Or continue on iOS 14 and still get important security updates until you’re ready to upgrade to the next major version. If you are unable to update your device due to restrictions from the likes of your school or the company you work for, you may have no choice but to stay on iOS 14. This is a particularly common occurrence on corporate devices that are centrally managed with restrictions on what apps are allowed to run and what updates can be installed. Sometimes, companies with apps, accessories, or services for internal use may take longer to update them, meaning that they prefer to limit immediate updates to the latest OS, or IT departments responsible for managing such devices may simply prefer to wait until the latest OS is more stable for corporate use where reliability is particularly important. The same applies for iPhone accessories such as Bluetooth camera gimbals or external storage devices that use an app, which could also be affected if they have not been updated for iOS 15. This process is already underway, with Apple releasing a number of iterative updates to iOS 15 since its launch, each of which has included bug fixes.
A number of features that were announced for iOS 15 were initially delayed, such as SharePlay, which lets users do more in FaceTime calls with options for watching TV together, listening to music, and screen sharing. Other features coming in later updates to iOS 15 include Digital IDs in the Wallet app and Universal Control.
In iOS 15, notifications have been redesigned, adding contact photos for people and larger icons for apps.
Elsewhere, Safari features a completely new design with controls that are easier to reach with one hand and an ability to easily swipe between tabs.
The Weather app has been completely redesigned in iOS 15, while the Maps app now offers a new 3D view in cities with enhanced details, a new city-driving experience with added road details, improved Transit features, and more. iOS 15 brings Portrait Mode, voice isolation, and Spatial Audio to FaceTime calls, and Memories in the Photos app have been redesigned and now support integration with Apple Music.
You are waiting until iOS 15 adds delayed features such as digital ID cards.
iOS 15 vs iOS 14: Should you update your iPhone?
iOS 14 introduced some significant upgrades to the iPhone interface, including widgets, the App Library, and shrinking Siri down to a little globe rather than taking over the whole screen when you want to ask it a question. There are also some new features that work across multiple apps, such as Shared With You and Focus, which should make life much easier when the new version arrives later this year.
These can range from a simple, universal Do Not Disturb mode to bespoke ones like Personal, that cuts out all work-related messages and emails for specific periods of the day.
Focus works across your iPhone and other Apple devices, interacting with Messages, FaceTime and other apps to ensure that you have the headspace you need to get things done or relax. First up, there are now contact photos for people that send you messages, and app icons have been enlarged so you can easily tell at a glance where the notification is coming from. You’ll also have the ability to quickly mute app alerts or message threads for an hour, so you can go to a meeting or have your lunch without being interrupted. While the biggest application of this feature comes in the Camera app, as we’ll see below, one useful addition is that you can search for terms in Spotlight and it will employ the technology to find what you’re after. With apps like Zoom taking centre stage in the COVID era, it was only a matter of time before Apple beefed up FaceTime to make it more attractive for users.
Thanks to the web version of FaceTime, they can use the link you send them to access the portal (much like Zoom) and attend your meetings or video calls.
Scheduling has also been introduced, so you can invite people to a call well in advance, making it much easier to arrange a conference or family get-together. Portrait mode is a new feature, allowing you to blur the backgrounds of your environment, which will be perfect if you haven’t had time to tidy up before the important work call. While on a FaceTime call, you can now share songs from Apple Music or watch movies and TV shows with everyone being able to see and hear the content.
This feature also extends to sharing your screen, making FaceTime now a proper rival for Zoom or Microsoft Teams as you can host presentations rather than just the standard video chats available on iOS 14. The new Shared With You feature means that when people send you links to music, articles on the web, podcasts or photos from a trip you’ve taken together, these will automatically be stored in the new Shared With You section that appears in Apple Music, Podcasts, Photos, Safari and Apple News, depending on which is the most relevant. As part of iOS’s new Focus mode, you can also turn on a Do Not Disturb setting for Messages that shows anyone writing to you that you are not available at that time. Maps gets a makeover, with more detailed renderings of road layouts, replete with colours for buildings and lane markings.
Some territories will have additional information about transit services, plus you’ll be able to see the maps shown with daylight or moonlight, depending on the time of day. iOS 15 also brings shiny new things in the form of upgraded weather maps, support for identity cards in Wallet, upgrades to privacy, including Siri now working locally rather than on Apple’s servers, with the new iCloud+ service providing secure chat, disposable emails address that forward to your main account so you don’t have to sign up to things online and be forever fending off spam, tags for the Notes app that make it easy to find and group notes together, plus more powerful Find My tools and upgrades to Translate.
