MacRumors

Apple today updated its list of vintage and obsolete products to add the 38mm and 42mm Apple Watch models to the vintage list, marking the first time that the Apple Watch has been included.

The first Apple Watch was introduced more than six years ago in April 2015, with the "Series 1" replacement and Series 2 upgrade following in 2016. Apple has continued on updating the Apple Watch each year, and in 2021, we're expecting the Apple Watch Series 7 to see a release sometime in October.

The original 2015 Apple Watch now qualifies for Apple's "vintage" list, which includes devices that Apple stopped distributing for sale more than five years ago and less than seven years ago.

For most products, the vintage designation means that they're no longer eligible for repairs at the Genius Bar in Apple retail stores or from Apple Authorized Service Providers, but Apple does offer extended repairs of some vintage products and in locations where extended repairs are required by law.

In another couple of years, the original Apple Watch will move on to the obsolete list and hardware service will be entirely discontinued.

Alongside the new iPhone 13 models, Apple introduced an updated version of the MagSafe Wallet that has Find My built in. The new MagSafe Wallet is designed to be easier to find should it slip off of an iPhone or fall out of a pocket, but some new ‌MagSafe‌ Wallet owners are unable to get ‌Find My‌ to connect.

According to a long thread on Reddit, affected users do not get the proper ‌Find My‌ pop up when attaching a ‌MagSafe‌ Wallet to an iPhone. The issue seems to be impacting iPhone 13 models in particular, but there are also some complaints from iPhone 12 owners.

The ‌MagSafe‌ Wallet is meant to connect to ‌Find My‌ automatically when attached to an iPhone, as we demonstrate in our hands-on video below, but it simply does not work for some people.

Some users have been directed by Apple Support to Erase Network Settings and have had success with that method, but others say that this method does not work.

I had 3 calls with customer support and we were able to get it working for my iPhone 13 pro max. This is what worked: they told me to go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset > Erase > Erase Network Settings. The phone restarted, and after restarting and attaching the wallet to the back of my phone, the animation popped up and wallet is now in my Find My app!

Reddit user EndlessApology was told by Apple Support to take more drastic measures and put his iPhone into Device Firmware Update (DFU) mode to reinstall the OS using a Mac.

Got my own Wallets today and immediately had this issue with both my 13 Pro & Pro Max. Spoken to Apple tech, and followed what they said and it fixed it. Put the phones into DFU mode, and reinstall the OS and Firmware. Set the phone up again without doing any recovery. Once set back up, pop the wallet on and it'll pop up after about 5 seconds, and let you pair to Find My. After that, if you need to, reset the phone on the device itself, and restore from back up in set up. Sorted :)

DFU mode has been largely successful for most of the Reddit users who have attempted to fix the issue, but it is a huge hassle that shouldn't be necessary for a simple accessory pairing process. Based on the Reddit thread, Apple is aware of the issue, so it's possible that a fix will be coming in a future update.

• How to Enter DFU Mode on iPhone 13 Models

For now, users who want to get their ‌MagSafe‌ Wallets working right away should try the Reset Network Settings option and if that doesn't work, the DFU method to reinstall iOS 15.

iOS 15 adoption has reached an estimated 19.3% since the software update was released September 20, according to mobile analytics company Mixpanel.

Mixpanel measures iOS adoption based on visits to websites and apps that use its mobile analytics SDKs, so the data is not official. Apple has yet to share iOS 15 adoption stats, having last reported an 85% adoption rate for iOS 14 back in June.

iOS 15 adoption appears to remain slower than iOS 14 adoption so far, and there are likely several reasons for that, including Apple providing iOS 14 users with the option to continue receiving important security updates, several iOS 15 features being delayed, and iOS 15 suffering from a handful of early bugs that still need to be fixed.

For example, Apple said an issue preventing some iPhone 13 users from using the Unlock with Apple Watch feature will be fixed in an upcoming software update. The feature is designed to let you unlock your iPhone while wearing a mask, but some users have encountered an "Unable to Communicate with Apple Watch" error message.

There's another iOS 15 bug where performing an iCloud Backup can result in photos saved from an iMessage conversation that is later deleted to disappear from the Photos app, intermittent touchscreen issues on iPhone 13 models, and other problems.

