Everything New in iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 Beta 5

Apple today released the fifth betas of iOS and iPadOS 15 to developers, introducing additional tweaks to the new operating system that's launching this fall.


As we get further into the beta testing process, the changes that are introduced are getting smaller as Apple begins to finalize its design plans for the update. Today's beta focuses on small changes and refinements to iOS and iPadOS 15 features.

Weather App Icon

The design of the Weather app icon has been tweaked slightly. It's a darker blue than the prior version.

weather app icon ios 15

iOS 15 b4 Weather app icon on left, iOS 15 b5 Weather app icon on right

Safari Reload Icon

In Safari, when the address bar is collapsed while in the full web page view, the reload icon has been removed from the URL bar. The reload icon still shows in the standard view.

ios 15 reload icon
In the prior beta, the reload icon was shown in both views that are demonstrated in the screenshot above. In the current beta, it only shows in the standard view.

iPadOS 15 Safari

In iPadOS 15, today's beta changes the shading of the tab interface in Safari in an effort to make it more clear which tab is the active tab.

ipados 15 safari design b5

iPadOS 15 Home Screen Settings

In the Settings app under Home Screen & Dock, there's now an option on the iPad to use large icons.

ipados 15 use large icons
With the feature enabled, icons take up more space on the screen so there's less empty area, and it's also easier to tap on the app icon that you need.

ipados 15 large icons

Control Center Camera Icon

Apple in an earlier beta refined the icon for the Camera app, and in iOS 15 beta 5, the camera icon in the Control Center is using the newly updated icon rather than the old icon.

control center camera icon ios 15
Design wise, the new icon does away with the shutter button.

ios 15 lock screen camera icon

Old camera icon on left, new camera icon on right

Control Center Sound Recognition Icon

Apple has also changed the icon for the Sound Recognition feature in the Control Center. It was previously a sound wave in a square, but now it is a sound wave with a little magnifying glass search icon.

sound recognition icon

iPhone Power Off

When turning off the iPhone, there's now a tappable warning that the ‌iPhone‌ will remain findable after it's turned off. If you tap on it, there's an option to "Temporarily Turn Off Finding."

iphone power off find my

Splash Screens

Apple has added new splash screens with feature descriptions for apps like Photos, Reminders, Home, and Maps.

ios 15 splash screens

Background Sounds

There's a new option to turn off Background Sounds when an ‌iPhone‌ is locked, which can be found under Settings > Accessibility > Audio and Visual> Background Sounds.

TestFlight Info in App Store

When you look up an app in the App Store, if you have the TestFlight version installed from a developer, the ‌App Store‌ listing will display the TestFlight version that you have installed and will offer a link to open the TestFlight app.

ios 15 testflight

Legacy Contacts

According to Apple's release notes for the update, Legacy Contacts has been removed in beta 5 and will be re-added in a later update.

Other New Features

Know of something new in the beta that we left out? Let us know in the comments below.

Related Forum: iOS 15

Popular Stories

iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
Intel Inside iPhone Feature

Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

iPhone 18 Pro Leak Adds New Evidence for Under-Display Face ID

Monday December 8, 2025 4:54 am PST by
Apple is actively testing under-screen Face ID for next year's iPhone 18 Pro models using a special "spliced micro-transparent glass" window built into the display, claims a Chinese leaker. According to "Smart Pikachu," a Weibo account that has previously shared accurate supply-chain details on Chinese Android hardware, Apple is testing the special glass as a way to let the TrueDepth...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Monday December 1, 2025 2:40 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
Johny Srouji

Apple Chip Chief Johny Srouji Could Be Next to Go as Exodus Continues

Sunday December 7, 2025 10:41 am PST by
Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies Johny Srouji could be the next leading executive to leave the company amid an alarming exodus of leading employees, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Srouji apparently recently told CEO Tim Cook that he is "seriously considering leaving" in the near future. He intends to join another company if he departs. Srouji leads Apple's chip design ...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds Second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Monday December 8, 2025 10:18 am PST by
Apple today seeded the second release candidate version of iOS 26.2 to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming one week after Apple seeded the first RC. The release candidate represents the final version iOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found. Registered developers and public beta testers can download the betas from the Settings app on...
Johny Srouji

Apple's Chipmaking Chief Johny Srouji Responds to Report About Him Potentially Leaving

Monday December 8, 2025 9:23 am PST by
Apple's chipmaking chief Johny Srouji has reportedly indicated that he plans to continue working for the company for the foreseeable future. "I love my team, and I love my job at Apple, and I don't plan on leaving anytime soon," said Srouji, in a memo obtained by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Here is Srouji's full memo, as shared by Bloomberg:I know you've been reading all kind of rumors and...
top stories 2025 12 04a

Top Stories: iOS 26.2 Coming Soon, Apple Execs Depart, and More

Saturday December 6, 2025 6:00 am PST by
You'd expect things to be starting to wind down for the holidays by now, but that doesn't seem to be the case yet in the world of Apple news, with Apple just about ready to release iOS 26.2 and other operating system updates to the public. There was also a flurry of news this week about Apple executive departures, some expected and some not so expected, while we also learned that Apple and...
ive and altman

Jony Ive's OpenAI Device Barred From Using 'io' Name

Friday December 5, 2025 6:22 am PST by
A U.S. appeals court has upheld a temporary restraining order that prevents OpenAI and Jony Ive's new hardware venture from using the name "io" for products similar to those planned by AI audio startup iyO, Bloomberg Law reports. iyO sued OpenAI earlier this year after the latter announced its partnership with Ive's new firm, arguing that OpenAI's planned "io" branding was too close to its...

Top Rated Comments

Expos of 1969 Avatar
57 months ago
Look everyone. ... the weather app is a bit darker blue.

But what about my photos being scanned? Shut up and look at the darker blue!
Score: 69 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Canubis Avatar
57 months ago
Can we please just go back to the old Safari tab layout. Stop this waste of space and time to reinvent designs just for the sake of it…
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WWPD Avatar
57 months ago
New weather icon is a game changer.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ZS88 Avatar
57 months ago

Are we sure it doesn't require you to know your iCloud password like if we turn Find My off in the phone? I would have thought that disabling it (even temporarily) would require you to input some sort of verification that you are the owner of the phone.
In order to temporarily disable it you have to enter your passcode. I just tried it.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ghostface147 Avatar
57 months ago
What are legacy contacts?
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Silverstring Avatar
57 months ago

Legacy Contact, you can designate one or more people to have access to your data when you die. Your legacy contact will need to provide an access key and a copy of your death certificate to Apple in order to access data from your account
****…we’d better not die before Beta 6, then.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)