Focus mode gives you more control over how intrusive the digital life can be, while the beefed-up privacy settings make sure your data remains your own. FaceTime will finally become a serious alternative to Zoom and Microsoft Teams in iOS 15, and the improvements to Messages with the Shared With You feature will be sure to make life that little bit easier when trying to recall that cool thing your friend sent you.
iOS 14 vs. iOS 15: Should You Update?
Or continue on iOS 14 and still get important security updates until you’re ready to upgrade to the next major version. If you are unable to update your device due to restrictions from the likes of your school or the company you work for, you may have no choice but to stay on iOS 14. This is a particularly common occurrence on corporate devices that are centrally managed with restrictions on what apps are allowed to run and what updates can be installed. Sometimes, companies with apps, accessories, or services for internal use may take longer to update them, meaning that they prefer to limit immediate updates to the latest OS, or IT departments responsible for managing such devices may simply prefer to wait until the latest OS is more stable for corporate use where reliability is particularly important.
The same applies for iPhone accessories such as Bluetooth camera gimbals or external storage devices that use an app, which could also be affected if they have not been updated for iOS 15. This process is already underway, with Apple releasing a number of iterative updates to iOS 15 since its launch, each of which has included bug fixes.
A number of features that were announced for iOS 15 were initially delayed, such as SharePlay, which lets users do more in FaceTime calls with options for watching TV together, listening to music, and screen sharing. Other features coming in later updates to iOS 15 include Digital IDs in the Wallet app and Universal Control.
In iOS 15, notifications have been redesigned, adding contact photos for people and larger icons for apps.
Elsewhere, Safari features a completely new design with controls that are easier to reach with one hand and an ability to easily swipe between tabs. The Weather app has been completely redesigned in iOS 15, while the Maps app now offers a new 3D view in cities with enhanced details, a new city-driving experience with added road details, improved Transit features, and more. iOS 15 brings Portrait Mode, voice isolation, and Spatial Audio to FaceTime calls, and Memories in the Photos app have been redesigned and now support integration with Apple Music.
You are waiting until iOS 15 adds delayed features such as digital ID cards.
How to Downgrade iOS to an older version
This post shares safe methods to downgrade iOS without data loss. Apple users are usually tempted to upgrade to the latest iOS version as soon it is released. After the iOS 14 upgrade, numerous complaints poured in, ranging from apps not working, battery issues, non-functional widgets, device crash, Bluetooth/ Wi-Fi connectivity, and more. Backing up iPhone to iCloud or iTunes after upgrading to the latest iOS doesn’t help as this backup file won’t work once you have downgraded to the older iOS.
Connect your iPhone or iPad to the computer and put the iOS device to Recovery Mode. Follow the below steps to Recovery Mode based on your iOS device. Press the Side button until the iPhone shows the Recovery Mode screen. iPhone 6s and below users: Press together the Sleep/Wake and Home buttons until the Apple logo appears followed by the Recovery Mode screen.
iPad Pro with Face ID: Press and quickly release the Volume Up button. Continue to press the Top button until the iPad goes into Recovery Mode. The software can retrieve lost photos, videos, contacts, messages, call logs, chats, etc. On your iOS device, navigate to Settings > iCloud > Find my iPhone.
In case you are using macOS Catalina, open a new Finder window to access your iPhone/ iPad instead of iTunes. Setup your iPhone/ iPad and restore the iPhone data from backup files.
In case you have downloaded the beta version of the iOS, you can delete it from your iPhone.
By using this method, you won’t be able to use your iOS device until the next software update is released.
Whenever the next iOS is released by Apple, install it by from Settings > General > Software Update on your iPhone. Ensure you have a backup of the older iOS version, or you should be ready to use your iPhone after a factory reset.
How to update to iOS 15 or iPadOS 15
Update to iOS 15 or iPadOS 15 Explore all new features to help you connect with others, stay focused, and do more with your iPhone and iPad. Create a backup Back up your device to iCloud or your computer so you have a copy of your important information. Choose a backup method Install iOS 15 or iPadOS 15 Make sure your device is plugged in and connected to the Internet with Wi-Fi.
About iOS 15 Updates
Maps delivers a beautiful redesign with a new three-dimensional city experience and augmented reality walking directions.