Apple is currently beta testing iOS 15.1, which includes a fix for the Unlock with Apple Watch bug at a minimum, but there is no timeframe for the software update's release. It's quite possible that Apple will opt to release a smaller update such as iOS 15.0.1 to more quickly address some of the bugs and security vulnerabilities that have surfaced.

In celebration of International Podcast Day, Apple today revealed the most popular free and paid Apple Podcasts Subscriptions worldwide from June 15 through September 15.

Apple said Top Subscriptions is ranked in order of total subscribed listeners worldwide over the three-month period and includes both individual shows and channels with multiple shows, while Top Free Channels is ranked in the same way but does not include any fully paid or "freemium" channels with a mix of free and paid content.

Top Subscriptions

1. Wondery+ from Wondery
2. Luminary from Luminary
3. Sword and Scale +PLUS Light from Incongruity
4. TenderfootPlus+ from Tenderfoot TV
5. PushNik from Pushkin Industries
6. QCODE+ from QCODE
7. Imperative Premium Series from Imperative Entertainment
8. Podimo Deutschland from Podimo
9. U Up? from Betches Media
10. The Handoff from CNN

Top Free Channels

1. The New York Times
2. audiochuck
3. iHeartPodcast Network
4. Barstool Sports
5. Dateline NBC
6. ABC News
7. TED Audio Collective
8. ESPN
9. Crooked Media
10. Ramble

Apple Podcasts Subscriptions launched in June and allows users to subscribe to premium podcasts with a variety of benefits, such as ad-free listening, access to additional content, and early or exclusive access to new series.

"Apple Podcasts Subscriptions and channels launched just a few months ago and already listeners around the world are enjoying spectacular new shows and exclusive benefits from a variety of incredible creators such as Wondery, Luminary, and now Marvel Entertainment," said Oliver Schusser, vice president of Apple Music and Beats.

Apple today released a standalone "Device Support Update" for macOS Big Sur. The minor update ensures proper updating and restoring for iOS and iPadOS devices with a Mac, according to Apple, but no further details were provided.

It's likely that the update improves Finder support for newly released devices, including iPhone 13 models, the new iPad mini, and the ninth-generation iPad.

The update can be installed by clicking on the Apple logo in the macOS menu bar in the top-left corner of the screen, clicking on About This Mac, and clicking on Software Update. The update is listed with a file size of 195.6MB.

Adding to the list of issues facing iOS 15 and iPhone 13 users, a new, seemingly widespread bug is causing CarPlay to suddenly crash whenever a user attempts to play music, such as through Apple Music or third-party providers like Spotify.

Dozens of posts on Apple Support [1],[2],[3],[4],[5],[6], the MacRumors Forums [1],[2],[3],[4], and Twitter include users complaining that only on their new iPhone 13 does ‌CarPlay‌ not work correctly. According to users, attempting to play music from any ‌CarPlay‌ app causes the system to crash, but it works just fine when they try on older iPhones. As one MacRumors reader chronicles:

Updated my iPhone 11 to iOS 15, drove to store with no issues with Carplay. While there, I activated my new iPhone 13 mini (and disabled the 11) and now Carplay does not work. Trying to play any music causes it to crash and not come back. Unpaired and re-paired the phone, powered phone off and on a bunch of times, reset the stero/display, tried new cable, nothing works. Now I drive in silence, and it's miserable.

Other users report that the issue persists in either wired and wireless form. If Bluetooth does work, the active music app, such as Spotify, must stay on the screen and will stop playing if the user switches to another app. A user on the Apple Support forums explains:

I had an iPhone 12 with iOS 15, everything was working fine and dandy. I upgraded to iPhone 13 and now music does not play using CarPlay when I am using either Spotify or Apple Music. I have a 2018 Audi and I use lighting to connect to CarPlay. When I click on a song either using Spotify or Apple Music my CarPlay app shuts down. CarPlay works and does not shut down when I use Google maps or Apple podcasts. But as soon as I click on a song Apple CarPlay just shuts down.

Frustrated users have also taken to Twitter to voice their complaints, asking Apple Support for solutions, only to be referred to Apple Support articles that do little to amend the issue. Amid the lack of guidance from Apple Support, users have found that disabling EQ or the equalizer, specifically ensuring that the "Late Night" toggle is turned off within ‌Apple Music‌ settings, fixes the problem, while others have found that resetting all network settings on the iPhone also helps.

