Mobile operating system: This is new in Apple's iOS 15

iOS 15, iPad OS 15, and Mac OS 12 bring hundreds of new features.

As of this Tuesday, after Apple's keynote speech, which will likely introduce a new iPhone and Apple Watch, the new version will be available for updates.

You can also reach existing devices, although some very old iPhones or iPads do not have all the new features due to the lack of computing power.

Michael Spehr

Editor in the “Technology and Engine” section.

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We present some spectacular innovations here. For the iPhone, the “focus” should be a boon for many users because it means that you are no longer interrupted by constant push messages. In contrast to "Do not disturb", the notification system can be set very differently. You can view summaries of the most important missed messages and use profiles to individually define which apps or people are allowed to interfere and when. Whatsapp is blocked while at work, for example, but the wife is allowed to call. With the iCloud, the focus settings of all your own devices can be synchronized across the board.

Anyone who works consistently with Apple products can look forward to new synergy effects.

For example, you can move the mouse arrow on the Mac over the edge of the screen and bring it to a nearby iPad.

The function is called Universal Control, it is also used to copy files across devices and requires that the sender and receiver run with the same Apple ID and can be reached via Bluetooth.

Live text is no less spectacular.

It recognizes text in images and even in photos on web pages.

The analysis takes place solely on the device, so no data is transmitted to Apple.

In this way, for example, you can read the e-mail address from the business card or copy the IBAN of a paper invoice into the bank app.

The search function has again been thoroughly revised and provides hits from its own photo library as well as information on actors, films and politicians, so that web searches are superfluous. New widgets and a new weather app are coming to the mobile devices. The UV index shows when sun protection is recommended. The Safari browser has been redesigned on all platforms, has tab groups, and browser extensions are now also coming to mobile devices.

The Siri voice assistant works completely offline for many inquiries, so no internet connection is required.

More data protection is in the foreground, but Siri should also become faster with this measure.

With the new “Share this” command, the content you have just viewed can be quickly sent to a recipient.

If you have activated Carplay in the car, Siri can also read out new messages from other messengers as an iMessage if you wish.

Disposable email addresses in iCloud Plus

The mail app for the PC has tracking protection that blocks embedded, invisible tracking pixels. The sender can no longer control when and whether the message has been read or opened. Even more data protection goes hand in hand with the use of the chargeable iCloud offer (iCloud Plus): Apple disguises its own IP address for all requests from Safari. The function is called “Private Relay” and cannot be used to circumvent geo-blocking. With iCloud Plus you can also generate disposable email addresses. Safari's password manager can generate one-time codes for two-factor authentication and automatically insert them into forms, making the use of an additional app superfluous.

The audio or video telephony with FaceTime is lavishly enhanced: In portrait mode, the background can be blurred, and the camera zoom can be used on mobile devices if desired. With 3D audio, the voices of the participants should be spatially locatable. IOS 15 is also able to block out background noise during the conference. With FaceTime you can create links for video conferences and save the appointments in the calendar. You can also join a FaceTime chat with your browser, with Android and Windows users joining for the first time. The originally announced Shareplay extension for sharing movies or music has not yet been implemented in the first version of the new operating systems.

The notes app for all three platforms will be expanded to include hashtags that can be used to quickly find notes.

If you share notes with others, you can see who made which changes.

In this way, the app becomes a tool for small group collaboration.

New are quick notes that can be created with a gesture or a keyboard shortcut.

The “Reminders” app also understands hashtags.

The health app Health evaluates the recorded data more deeply and wants to provide an indication of any noticeable changes.

In addition, you can share your health data with a family member for the first time.

The new Watch OS 8 moves into the Apple Watch. The watch will show more information and open up your software even more to developers. New watch faces are being added, and there is a standalone app for Contacts. The photo app is enhanced with reviews and the ability to share pictures. There are also new functions for the home app.