iOS 15 – iOS 15.4: Everything You Need to Know

BY Rajesh Pandey

Published 19 May 2021

iOS 15

iOS 15 is the next major release of iOS from Apple. At first glance iOS 15 might not seem like a big update, but it packs plenty of usability improvements. iOS 15 builds on the features that Apple first introduced in iOS 14 to offer a better user experience.

Apart from plenty of new features, iOS 15 also comes with privacy improvements aimed at keeping your data safe from third-party apps.

Top iOS 15 – iOS 15.2 Features

Focus on What Matters 

Apple has integrated a brand new Focus feature that helps users focus and reduce distraction. Focus will filter notifications and apps based on what a user wants to focus on. Users can set their device to help them be in the moment by creating a custom Focus or selecting a suggested Focus, which uses on-device intelligence to suggest which people and apps are allowed to notify them.

For example, you can enable the Sleep focus profile at night, and your iPhone will limit the notifications from only a handful of apps based on your habit and machine learning.

Focus learns from user behavior. It keeps track of your usage pattern and offers custom suggestions designed for you. Another cool trick is custom home pages and widgets arrangements in the Focus mode. You can specify exactly what to showcase on the iOS home screen when using the Focus mode.

Also, don’t worry about missed call notifications. Focus mode will automatically send status in the Messages app reflecting your current unavailability to respond to messages or calls.

Focus in iOS 15

Live Text

Live Text uses on-device intelligence to recognize text in a photo and allow users to take action. For example, users can search for and locate the picture of a handwritten family recipe or capture a phone number from a storefront with the option to place a call. You can also visit the website address or email the owner directly from the visiting card image.

Live Text in iOS 15

Redesigned Safari

Last year, Apple offered users to select third-party browser apps as the default browser on the iPhone. This year, the redesigned Safari is a key new iOS 15 feature.

For starters, Safari now carries a new tab bar that is compact and lightweight and floats at the bottom of the screen, so users can easily swipe between tabs. Group tabs also receive a new card-style look.

iCloud+

Don’t get confused by the Plus branding here. Nothing has changed when it comes to iCloud subscription prices. However, you are getting new features with the iCloud subscription. They include Hide My Email and a new privacy service called iCloud Private Relay.

iCloud Private Relay hides your online identity such as IP address, device details, and more when browsing the web. Here’s everything you need to know about iCloud Relay and how it works.

Take FaceTime Calls to the Next Level

Apple is adding spatial audio support to FaceTime in iOS 15. Meaning, the voices in a FaceTime call will sound as if they are coming from where the person is positioned on the screen. There is a new voice isolation add-on that uses machine learning to block background voice during FaceTime calls. It all leads to a more natural video/voice calling experience on FaceTime, something that’s a welcome change in the current era.

Apple has added the portrait mode in FaceTime video calls. It’s similar to blur the background in Zoom and Microsoft Teams, and it helps you hide that messy room or background behind you.

FaceTime calls iOS 15

Notification Experience

One of the best new iOS 15 features is the revamped notification experience. This was long overdue from Apple. For starters, there are now larger icons for notification. You can also see the picture of the person who has sent you a message. These are minor changes, though. The one that caught everyone’s attention is the Notification Summary.

Notification Summary collects non-time-critical notifications for delivery at a more opportune time, such as in the morning and evening. It learns from customer habits and uses on-device learning to prioritize and deliver notifications based on user’s interactions with apps.

iOS 15 notifications

Redesigned Weather App

The Weather app in the iOS 15 is now more in line with other third-party weather apps with AQI (Air Quality Index) support, beautiful graphics, animated backgrounds to showcase wind, rain, snow, and full-screen maps. The app has been redesigned from the ground up to deliver a better experience.

Apple Health Improvements

Apple Health is getting two noticeable improvements. The app can now record your running or walking speed. It will also display the length of the steps in summary. With family sharing in the Health app, you can see the health details of your family members right inside the Health app, and you can message them directly about a specific health trend.

iOS 15 Health app

Siri Now Works Offline

Siri gains a much-needed offline mode. The Siri assistant can perform basic tasks such as setting up alarms, opening apps, adding reminders, etc. work without the internet. All the requests are performed on the device, resulting in faster Siri response time.

Additionally, Apple is also bringing Siri to third-party smart home devices allowing device manufacturers to integrate Siri into their devices.

There are over 70+ new features in iOS 15 that will have a notable impact on how you use your iPhone. Apple also fixed a number of iOS 14 annoyances in iOS 15. Apple will also allow apps to access more RAM in iOS 15 leading to a performance improvement.

You can find an in-depth look at all the new features and changes in iOS 15 below.

iOS 15 Guides and How-Tos

Check out the in-depth guides that cover all of the major features in iOS 15 where we explain how to use the new features with step-by-step instructions.


iOS 15 Supported iPhones

With iOS 14 last year, Apple did not drop support for any of the older iPhones despite the OS packing a number of new features. It was rumored that Apple would drop support for the iPhone 6s and original iPhone SE with iOS 15 this year. However, that’s not happening with iOS 15 being compatible with the same set of iPhones as iOS 14.

iOS 15 is compatible with the following iPhones:

  • iPhone 12 Pro Max
  • iPhone 12 Pro
  • iPhone 12
  • iPhone 12 mini
  • iPhone 11 Pro Max
  • iPhone 11 Pro
  • iPhone 11
  • 2020 iPhone SE
  • iPhone XS Max
  • iPhone XS
  • iPhone XR
  • iPhone X
  • iPhone 8 Plus
  • iPhone 8
  • iPhone 7 Plus
  • iPhone 7
  • iPhone 6s
  • iPhone 6s Plus
  • iPhone SE (Original)

 


Can You Jailbreak iOS 15 – iOS 15.4?

As of now, it is not possible to jailbreak iOS 15 or iPadOS 15 on any iPhone or iPad. Checkra1n might work on iPhone X and older devices, but the tool is likely only going to be released when iOS 15 is officially released to the public.

Check out below for the latest updates about iOS 15 – iOS 15.4.