One reader of MacRumors claims that Apple Support informed them that this is a widespread issue and could be patched in an upcoming update. The ‌CarPlay‌ issue adds to a growing list of bugs in the initial release of iOS 15, including serious bugs that could cause users' photos to delete from their library, touch screen issues, and storage, ‌Apple Music‌, and widget problems.

Apple now lets users rate and review pre-installed iPhone apps on the App Store, such as Maps, Podcasts, Mail, and others, bringing the company's apps to parity with how users criticize and/or laud third-party apps on the platform.

Spotted first by 9to5Mac, Apple now lets users leave a zero to five-star rating for a number of its pre-installed apps, further enabling users to write their reviews. At the time of writing, the Podcasts app, which has faced a flurry of criticism, has a 2 out of 5-star rating out of 156 reviews, with other Apple apps varying.

Presently, no Apple app has a perfect five-star rating, with even the company's built-in Stocks app struggling to reach a 4 out of 5 grade. Notes has earned just 3.6 out of 5, while even Maps, which has received more attention from Apple over the years, has only a 3 out of 5 ratings.

By opening up its apps to ratings and reviews, Apple and its teams are now better able to receive more direct feedback for individual apps on ‌iPhone‌ and iPad. In light of recent ‌App Store‌ litigation, this move also nixes a potential criticism from Apple's detractors, who could have previously argued that by withholding ratings and reviews for pre-installed apps, Apple was being anti-competitive.

Apple's pre-installed apps, such as Mail, Podcasts, and Maps, don't receive regular ‌App Store‌ feature updates as other apps do; instead, their major updates are bundled with significant iOS releases.

Apple refines and tweaks all of its apps with each minor update for iOS and iPadOS, but significant changes, such as the ones that are likely to be requested through ratings and reviews, are not expected to come sporadically throughout the year, but instead, users will have to wait for the next major iOS release to see if their wishes have come true.

Researchers in the U.K. have demonstrated how large unauthorized contactless payments can be made on locked iPhones by exploiting Apple Pay's Express Transit feature when set up with Visa.

Express Transit is an ‌Apple Pay‌ feature that allows for tap-and-go payment at ticket barriers, eliminating the need to authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode. The device does not need to be wakened or unlocked to use Express Transit.

Computer Science researchers from Birmingham and Surrey Universities demonstrated to the BBC how the attack works by exploiting a weakness in the Visa contactless system through the use of a small piece of commercially available radio equipment, which is placed near the phone and masquerades as a ticket barrier.

An Android phone running an app developed by the researchers is used to relay signals from the iPhone to a contactless payment terminal and modifies the communications to fool the terminal into acting as if the iPhone has been unlocked and a payment authorized.

In demonstrating the attack, researchers made a contactless Visa payment of £1,000 from a locked iPhone. The scientists only took money from their own accounts. The researchers said the Android phone and payment terminal used don't need to be near the victim's iPhone as long as there's an internet connection.

Apple told the BBC the matter was an issue with the Visa system.

"We take any threat to users' security very seriously," said Apple. "This is a concern with a Visa system but Visa does not believe this kind of fraud is likely to take place in the real world given the multiple layers of security in place. In the unlikely event that an unauthorized payment does occur, Visa has made it clear that their cardholders are protected by Visa's zero liability policy."

The researchers said the attack might be easiest to deploy against a stolen iPhone, although there's no evidence that the hack has been used in the wild. Visa said payments were secure and attacks of this type were impractical outside of a lab.

"Visa cards connected to Apple Pay Express Transit are secure, and cardholders should continue to use them with confidence," said a Visa spokesperson. "Variations of contactless fraud schemes have been studied in laboratory settings for more than a decade and have proven to be impractical to execute at scale in the real world."

The researchers told the BBC they first approached Apple and Visa with their concerns almost a year ago, but despite "useful" conversations, the problem has not yet been fixed. The researchers also tested Express Transit with Mastercard but found that the way its security works prevented the attack.

"It has some technical complexity," said Dr Andreea Radu, of the University of Birmingham, who led the research. "But I feel the rewards from doing the attack are quite high. In a few years these might become a real issue."

Dr Tom Chothia, also at the University of Birmingham, advised iPhone users to check if they have a Visa card set up to use Express Transit and if so, disable it. "There is no need for ‌Apple Pay‌ users to be in danger, but until Apple or Visa fix this they are," he said.

