple Watch as the software may be unstable at this early date.
watchOS 8 is limited to developers at the current time, but Apple plans to provide a public beta later this year ahead of the software's fall launch.
