Apple today released iOS and iPadOS 15.1, the first major updates to the iOS 15 operating system that was released in September 2021. iOS 15.1 comes one month after the launch of iOS 15.
The iOS and iPadOS 15.1 updates can be downloaded for free and the software is available on all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the new software, go to Settings > General > Software Update. For those who don't want to update to iOS 15, Apple has also released a 14.8.1 update that includes security updates.
iOS 15.1 includes SharePlay, which is designed to allow users to call their friends and family and interact by watching movies and TV or listening to music together, plus there's a built-in screen sharing feature. There's ProRes video capture and an Auto Macro toggle for the iPhone 13 Pro, along with Lossless Audio and Dolby Atmos support for the HomePod (with accompanying HomePod update). There's also support for generating vaccine cards in the Wallet app from vaccination records stored in the Health app.
Apple's full release notes for the iOS 15.1 update are below.
SharePlay
- SharePlay is a new way to share synchronized experiences in FaceTime with content from the Apple TV app, Apple Music, Fitness+, and other supported App Store apps
- Shared controls give everyone the ability to pause, play, rewind or fast forward
- Smart volume automatically lowers the audio of a movie, TV show or song when your friends speak
- Apple TV supports the option to watch the shared video on your big screen while you continue the FaceTime call on iPhone
- Screen sharing lets everyone on a FaceTime call look at photos, browse the web, or help each other outCamera
- ProRes video capture using iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max
- Setting to turn off automatic camera switching when taking macro photos and videos on iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro MaxApple Wallet
- COVID-19 vaccination card support allows you to add and present verifiable vaccination information from Apple WalletTranslate
- Mandarin Chinese (Taiwan) support in the Translate app and for system-wide translationHome
- New automation triggers based on the current reading of a HomeKit-enabled humidity, air quality, or light level sensorShortcuts
- New pre-built actions let you overlay text on images or gifs, plus a new collection of games lets you pass the time with SiriThis release also fixes the following issues:
- Photos app may incorrectly report storage is full when importing photos and videos
- Weather app may not show current temperature for My Location, and may display colors of animated backgrounds incorrectly
- Audio playing from an app may pause when locking the screen
- Wallet may unexpectedly quit when using VoiceOver with multiple passes
- Available Wi-Fi networks may not be detected
- Battery algorithms updated on iPhone 12 models to better estimate battery capacity over timeOn the iPad, the update adds the above listed features and support for Live Text in the Camera app. With Live Text, the Camera can detect text, phone numbers, addresses, and more, with the feature available on iPads that have an A12 Bionic chip or later. Live Text was already available on the iPhone.
For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222
For details on everything that's new in the iOS 15 update, we have a dedicated iOS 15 roundup.