How to update to iOS 15 or iPadOS 15
Update to iOS 15 or iPadOS 15 Explore all new features to help you connect with others, stay focused, and do more with your iPhone and iPad. Create a backup Back up your device to iCloud or your computer so you have a copy of your important information. Choose a backup method Install iOS 15 or iPadOS 15 Make sure your device is plugged in and connected to the Internet with Wi-Fi.
Wikipedia
It was announced at the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference on June 7, 2021, as the successor to iOS 14 and released to the public on September 20, 2021. Based on the selected state, users can set the type of notification they want to receive and from which application.
It is also possible to choose which pages and then apps to show on the Home based on the state. When the notification arrives, the user can mute the corresponding app for one hour or all day.
Devices with an A12 chip or later support Live Text, which uses optical character recognition to recognize text in images, allowing copy-and-paste, look-up, and translation in Photos, Screenshot, Quick Look, Safari, and Live Preview with Camera. This feature uses artificial intelligence text recognition using the Neural Engine.
For example, near the start of a certain event in the Calendar, the system can decide to add the Calendar Widget to an existing smart stack, if it is not already present, and then remove it at the end of the event. The various Home screens can be reordered, deleted, hidden, or limited using Focus mode. The global search function has been enhanced and it is also available on the lock screen by pulling the page down. Formerly limited to 60 seconds, the Voice-To-Text dictation time available in the keyboard is unlimited. The system default player, used for videos and by many apps, supports changing playback speed. The new version for augmented reality (AR) uses new APIs to capture objects faster, and supports custom shaders, dynamic assets, custom systems and character control.
StoreKit 2 allows apps to implement the “Request a Refund” option in-app. The users can tap this option, select a specific in-app purchase and identify the problem that led to the refund request.
[28] It also allows developers to monitor the purchases made by their users without using third-party solutions. Voice isolation mode: remove background noise during calls FaceTime links and web integration: Allow Android and Microsoft Windows users to join calls SharePlay allows the user to share their content from compatible video and music apps to a FaceTime call. Greater depth has been added to the driving maps with the use of 3D modeling, which will make it easier to interpret directions when faced with roads that go over or under the one being driven on, including buildings, bridges and trees. 3D globe with a new color palette and increased mountain, desert, and forest detail
In-app notifications will alert users when they need to get off a bus or train.
New features for driving, including a new map where details such as traffic and incidents are highlighted, as well as an itinerary planner that lets the user view a future journey by selecting departure or arrival time. [37][38] In the Photos app, the user can now look up places that are inside images, however, this feature only works on the Apple A12 chip or later. Improved panoramic shooting mode on iPhone 12 and above: less geometric distortion in panoramic shots with elongated fields of view, noise and banding reduction that are formed in the image due to changes in brightness and contrast when moving the camera from side to side, a less blurry and clearer image even when capturing moving subjects within the panorama.
[45] Safari will automatically upgrade HTTP URLs to HTTPS if compatible. Safari opens with a new start page; it is possible to have a custom page on startup that contains sections including favorites, most frequently visited sites, Siri suggestions, etc.
The app also has a next-time precipitation notifications feature which allows the user to get a notification whenever rain or snow is going to start or stop within the next hour for the user’s current location and each saved location, independently. Siri can now work offline on device with an A12 Bionic chip or later, responding faster to common requests supported locally without need for Internet connection.
Apple News has been completely redesigned, featuring more rounded corners. Items such as images, web pages, Apple Music or Podcasts, Apple News stories, and Maps locations will share the actual content (or a link to it).
A new monitored parameter called “Walking Steadiness” has been added, which determines the risk of falling using gyroscopic sensors that measure balance, stability, and coordination. New #tags allow classifying, organizing, then finding the user’s notes faster. Smart Folders automatically group various notes based on tags. New automation triggers based on the current reading of a HomeKit-enabled humidity, air quality, or light level sensor.
Added new playback options to adjust speed and skip silence. Keys: iPhone is able to unlock select HomeKit-enabled smart locks.
Arizona, Georgia, Connecticut, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Oklahoma, and Utah will be the first states to support the feature. This feature was called “Record App Activity” until iOS 15.2, when its functionality was extended. Safari’s anti-tracking now prevents known trackers from reading the user real IP address. Hide IP address for external content in Mail [ edit ]
In this way it is possible to privately download this external content without being tracked by spammers or commercial companies that have inserted them without the user’s knowledge. Private Relay masks the user’s IP address in Safari, preserving the region without revealing the actual location.