With the recent release of iOS 15, Apple appears to have made some changes to Siri functionality that have removed features relied on by low vision and blind iPhone users.

Several ‌Siri‌ commands that provide details on phone calls, voicemails, and sending emails no longer appear to be working. The following commands used to be functional, but have recently been removed.

• Do I have any voicemails?
• Play my voicemail messages
• Check my call history
• Check my recent calls
• Who called me?
• Send an email
• Send an email to [person]

Over the last two weeks, we've received several emails from iPhone users who are missing this key ‌Siri‌ functionality, or their relatives who are attempting to help them navigate the changes. The ‌Siri‌ feature removals have also been documented on the AppleVis forums for blind and low vision users of Apple products.

One of the people whom I support told me that she could no longer use Siri to send email from her iPhone 8 with iOS 14. I tried on my iPhone SE with iOS 15.0 and the response from Siri was "sorry, I can't help with that'. Subsequently, I've had the same response on a phone running iOS 12. If this is a deliberate feature removal, it's certainly a loss to some users with sight loss who find it a convenient way to send a brief email.

Prior to this last iOS update if Siri was asked to play voicemail Siri would - now Siri just states can't do that. Trying to find a work around around as my dad who is completely blind heavily relied on this feature.

My sister is blind and Siri would respond to voice commands ie, read my text, call Barbara, answer questions regarding weather and most importantly tell my sister who called her. As of today, Siri's response is "I can't help with that". Has the system changed? Is there something on the iPhone that needs to be in abled so Siri will aid my sister with knowing who called her in the past?

Asking ‌Siri‌ to provide details on recent phone calls or voicemails results in the following response: "I can't help with that, but you can ask me to open the Phone app." Asking about email garners a similar response about ‌Siri‌ being unable to help.

It's worth noting that it's still possible to ask ‌Siri‌ to play the most recent voicemail message that's available, or a voicemail from a specific person, but ‌Siri‌ will not read out a list of all the available voicemails. The ‌Siri‌ commands seem to have disappeared when iOS 15 was released, but iOS 14 users are also not able to use them anymore so it's not an issue tied to iOS 15.

We asked Apple for comment on whether this was a bug or if there are alternate commands available for users, but after several days of waiting for a response, we did not hear back. A user on the AppleVis forums spoke to Apple support and was told that Apple is aware of the issue, so there's a possibility that this functionality will be re-added at some point.

A serious bug in the iOS 15 Messages app can cause some saved photos to be deleted, according to multiple complaints we've heard from MacRumors readers and Twitter users.

If you save a photo from a Messages thread and then go on to delete that thread, the next time an iCloud Backup is performed, the photo will disappear.

Even though the image is saved to your personal iCloud Photo Library, it appears to still be linked to the Messages app in iOS 15, and saving it does not persist through the deletion of the thread and an ‌iCloud‌ backup.

To replicate this bug, the following steps must be taken:

1. Save a photo from a Messages conversation to your Camera Roll.
2. Check to see that the photo has been saved.
3. Delete the Messages conversation the photo came from. The photo will still be in your ‌iCloud Photo Library‌ at this point.
4. Perform an ‌iCloud‌ Backup, and the photo disappears.

This is a concern because most users keep the ‌iCloud‌ Backup feature enabled and it's something that happens automatically. If you're someone who regularly deletes message threads, if there's a photo that you want to keep, you won't be able to keep it with ‌iCloud‌ Backup turned on. We tested this bug on an iPhone running iOS 15.1 beta 2 and had our photo deleted after deleting the Messages thread and performing an ‌iCloud‌ Backup, so the issue has not been addressed in the current beta as of yet.

Until this bug is fixed, if you've downloaded photos from the Messages app, you'll want to make sure to keep those Messages conversations and not delete them to prevent them from being automatically removed from your devices.

(Thanks, Chad!)

iFixit today tore apart one of Apple's new iPad mini models, and in the process of the teardown, the repair site gave a detailed overview of why the new tablets are displaying an issue that has been dubbed "jelly scrolling."

Some new ‌iPad mini‌ 6 owners have noticed that text or images on one side of the screen appear to be tilted downward when scrolling through content, which affects all LCD screens but is particularly noticeable on the ‌iPad mini‌.

