iOS 15 brings new features to iPhones. Apple
More information
Apple bets on better screens and more autonomy for the iPhone 13
Apple updates the operating systems of its smartphones every year to launch functions that aim to make everyday life easier for users.
If iOS 13 incorporated dark mode, iOS 14 brought a redesign of the home screen and
widgets
―Micro-applications that facilitate access to certain functions of the mobile.
With iOS 15, available from this Monday and compatible with models from iPhone 6s, users have greater control of their notifications.
In addition, FaceTime, its application for making video calls, incorporates a portrait mode and it is now possible to scan the text of an image with the mobile.
However, it will still take a few months for some of the most anticipated features to be available.
Notifications according to the activity at all times
One of the most interesting novelties of iOS 15 is the
concentration
mode
. This function allows you to filter notifications based on what is done at any given time. "For example, if you exercise, rest, play video games, read, drive, work or are enjoying your free time," says Apple when downloading the update. The home screen pages can also be customized so that applications and
widgets
adapt to a specific concentration mode.
The user can set these modes from the phone settings. By default, there are four created: do not disturb, rest, free time, and work. By clicking on any of them, you can choose from which applications or people you want to receive notifications when it is activated. You can also set whether or not you want to receive incoming calls and, if so, from whom - from the whole world or only from your favorite contacts. In addition, the user can allow repeated calls. In other words, if the same person calls again in less than three minutes, the call will not be silenced. These functions can be especially useful to avoid distractions when, for example, you are working.
But if the concentration modes stand out for something, it is because they can be activated automatically depending on the time of day or geographical location. For example, a certain mode can be activated from 10 to 12 in the morning from Monday to Friday or when arriving at a certain address. These modes can also be activated automatically when using a specific application. For example, when opening the books application.
Apple has also taken other steps to give users greater control of their notifications.
Many people face a barrage of alerts in their day-to-day lives: from hundreds of messages on WhatsApp to dozens of emails or Instagram interactions.
"Gather non-urgent notifications and receive them in summary form at the time that suits you best," suggests the tech giant.
In this way, the user can establish at what time of the day they want to receive notifications from certain applications.
Calls without background noise and with portrait mode
FaceTime has a new feature to reduce background noise during a video call. The mobile uses the so-called machine learning to achieve this and thus prioritize the user's voice so that it is heard “loud and clear”. To use this function during a call, you would have to open the control center, press "mode" and then choose "voice isolation". In the tests carried out, the audio has been heard quite well even when playing background music.
In addition to audio, Apple has also released some image-related enhancements to FaceTime.
For example, iOS 15 allows you to activate portrait mode for calls.
The camera blurs the background to make the user the center of attention.
This function is also available in some video calling services such as Zoom, or Skype.
In general, the results that are achieved with iOS 15 are natural.
Tab groups in Safari
For many iPhone users, Safari is the gateway to the countless amount of information that the Internet has to offer.
Apple has redesigned the browser, bringing the search bar to the bottom of the screen.
This makes it easier to search for any content with one hand.
In addition, the browser now allows you to group the tabs to save them in an organized way.
The user could, for example, create a folder with recipes or one with song scores.
Tab groups are synced across devices.
Scan text with iPhone
The new "live text" feature works in a similar way to Google Lens.
Thanks to it, the mobile is able to identify text in an image and copy it, paste it, search for it on the Internet, translate it or share it.
It can be used directly from the mobile camera or with an image saved in the terminal.
This feature can be useful for quickly saving an email address or phone number on a poster.
Although it works quite well, it sometimes does not detect text that is arched.
Features yet to come
Some iOS 15 features are not yet available and will arrive in the coming months with future updates.
This is the case of SharePlay, which will allow you to bring music to a video call and listen to it with all the members.
Users can also watch videos together and even share their own screen.
We will also have to wait for some privacy improvements.
In June, the Cupertino company announced that with iOS 15 a new function would arrive that prevents the sender from seeing the user's IP address, location, or if he or she opens the email when receiving an email.
In theory, it will also be possible to consult with which third-party applications a specific application is related to.
How to download the operating system
The new operating system can now be downloaded and installed on all compatible mobiles - from iPhone 6 onwards.
Before installing iOS 15, it is advisable to make a backup.
Then just go to the phone settings, click on "general" and choose the "software update" option.
The whole process can be a bit slow.
In the test carried out by this newspaper, it has taken just over an hour.
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