We know that the final version of iOS 15 will be with us soon, but when it arrives we won’t instantly get access to all the new features Apple announced for the new version of the iPhone operating system. These six features will come later.
Apple is now at the stage of iOS development where beta versions of iOS 15 are being released every week, which means that the official release of the upcoming iPhone operating system is not far away.
Apple announced iOS 15 during the keynote for WWDC in June 2021, unveiling plans for numerous new features (read about the new iOS 15 features).
However some of the new innovations will not be ready when iOS 15 arrives, probably alongside the iPhone 13 in September. Here’s how to install iOS 15.
This isn’t actually that unusual. It is often the case that in the last beta phase some previously announced features are removed before the official release of a new iOS version. Usually Apple removes a function because it does not yet work properly and gives engineers more time to fix everything. For example, iOS 14 didn’t gain the Shazam button in Control Centre until iOS 14.2, Pro Res didn’t arrive until 14.3, and the Privacy and Data Use features didn’t arrive until 14.5.
It is likely that these functions will appear in future updates, but it looks like they won’t be present in the first release of iOS 15:
- iCloud Private Relay
- SharePlay
- Digital ID cards
- App Privacy Report
- Custom email domain
- Detailed 3D navigation in CarPlay
- Digital Legacy
- Universal Control
iCloud Private Relay
Apple has decided to hold back iCloud Private Relay from full release this autumn. iCloud Private Relay was due to launch as part of the iCloud+ subscription service that will arrive with iOS 15 and macOS Monterey, but will only be available in beta when the new operating systems launch.
Apple may have decided to hold it back because of slow internet speeds beta testers have reported while using it.
When it does arrive iCloud Private Relay will encrypt all traffic leaving a users device so that it can’t be read by anyone between the user and the website. It is similar to what a VPN does, but VPNs do a lot more than encrypt traffic. Apple’s service won’t allow you to make it look like you are in a different country, for example. Read: Best VPN for Mac and Best VPN for iPhone.
SharePlay
Many users had been looking forward to this: SharePlay should allow users to share songs, videos or the screen with other users and thus experience them together. SharePlay was already available for developers and other beta users, but this has changed with the release of iOS 15 Beta 6. Apple has confirmed that SharePlay has been disabled and will not be included in the first public version of iOS 15:
“SharePlay has been disabled for use in the developer beta 6 versions of iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and tvOS 15, and will be disabled in the upcoming beta 6 release of macOS Monterey. SharePlay will also be disabled for use in their initial releases this fall. SharePlay will be enabled for use again in future developer beta releases and will launch to the public in software updates later this fall,” says Apple.
Digital ID cards
ID cards, such as identity cards or driving licences, at least in some states of the US, were to be digitised under iOS 15. Apple has already confirmed on its website that this feature will be released separately with another update for iOS 15 users later this year. (In the UK, this feature may come later, or it may never arrive.)
App privacy report
The privacy report for apps allows you to see how many times apps have accessed your location, photos, camera, microphone, and contacts in the past seven days. You will also learn which apps contacted other domains and when the last contact was. This will be a good addition to the data protection label of an app. But this feature will not be available on the start date of iOS 15.
Custom email domain
Apple has implicitly confirmed on its website that users can use their own domains to customise iCloud email addresses. The new option should also work with family members via iCloud Family Sharing. Apple states: “Personalise your iCloud email address with your own domain name and invite family members to use the same domain with their iCloud Mail accounts.”
So far, this option is not available for users of the iOS 15 Beta. However, it is expected that the feature will be released later this year.
Detailed 3D navigation in CarPlay
At WWDC Apple presented new features for driving: “A whole new traffic map helps you to see the traffic, incidents and other details that affect your trip at a glance,” explained Apple. “You will see more street details such as turn lanes, cycle paths, bus and taxi lanes, middle strips, pedestrian crossings and much more. Near complex intersections, maps switch to a 3D view at road level, helping you find your way.”
While the feature is currently available in the beta version of iOS 15, it is not yet found in Apple CarPlay. We expect that the detailed 3D navigation should appear in CarPlay at a later date.
Digital Legacy
With the Digital Legacy program users will be able to can specify contacts that can access your account and personal data in case something happens to you.
The Legacy Contacts function was available for iOS 15 beta users up to the fourth version, but has been removed. Apple says that the option “will return in a future version”.
Universal Control
Technically speaking, this is more of an iPadOS and macOS function, but it is so cool and interesting that we include it here.
Universal Control is a kind of extension of Sidecar. With Sidecar, which was introduced in macOS Catalina and iPadOS 13, you can place the iPad next to the Mac on the desk and seamlessly move the mouse or touchpad pointer from the edge of the Mac display directly to the iPad. Then the mouse/touchpad and keyboard of the Mac will also work on the iPad.
Coming in macOS Monterey and iPadOS 14 is an extension of this: you will also be able to switch from one Mac to another in a similar way to Sidecar.
We can’t wait to try it, but the bad news is that the function is missing from all beta versions of iPadOS 15 and macOS Monterey so far, and there is not much time left until the release. Unfortunately we do not think this is the kind of function that Apple will pack into the beta version a week before the final release, so expect it to be a no show at launch.
This article originally appeared on Macwelt. Translation by Karen Haslam.