It also protects the DNS query resolution and insecure HTTP traffic in all apps. The built-in authenticator allows iOS devices to be used to generate verification codes for additional sign-in security of accounts.
The verification codes are automatically filled when a user signs in to the site.
Tethering to/from older iOS devices is not possible as WPA2 compatibility is not fully supported.
Implementation of CSAM detection was delayed indefinitely,[63] and cancelled altogether in December 2022. iOS 15 introduced kalloc_type in order to advance memory safety in the XNU kernel.
iOS Notes 15.0 New widgets have been added: Mail, Contacts, Game Center, Find My, App Store, Sleep, Apple Card It was initially present in the iOS 15.0 betas but was disabled and hidden behind a developer profile before the final release.
On iOS 15.0–15.1, Face ID was disabled on the iPhone 13 series after a third-party screen replacement. Support for Italian and Chinese (Traditional) for Safari webpage translation. Custom Email Domains for iCloud Support was expanded and added. Podcasts received a new setting to limit episodes stored on user’s iPhone and iPad and automatically delete older ones.
iTunes Pass was revamped, rebranded and renamed to “Apple Account Card”. Apple Store includes a new feature “Pay with your iPhone in the Apple Store, shop online, or buy apps, subscriptions, and other services”; support for this feature was added.
iPadOS 15
The successor to iPadOS 14, it was announced at the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 7, 2021 along with iOS 15, macOS Monterey, watchOS 8, and tvOS 15. The home screen grid is reduced by one row to accommodate the new widgets when placed (23 icons), and rotates in portrait orientation, just like iOS 12 and earlier.
iPadOS 15 introduces the App Library from the iPhone in iOS 14 to the iPad. New multitasking user interface allows users to enter split view, slide over, enter full screen with quick gestures.
The multiwindow shelf gives quick access to all running apps. A new feature, called Quick Note, can be taken by swiping from the corner with fingers or the Apple Pencil, the Control Center or a keyboard shortcut.
[14] Users can download third party extensions for Safari in the App Store. iPadOS 15 features a new wallpaper in two modes: light and dark.
All models of iPad now have a “Low Power Mode” option in Settings, like the iOS “Low Power Mode” option in Settings, and can also be added to the Control Center. The Today View has been removed and replaced by widgets placed directly anywhere on the home screen
iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 review: iPhone revolution, iPad evolution
And Apple continues its quest to put privacy at the center of everything, with new protections for your personal data and indicators that reveal just how often apps are accessing your device’s camera, microphone, or even the clipboard. I’m still encountering the odd bug on occasion — widgets not refreshing when they should, minor visual glitches, and so on — but I haven’t come across any showstoppers. 8 Verge Score Apple iOS 14 The Good Redesigned widgets offer greater home screen customization Refinements like compact call notifications, pinned messages, and more The Bad App Library folders can’t be edited and create strange combinations Apple previously dipped its toes in the widget waters by letting you add them to the left-most “Today” panel, but with iOS 14, the company is going all-in. You also can’t readjust the size of widgets after placing them; if you decide a larger or smaller version would fit better, you’ve got to go through the process of adding it again. You can go one step further and make “smart” stacks that automatically rotate the visible widget based on the time of day, your location, and your typical usage patterns. Despite the short-notice release of iOS 14, new widgets are already starting to show up for OneDrive, Wikipedia, Todoist, Merriam-Webster, and a growing number of apps.
But you don’t have to start from scratch like I did; if you just want to cut down on the clutter and hide pages of random apps, iOS 14 makes that easy, too.
For example, pinned conversations take up a ton of space in the messages list since those people show up as enlarged avatars at the top of the screen. It’s been a long time coming, but iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 let you choose your own default apps for email and web browsing. Developers need to update their apps to be eligible, but several of the big hitters (including Chrome, Gmail, Microsoft Edge, Outlook, and others) have already done so.
Once you’ve switched the setting, your preferred app will load instead of Mail or Safari whenever you click on an email link or URL. It works as promised, but after feeling the freedom of switching these defaults, I’m hoping Apple gets more open next year and lets us pick new favorites for messaging, music, and more. Search for Apple Music subscribers is more convenient, as there’s a new top row for quickly getting to albums, playlists, and other filtered results. My favorite thing about the Music app is actually the refreshed now playing screen, which has a background of shifting colors that match the album art of whatever you’re listening to. In a bid to keep pace with Google Maps, Apple has also added curated recommendation guides for things to do and places to eat in popular cities — once we eventually get back to doing that. Another nice touch is that you can now quickly use your iPhone’s camera to help improve your location and orientation in Maps just by pointing it at nearby buildings.
