APPLE OFFERS EVEN SMARTER NEW SOFTWARE
Apple’s latest and greatest operating systems for iphone, ipad and Apple Watch were unleashed this week, just ahead of the launch of new versions of the devices themselves. All updates are free.
IOS 15 brings some significant changes to a number of apps on the iphone, including Safari, Weather and Maps.
Safari’s changes will be the ones most people have trouble getting used to – the search box and address bar have been moved to the bottom of the screen and act as a swipeable tab bar to switch between open tabs more easily.
Having used it for a few weeks, I’ve got used to it and it does make sense to have the controls closer to hand on big screen phones.
Maps are clearer and more detailed, while the Weather app has incorporated more features from the Dark Sky weather app that Apple bought a few years ago – including animated maps of precipitation and temperature changes over the next few hours.
System-wide there is a feature called Focus which allows you to create profiles for different activities and tailor your home screen and notifications to those activities. So a work profile may show work-related apps and allow messages from colleagues, while a switch to a personal profile can just allow family and friends to get through and hide work apps.
There’s also more integration between apps with regard to shared items – photos sent in messages, now also show up in a ‘shared with you’ section of the photos app, and the same goes for music in Apple Music.
On ipad the new OS brings over the App Library features from iphone – you can place apps so they only show up in an automatically organised area to the right of however many home screens you have. And you can place widgets showing info from supported apps on home screens among app icons, just as on iphone. There are new features for productivity, too – including better multitasking support and a new ‘quick note’ option. Swiping up from the bottom right in any app brings up a note creation interface letting you jot stuff down without leaving the app. Some of the iphone changes to Safari also make it to the ipad, although the address bar remains at the top, and the Focus system of profiles is also now part of ipados. Changes to Facetime calls bring better audio, a grid view to better manage calls with lots of people, and a background noise filter.
icloud users also get beta access to the private relay web browsing system, which helps prevent your location being tracked, and there are new privacy features, too, for icloud mail users.
On the Apple Watch there are new faces and several app redesigns. The biggest change is to the Breathe app – renamed Mindfulness – which includes an option for a minute of ‘reflection’ as well as breathing exercises.
Among a multitude of smaller changes are new Pilates and Tai Chi workout types and improved fall detection while exercising (including cycling).
Devices should prompt you to update to the new software – but, you can get the updates in the Settings/software Update section for iphone and ipad, or the Software Update section of the Watch app on your iphone.