This year at WWDC, Apple detailed new features in iOS 15, iPadOS 15, watchOS 8, macOS 12 Monterey, and other software platforms. For a detailed summary of everything Apple announced, continue reading below.
iOS 15 brings big improvements
FaceTime
Apple started things off by formally releasing iOS 15. Major FaceTime updates, distraction-reducing Focus features, a brand-new Weather app, and more are all included in this version.
Particularly noteworthy are the FaceTime enhancements in iOS 15, which will also be available on other platforms including macOS Sierra and iPadOS 15. Users may now blur their backdrop during FaceTime chats with the new Portrait Mode feature. A new FaceTime feature called spatial audio isolates the user’s speech from the background noise.
A new grid layout for group FaceTime allows participants to see more faces at once. SharePlay is a different new FaceTime function. You may use FaceTime to share your screen with others while watching TV shows and movies and listening to music. You can connect, view the same video together, and use FaceTime to talk at the same time.
Apple claims to be collaborating with several third-party applications, including Disney+, ESPN+, HBO Max, Hulu, MasterClass, Paramount+, Pluto TV, TikTok, Twitch, and more to incorporate a SharePlay API.
Notifications
Focus is a group of brand-new digital well-being capabilities that are part of iOS 15. Users may filter alerts, let pals know they’re unavailable, and hide distractions thanks to this without missing anything crucial. When someone’s Focus is preventing incoming alerts, their status in Messages immediately updates to indicate that they are not now available.
Focus enables users to customize their home screens according to the time of day. You may, for instance, establish different home screens for when you’re at home and when you’re at work.
The goal of the redesign of notifications was to make them easier to glance at. New notification summary functionality is also available, which gathers non-time-critical alerts for transmission at a more convenient time, like early in the morning or late at night.
Apple Maps
Some brand-new Apple Maps features have been shown by Apple. Apple Maps has undergone several design upgrades that will provide a tonne more information about cities, including business districts, buildings, and other data. Several additional transit features, including detailed instructions, information on when to exit, and more, are also being released by Apple.
Weather app
Apple has completely overhauled the Weather program, adding a tonne of new features. According to Apple, the new Weather app’s design varies depending on the weather where you are. The Weather app now has animated backdrops, as well as alerts for impending snow and rain.
2021 Worldwide Developers Conference
Due to the ongoing worldwide health crisis, Apple’s 32nd Worldwide Developers Conference was held only online for the second consecutive year.
On June 7, the virtual WWDC event began, and it was open to anyone. Future releases of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS, as well as the chance to interact with Apple experts through workshops and laboratories, were made available to developers worldwide during the online event.
At 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on Monday, June 7, Apple held its keynote presentation. The event was broadcast live from Apple Park and may be viewed again on YouTube, Apple.com, the Apple Developer app, the Apple Developer website, the Apple TV app on Apple TV, and any of the aforementioned platforms.
With its online keynote, developer-focused Platforms State of the Union, engineering sessions that were mostly technical and design-focused, Apple Developer Forums where Apple engineers participated, and one-on-one developer labs, Apple offered a comprehensive digital WWDC experience. Apple also held its annual Swift Student Competition, where victors were awarded apparel and pins with a WWDC theme as well as a year’s participation in the Apple Developer Program.
On the Apple Developer website or in the Apple Developer app, which is accessible for iPhone, iPad, and Mac, engineering sessions and films can be seen.
iPadOS 15
Widgets and App Library
Apple then unveiled iPadOS 15 after that. The availability of widgets on the iPad home screen for the first time is one of the greatest developments here. Widgets may now be positioned among all of your other app icons instead of being restricted to the Today View on the side of the home screen.
Also, iPadOS 15 introduces the App Library. No matter where you are in the iPad OS, you can easily access your programs thanks to the App Library’s convenient location right in the dock.
Multi-tasking
A new application multi-tasking system is also part of iPadOS 15. The new system is comparable to iPadOS 14, but Apple has changed how controls are accessed. Users may use Split View or Slide Over straight from the new multitasking menu that appears at the top of programs. While using Split View, you can now access the Home Screen, making it simpler to choose the relevant app.
When utilizing an external keyboard with your iPad, the experience is also altered thanks to brand-new keyboard shortcuts and a redesigned menu bar. With new keyboard shortcuts for multitasking, users can easily set up and move between Split View and Slide Over.
Translate for iPad
For the first time, the iPad has the Translate app. Apple initially introduced the Translate app to the iPhone with iOS 14 last year, and it is now making its way to the iPad. With an iPad, you can now translate any text by simply selecting it and clicking Translate. This includes handwritten writing.
More in iPadOS 15
For additional information on what’s new in iPadOS 15, be sure to read our whole coverage of the update below. Apple claims a public beta will be launched in July, but the first developer beta is now accessible. In the fall, a stable release is anticipated.