This is useful in urban cities where tall buildings can mess with GPS reception, making it harder for the app to tell which direction you’re facing or exactly what intersection you’re near. If developers adopt this new iOS 14 feature, you’ll be able to do stuff like pay for street parking, order food for takeout, rent a scooter or e-bike — all by using just the necessary sliver of the full-size app you’d normally need for that purpose.
I’ve been able to test Panera Bread’s, which you can access by searching for the chain in Apple’s Maps app and picking your preferred location.
Tap “order food” and you’re brought into an app-like experience that lets you select items from the Panera Bread menu and buy them using Apple Pay.
Last year, Apple sent the iPad on its own course by renaming its software to iPadOS and adding new features designed for the tablet form factor. Scribble comes with its own new gestures for manipulating text with the Pencil, like scratching out a word or sentence to erase it or circling a phrase to highlight it.
You’ll get those ones down in no time, but other gestures — like pressing and holding the Pencil tip down to create more space for handwriting or drawing a vertical line to separate or connect words — are easier to forget. iPadOS 14 also adds sidebars to a number of apps including Music, Photos, Files, and Shortcuts, which in turn makes using all of them more efficient and productive. For years now, Apple has worked to bolster the security and privacy of iOS and give customers greater control over how much apps can glean from their iPhone. I think the microphone and camera indicators are terrific additions and should always be there, but I wish Apple would let you configure or toggle off these other prompts — at least the clipboard ones, which have struck me as a little overboard in my time using iOS 14.
Another neat new privacy trick is the option to grant apps access to your approximate location instead of the usual pinpoint accuracy. I’m still generally giving most photo apps full access, but it’s a nice tool to have if you want to get more granular than the all-or-nothing choice Apple offered before. And Apple plans to continue making it harder for advertisers to secretly track you across apps, though it’s giving the ad industry a few extra months to adjust to the coming changes. Taking advantage of widgets (once more become available) and App Library can legitimately improve the day-to-day experience of using your iPhone, opening up new ways of keeping things fresh and personalized to whatever suits you.
If you ignore those new features completely, it’s still worth updating to iOS 14 for the less annoying call notifications, the richer Messages app, and other additions like picture-in-picture.
iPadOS 14 doesn’t radically shake up the user experience in the same way, but it continues building on the strengths of Apple’s tablet lineup.
Scribble turns the Apple Pencil into more than just a tool for drawing or retouching photos, and apps now put the iPad’s bigger screen real estate to better use with sidebars and pull-down menus. The end result is an iPad that feels more productive than ever, even if it still comes with the same little issues that can limit its appeal as a laptop replacement for some people.
And Apple has continued to make strides in accessibility: there’s now a headphone accommodations setting that can tune audio output to your hearing, and iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 can add VoiceOver support even for apps that don’t have it baked in.
iOS 15 Compatibility: Is Your Device Supported?
Apple released iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 in the fall of 2021, so you may be curious if your iPhone, iPad, or iPod is compatible if you haven’t already upgraded. Review the lists below to see if your device will support Apple’s upgrade. iOS 15 Compatible Devices Here is a list of iOS 15 supported iPhone and iPod models. iPadOS 15 Compatible Devices To double-check your iPad model, here is a list of supported devices for iPadOS 15. iPad Pro 12.9-inch (1 st through 5 th generations) You can find the iPad model number to see which one you own.
iOS and iPadOS 15: The MacStories Review
The update broke out of the tech community and, perhaps for the first time in decades, made UI personalization a mainstream, easily attainable hobby. With the world coming to a halt due to the pandemic in early 2020, Apple could have easily seized the opportunity to slow down its pace of software updates, regroup, and reassess the state of its platforms without any major changes in functionality. As we’ll see later in the story, new functionalities such as Focus and Live Text in the Camera are the additions that will likely push people to update their iPhones this year. It’s a tall order; it’s why I’ve long believed that the iPad’s unique multiplicity of inputs makes iPadOS the toughest platform to design for.
While Apple is probably preparing bigger and bolder updates for next year, there are still plenty of features to discover and enjoy in iOS and iPadOS 15 – some that could still use some refinement, others that already feel like staples of the modern iPhone and iPad experience.
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