According to iFixit, jelly scrolling usually isn't as prominent as it is on Apple's new 8.3-inch tablet, and it's caused by the way the screen refreshes. The screen refreshes from one side to another, in a wave-like pattern, rather than all at once. On the ‌iPad mini‌, iFixit speculates that the direction the screen is scanning is related to the placement of the controller board that drives the ‌iPad mini‌ display, and that's why there's jelly scrolling when in portrait mode.

The ‌iPad mini‌ has a controller board that's located in a vertical orientation on the left hand side. The iPad Air, which does not exhibit the same issue in portrait orientation, has a controller board located at the top of the tablet.

When you scroll parallel to the direction the display is refreshing, the display still isn't refreshing all at once, but the effect of the refresh is less noticeable because it's not splitting the text.

This is why you probably don't notice this on other displays. The jelly scroll is usually masked because the display is refreshing (or scanning) parallel to whichever way the scrolling motion is taking place. So a computer monitor will refresh vertically in its landscape orientation, and a smartphone will refresh vertically in its portrait orientation.

It just so happens that this iPad mini display is refreshing horizontally when you hold it in its vertical orientation, which is the way you typically hold an iPad to scroll.

iFixit says that it's also possible that Apple is using a cheaper display panel for the ‌iPad mini‌ 6, which could have resulted in the refresh scan being more pronounced than expected.

Apple has said that the jelly scrolling issue is normal behavior for an LCD screen, and that likely means the company does not plan to offer replacements for users who are seeing this issue. For that reason, those unhappy with the ‌iPad mini‌'s display should make sure to return the tablet within its 14 day return window.

There were no other major surprises with the ‌iPad mini‌ 6, but a full look inside is available in iFixit's video. Overall, iFixit gave the ‌iPad mini‌ a repair score of three due to an excess of adhesive and other repair limitations.

iOS 15 was released last week with a long list of new features, but there is one change that is proving to be an annoyance to users.

On the Apple TV, users who prefer not to input text using the Siri Remote can use a nearby iPhone or iPad to type. Whenever a text field appears on the Apple TV, a notification appears on the iPhone or iPad, and after tapping the notification, users can use the on-screen keyboard on the iPhone or iPad to enter text on the Apple TV.

The issue is that iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 no longer offer a way to disable the Apple TV keyboard notifications, despite Apple advertising this option in its tvOS 15 User Guide. On devices running iOS 14 and iPadOS 14, there was a toggle switch for turning off the notifications in Settings > Notifications > Apple TV Keyboard.

The inability to turn off the Apple TV keyboard notifications has prompted complaints from users. We've reached out to Apple to see if the company will consider reintroducing the toggle switch in a future software update, and we'll update this story if we hear back.

We've teamed up with Velvet Caviar to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a prize pack that includes a 128GB iPhone 13 Pro Max and a Velvet Caviar Prize pack that features a trio of iPhone cases, an AirPods case, an Apple Watch band, and a MacBook case, plus there are two other second place prize packs with Velvet Caviar gear.

For those unfamiliar with Velvet Caviar, the company makes fun accessories for Apple products in a range of bright colors and patterns. Velvet Caviar has iPhone cases for all of Apple's modern devices, including the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max.

Velvet Caviar's iPhone cases are protective without adding too much bulk. There's a lip around the front of the display to keep it safe from drops and scratches, and a similar ridge around the camera cutout to protect it when the iPhone is on its back.

According to Velvet Caviar, all of its case options are designed from high-impact plastics that can withstand drops on hard surfaces, plus there are protective corners that protect the iPhone's most vulnerable parts. iPhone 13 cases are designed to have a perfect fit, matching all the curves and cutouts of the device. Cases are priced between $25 and $35.

Case designs run the gamut at Velvet Caviar, and there's everything from a Holo Moonstone case to a Galaxy Glitter case to several floral options. You'll find all kinds of patterns including marble, geode, tie dye, cloud, geometric, and more. Many of the non-clear cases are compatible with MagSafe technology and can be used with Apple's ‌MagSafe‌ charger and other magnetic accessories.

To match the iPhone 13 cases, Velvet Caviar also makes cases designed for the AirPods and the AirPods Pro in many of the same patterns and designs. The two piece AirPods cases are made from a durable hard plastic material and feature an attached carabiner to hang the AirPods from bags or on keys. AirPods cases are priced at $20.

For Apple Watch owners, Velvet Caviar has a range of bands made from a vegan leather material, many of which also feature the same patterns available on the iPhone cases. There are also more muted and neutral color options, with Apple Watch bands priced at $30.

