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After Apple released iOS 15 and Co. worldwide on Monday, a new beta phase was started just one day later with iOS 15.1. Below we have summarized all the new features from iOS 15.1 Beta 1.
Apple released the first preview of iOS 15.1, iPadOS 15.1, tvOS 15.1, watchOS 8.1 and the seventh beta of macOS Monterey on Tuesday evening rolled out. iOS 15.1 fixes bugs, improves performance and of course adds a handful of new features added. Below is an overview.
SharePlay in FaceTime
SharePlay is a FaceTime feature that allows users to watch movies and listen to music with their friends and family members during FaceTime calls. However, the feature also enables screen sharing, a feature that has been requested for years. The feature was originally tested during the iOS 15 beta phase but was removed shortly before the official launch. Now it has been re-enabled in iOS 15.1, iPadOS 15.1 and tvOS 15.1.
COVID-19 vaccination certificate in the Health and Wallet app
Under iOS 15, verifiable health data can be downloaded and stored in the Health app, including COVID-19 vaccination data and test results. Apple announced this in the summer. Under iOS 15.1, said vaccination records can be added to the Wallet app to make it even easier to show the vaccination certificate. However, the whole thing is linked to a few requirements, you can find more details in our first article on the topic.
Announce calls
There is a new icon for the “Announce Calls” option in the Phone app settings.
Lossless Audio and Dolby Atmos for HomePod
The HomePod 15.1 beta, which is an offshoot of iOS 15.1 and thus accompanies it (audioOS 15.1), adds support for Lossless Audio and Dolby Atmos with Spatial Audio to the HomePod and HomePod mini. Both features were originally tested under iOS 15 and removed before their launch. No further changes are currently known. We will update the article or report separately if further changes emerge. (Photo by Unsplash / Ameen ALmayuf)
