Best iOS 15 features you should try out

Apple’s next big mobile operating system, the iOS 15, is finally rolling out in India.

The platform is supported by iPhone 6S and newer models, and equipped with a bunch of capabilities that make it a vital upgrade over the previous iOS releases. Yes, there are some features that will run only on models with A12 or newer chips, but there is still a lot more to look forward in the latest version.

Here are some of those improvements.

FaceTime gets better

With iOS 15, Apple has given a major upgrade to FaceTime, bringing the platform closer to Zoom and Google Meet. Now, users get a grid view to see all the participants in a FaceTime call and there’s support for portrait mode and spatial audio to make sure the background is blurred out and individual voices sound like they’re coming from the direction in which each person is positioned on your screen.

Most importantly, FaceTime calls are no longer restricted to iOS devices. A person (with an iOS 15 or iPadOS 15 device) can send a link to invite Android/Windows users to a FaceTime call. They can join directly from a browser, with the call still being end-to-end encrypted.

Focus

With the Covid pandemic and the accelerated “work from home” routine, it is now more important than ever to help people tone down distractions and focus on what’s important. iOS 15 works in this direction with a new feature called Focus.

Focus can enable different modes – from Work to Fitness – and restrict notifications from people and apps accordingly. So, if you have configured the Work mode, your iPhone would only show messages from selected co-workers and office apps such as Teams on the home screen. For rest, it will be Do not disturb. Focus modes can work for an hour or in sync with location or calendar events.

Live Text

Another interesting improvement in iOS 15 is the introduction of Live Text. This feature leverages Apple’s upgraded computer vision technology and allows you to copy text from any real-world image. Simply put, one can simply point their camera at a billboard and use the feature to copy what’s written on it in another application. It works on existing photos within the library and even converts contact numbers into a link that directly opens in the phone dialer. To sum up, yes, it’s Apple’s version of Google Lens.

Find powered off iPhones

With iOS 15, Apple has introduced improvements to the Find My app, allowing users to track their iPhones even when they have been powered off or erased. The feature works using the Find My network capability of the platform and makes it difficult for thieves to hide stolen devices. However, it must be noted that it does the job only when the device being tracked is close to Another Apple device that’s active.

iCloud+

Another interesting change is the upgrade to iCloud+. Now, paying iCloud customers not only get extra storage and photo backup but also added privacy focused features such as Hide My Email and Private Relay. The former works as a burner email which you can use to sign up on websites while the latter serves as a built-in VPN for safe and private browsing on Safari.