Apple today released the fourth developer beta of iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 to all registered developers for all compatible iPhones and iPads.
Alongside iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 beta 4, Apple also released the fourth developer beta of watchOS 8, macOS Monterey, and tvOS 15.
A new public beta build of iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 for all public beta testers should also be released within the next day or so. You can follow our guide to install the iOS 15 public beta on your iPhone right away.
If you have not yet installed the iOS 15 developer beta on your iPhone, you can join Apple’s public beta program to try out the latest OS. iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 are scheduled for release to the public sometime in September this year.
Check out our article to find out what’s new in iOS 15 and iPad 15 beta 4.
There are plenty of new features in iOS 15. Check out some of the key ones below.
iOS 15 Features
FaceTime Improvements
FaceTime is getting a major upgrade in iOS 15. With video calls surging in popularity over the last year due to COVID-19, Apple is making some important changes to make FaceTime calls more natural. FaceTime calls will now support spatial audio to make it sound like they are sitting in the room with you. Voice isolation uses machine learning to block all ambient noise and focus on just your voice.
FaceTime is getting grid view support to make group video calls easier, making it easier to view multiple callers at once. To make the video calling experience better, FaceTime is getting a portrait mode as well, which will blur the background. You can also schedule FaceTime calls using FaceTime links, which you can share with your friends or family ahead of time. Apple is also allowing Android and Windows users to join FaceTime calls using the web browser.
iOS 15 also brings SharePlay to FaceTime. This allows you to listen to the same music or video while on a FaceTime call. Apple is also introducing a SharePlay API so that other apps and streaming services can also hook into it.
Sharing Becomes Easier in Messages
The updated Messages app in iOS 15 now has a new design for group photos. Any links shared with you in the Messages app will also show up in the Shared With You section of Apple News. This allows you to read any content at a later date easily.
You can also pick up on the conversation right from within the Apple News app. Similar functionality will also be making its way to Apple Music, Safari, Podcast, Apple TV, Photos, and more.
Redesigned Notifications and Focus
Apple is redesigning notifications in iOS 15, with contact photos and icons now visible in the notifications. It is also adding a Notification Summary that gives you a summary of all your unread notifications. Impressively, if you have Do Not Disturb enabled, the other party sending you a message will inform you about this.
iOS 15 also debuts Focus profiles so that you can set different profiles for app notifications and home screen layout. For example, you can select the work apps from which you want notification alerts when at work. You can also set different home screen layouts for each profile. Any Focus profile you set will also be synced to your other devices.
iPadOS 15 Features
Widgets on Home Screen
The redesigned home screen experience on iPadOS 15 is similar to what Apple introduced in iOS 14 for the iPhone last year. To make better use of the large display, Apple is introducing a new 4×4 widget size.
App Library is also coming to the iPad with iPadOS 15. The App Library feature is built into the dock itself, and you can hide home screen pages as well.
Improved Multitasking
Apple is improving the multitasking experience in iPadOS 15. You can now easily run apps in Split View mode using the new multitasking bar. You can also minimize an app window to the Shelf.
You can now run apps Split View right from the multitasking view by dragging one app on top of another.
QuickNote
The Notes app is getting mentions and activity view support in iPadOS 15. You can also add tags in Notes to make it easier to find.
Apple is also debuting QuickNote in iPadOS 15. You can swipe from the corner of the display using your Apple Pencil to open a new QuickNote. This shortcut will work from anywhere in the OS, so you can easily create quick notes when browsing a page in Safari or reading an email. You can also swipe between Quick Notes.
Since iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 are still in the early stages of development, Apple is making a lot of changes with every new iOS 15 beta build. If you find any changes or bugs in iOS 15 beta 4, drop a comment and let us know!
