Should You Install iOS 15 on Your iPhone?

BY Rajesh Pandey

Published 20 Sep 2021

iOS 15

Later today, Apple will release iOS 15 to the public for all compatible iPhones. iOS 15 is the next major iOS update that brings several new features and improvements. While most iPhone users would be excited to try out the new features in iOS 15, you might want to reconsider installing the update on day one.

The temptation to install a major new iOS 15 release is too hard to resist, especially since it brings so many new features to the table. But then, should you install iOS 15 on your iPhone right on the day it is released? Check out some reasons why you should install iOS 15 on your iPhone as soon as it is released as well as the disadvantages of installing a day one update.

1. Focus Mode

focus mode on iPhone and iPad

With dozens of apps running on our iPhones, it’s pretty easy to get distracted by the endless notifications. Many users made use of the DND mode in iOS to tackle such a situation.

That DND mode is getting replaced by Focus mode in iOS 15. This mode helps you create different Focus profiles for Meeting, Running, Gaming, Writing, etc., and for each Focus profile, you can define exactly which apps and contacts can disturb you.

What’s more? Users can also create an automation to enable a Focus mode based on time and location. By default, iOS 15 carry several Focus modes such as Driving, Home, and Work.

It’s needless to say, when you enable a Focus mode on iPhone, it will be enabled on all your Apple devices linked to your Apple ID.

Check out our guide on how to use Focus mode on iPhone.

2. iCloud Private Relay

iCloud Private Relay in iOS 15

iOS 15 bring several privacy features to the table. Among them, iCloud Private Relay is the one to get the most attention.

Available as a part of an iCloud+ subscription, iCloud Private Relay offers a safe and secure browsing experience through the Safari browser on iPhone and iPad.

When enabled from the Settings > Profile > iCloud menu, iCloud Private Relay will route all the browsing data through a separate Apple sever to hide your IP address or share an approximate location.

Check out all the new privacy features in iOS 15. You can also find an explainer on what iCloud Relay is in iOS 15 here.

3. Apple Notes Improvements

apple notes features

Apple Notes gets a couple of organization add-ons to manage your notes like a pro. First, you can finally sort notes by tags. Add a relevant tag to a note and find them using the tags section in the Notes app.

Smart Folder is another welcome function that automatically collects notes by defined tags. iPadOS 15 receives a handy shortcut to add notes on the go. Simply hover the Apple Pencil over the bottom right corner and open the Notes window. Add notes and close the window.

Learn how to use Smart Folder in Apple Notes on your iPhone in our guide.

4. Revamped Safari

tab groups in Safari browser

Apple has completely redesigned Safari in iOS 15. The company did a back and forth on the new design based on user feedback, but it has finally managed to nail down all the issues.

Apart from a visual revamp, the new Safari in iOS 15 offers smarter tab management. Users can create different tab groups in the Safari browser based on their relevance.

For example, you can create a tab group named Social and add all your social tabs to it. Similarly, you can create a shopping tab group and add all the Amazon links to it. Tab Groups in the Safari browser is available on iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS Monterey.

Check out our guide on how to use Tab Groups in Safari for iPhone.

5. Better FaceTime Experience

use facetime on iPhone

Inspired by the huge success of Zoom and Microsoft Teams, Apple has improved FaceTime by leaps and bounds in iOS 15. First of all, you can create a FaceTime to share with others. And by others, your friends and family from Android and Windows world can also join a FaceTime call now. Check out all the new FaceTime features in iOS 15 here.

What’s more? One can even share a screen on a FaceTime call. Other minor goodies include grid view, audio improvements, and SharePlay that’s expected to launch later.

If you do decide to install iOS 15 on your iPhone, make sure to go through our guide on how to prepare your iPhone for the update.

Top Reasons to Not Install iOS 15

1. Bugs

Sadly, Apple’s software quality is not the same as a few years ago. iOS 14 was a mess, with Apple rolling out new updates almost every other week initially to fix all the bugs. iOS 15 does not pack the same number of features as iOS 14, and while its beta builds were relatively stable, there are still a lot of bugs that Apple needs to take care of.

If you want a smooth transition to iOS 15, I strongly recommend you wait for a few days instead of installing the update on your iPhone on day one. iOS 15.0.1 or iOS 15.1 should be released within a few days of iOS 15’s release fixing all the initial bugs.

2. No Jailbreak

If you use a jailbroken iPhone or just value your jailbreak set up too much, stay away from iOS 15. The chances of any iOS 15 jailbreak being available within a few days or even weeks of the release of the OS are pretty much nil, especially since there was no major jailbreak tool available for iOS 14.4+ or newer builds of the OS.

So, stick to your existing jailbreak set up for now and consider upgrading to iOS 15 after a few days or weeks.

3. Incompatible Apps

A lot of iOS apps are going to act wonky on iOS 15 on day one. While many developers have been working on an iOS 15 update for their app for the last few months, others have only just gotten around to working on it. Plus, Apple has not fixed many underlying bugs in iOS 15 that affect third-party apps, so one cannot blame developers for the poor experience.

Better hold off on installing iOS 15 on your iPhone for now, primarily if you rely on third-party apps too much. Wait for a few days or weeks for developers and Apple to resolve all reported issues and then take the jump.


Will you be upgrading to iOS 15 on your iPhone on the day it is released? Or will you wait for a couple of weeks before taking the jump? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.