Apple’s next big update for a billion-plus iPhones is iOS 15. A beta for developers was made available on the first day of WWDC, June 7, 2021. The beta was then expended to public beta testers in its second release, on June 30, 2021. We expect the final release in the fall, probably in September.
This page collects all our major articles about iOS 15: FAQs and feature guides, how-tos, tips, updates, and news. It’s your one-stop-shop for all the iOS 15 related content on Macworld. We’ll continue to update this page as we post more iOS 15-related articles.
iOS 15 FAQ
What’s new in iOS 15? As usual, the big new iPhone operating system update comes with lots of new features, design changes, and improvements. We’ve compiled a list of all the big new features in iOS 15.
How to install the iOS 15 beta
Want to give iOS 15 a try before it’s finished? Maybe help find (and report!) some bugs? Anyone with a supported device can sign up for the public beta and try it out. It’s not always easy to go back to iOS 14, though, so be careful! Here’s how to sign up for the iOS 15 beta and install it.
iOS 15 features: Safari
Apple constantly improves its Safari browser, but iOS 15 is the first time in a long time that it will actually have a substantially new interface. When you first visit a website after upgrading to iOS 15, it’s going to be a shock (and a lot of people aren’t going to like it). Learn how to use the radically new Safari browser in iOS 15.
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iOS 15 features: Notification Summary
New to iOS 15 are some great new features meant to reduce distractions and keep your phone from always nagging you to pick it up. One of the best is a new Notification Summary tool that bundles up notifications that aren’t time-sensitive and delivers them at the time of your choosing. Learn how to use the new Notification Summary feature here.
iOS 15 features: FaceTime links
Once limited to Apple only devices, you’ll have the ability to share links to FaceTime calls with Android or Windows users, who can join on the web. FaceTime links can be used to get everyone on board at a future date, too. Learn all about the new FaceTime Links and how to talk to Android or Windows users.
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iOS 15 features: Focus modes
Another great tool to help you avoid unwanted distractions is Focus. With Focus you can set your iPhone (and iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch) into a customized “mode” that silences interruptions from all but the people and apps you determine, and can even display or hide specific home screens. Set up Focus modes for working, driving, sleeping, gaming, whatever… you can even set triggers to turn them on or off automatically. Learn all about how to use Focus here.
What’s next?
Of course, iOS 15 brings a ton of great features to the iPhone. But a lot of them aren’t just about the iPhone. They’re features and services that lay the groundwork for a distant future where the iPhone is no longer Apple’s most important device. Read about how Apple is preparing for the post-iPhone future.
I have written professionally about technology for my entire adult professional life – over 20 years. I like to figure out how complicated technology works and explain it in a way anyone can understand.