For the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, Velvet Caviar makes $45 cases made from a hard plastic material that keeps MacBooks safe from drops and scratches that might happen when on the go. The MacBook cases feature two protective shells, one for the top of the MacBook and one for the bottom. There are vent holes to dissipate heat to keep the MacBook cool and a set of anti-slip grips at the bottom.

We have one grand prize, which will include a 128GB iPhone 13 Pro Max, three iPhone cases to fit it, an AirPods Case, an Apple Watch Band, and a MacBook Case. Two other winners will receive a case prize pack with three iPhone cases, two AirPods cases, two Apple Watch bands, and a MacBook case.

To enter to win, use the Gleam.io widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

The contest will run from today (September 29) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on October 6. The winners will be chosen randomly on October 6 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.

Apple today seeded a new public beta of the macOS 12 Monterey beta to public beta testers, allowing non-developers to test the new macOS Monterey software ahead of its public release. The update comes just a few day after Apple provided the eighth beta to developers.

Public beta testers can download the macOS 12 Monterey update from the Software Update section of the System Preferences app after installing the proper profile from Apple's beta software website.

macOS Monterey introduces quite a few major updates for the macOS operating system. When released, Universal Control will let a single mouse, trackpad, and keyboard be used across multiple Mac or iPad devices, and it's now possible to AirPlay directly to a Mac from an iPhone, ‌iPad‌, or even another Mac.

Safari has an updated tab bar and support for Tab Groups to keep tons of tabs organized, and FaceTime now features support for spatial audio, Portrait Mode (M1 Macs only) and Voice Isolation for cutting out background noise. A SharePlay ‌FaceTime‌ feature (coming in a Monterey update) will let Apple TV users watch TV, listen to music, and share their screens with one another.

Shared With You, another new feature, keeps track of the music, links, podcasts, news, and photos that people are sent in Messages, highlighting it in the relevant apps. Notes has a new Quick Note feature for jotting down thoughts, and the Shortcuts app is now available on the Mac.

A dedicated Focus mode helps people stay on task by cutting out background distractions based on what's going on, and there's an updated Maps app with a whole slew of new features. With Live Text, Macs can now detect text in photos or provide details on animals, art, landmarks, plants, and more in images. The new beta adds Live Text support for Intel Macs.

Mail Privacy Protection hides IP and prevents tracking through invisible pixels, and iCloud Private Relay keeps Safari browsing protected. There are many other new features in ‌macOS Monterey‌, with a complete overview available in our macOS Monterey roundup.

Apple today seeded the second public betas of upcoming iOS 15.1 and iPadOS 15.1 betas, one week after seeding the first betas and a little over a week after releasing iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 to the public.

Public beta testers who have signed up for Apple's beta testing program can download the iOS and ‌iPadOS 15.1‌ updates over the air after installing the proper certificate from the Public Beta website.

SharePlay makes a return in iOS 15.1, with Apple once again testing the feature that was removed before the launch of iOS 15. SharePlay is designed to let users call their friends and family and interact by watching movies, watching TV, or listening to music together.

Apple has added features like shared playlists and TV show syncing so everyone sees the same thing at the same time. SharePlay also has a built-in screen sharing feature, and Apple is still working out the bugs.

Paired with the HomePod 15.1 beta (which is invite only), iOS 15.1 adds Lossless Audio and Dolby Atmos with Spatial Audio support to the ‌HomePod‌ and the HomePod mini, bringing Apple's speakers in line with iPhones, iPads, and Macs.

iPhone users who have a health care provider or state record that uses SMART Health Cards can import their COVID-19 vaccination records into the Health app and can then add a vaccine card to the Wallet app. This is an opt-in feature that uses a global specification, but healthcare providers need to implement it.

Right now, Smart Health Cards are or will be available to those in California, Louisiana, New York, Virginia, Hawaii, and some Maryland counties, as well those who were vaccinated at Walmart, Sam's Club, and CVS Health. Healthcare providers like electronic health record vendors like Epic and Cerner also support Smart Health Cards.

The second beta of iOS 15.1 fixes an Unlock with Apple Watch bug that prevented an authenticated Apple Watch from unlocking an iPhone when the user is wearing a mask. The feature was unable to be toggled on the iPhone 13 Pro, but after the iOS 15.1 update, it is once again functional.