Apple has released the final versions of iOS 15.1, iPadOS 15.1, watchOS 8.1, and tvOS 15.1 to the public. These updates across Apple operating systems bring SharePlay support to Apple and (supported) third-party services. SharePlay is a new online group media consumption service that works through FaceTime. It was first spotted in early iOS 15.0 betas, but it never made it to the public iOS 15.0 build.
What's new in iOS 15.1
Below is the complete change log of iOS 15.1:
iOS 15.1 Changelog
SharePlay
- SharePlay is a new way to share synchronized experiences in FaceTime with content from the Apple TV app, Apple Music, Fitness+, and other supported App Store apps
- Shared controls give everyone the ability to pause, play, rewind or fast forward
- Smart volume automatically lowers the audio of a movie, TV show or song when your friends speak
- Apple TV supports the option to watch the shared video on your big screen while you continue the FaceTime call on iPhone
- Screen sharing lets everyone on a FaceTime call look at photos, browse the web, or help each other out
Camera
- ProRes video capture using iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max
- Setting to turn off automatic camera switching when taking macro photos and videos on iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max
Apple Wallet
- COVID-19 vaccination card support allows you to add and present verifiable vaccination information from Apple Wallet
Translate
- Mandarin Chinese (Taiwan) support in the Translate app and for system-wide translation
Home
- New automation triggers based on the current reading of a HomeKit-enabled humidity, air quality, or light level sensor
Shortcuts
- New pre-built actions let you overlay text on images or gifs, plus a new collection of games lets you pass the time with Siri
This release also fixes the following issues:
- Photos app may incorrectly report storage is full when importing photos and videos
- Weather app may not show current temperature for My Location, and may display colors of animated backgrounds incorrectly
- Audio playing from an app may pause when locking the screen
- Wallet may unexpectedly quit when using VoiceOver with multiple passes
- Available Wi-Fi networks may not be detected
- Battery algorithms updated on iPhone 12 models to better estimate battery capacity over time
SharePlay enables friends to watch content together as a watch party through FaceTime. It also allows users to work out together on Apple Fitness+, listen to Apple Music, and share their device screens. If you're interested in how to use SharePlay, we have prepared a detailed guide for you.
This update also enables new camera features on the iPhone 13 Pro models that had been missing on iOS 15.0. A toggle has been added to optionally disable automatic camera switching in Macro mode. This change comes after users complained about how annoying the camera switching animation is. Users can now shoot videos in ProRes, as well, but we advise you to use it when creating special projects, rather than average, everyday clips. This is because of the significantly larger files you will end up with when using this feature.
Apple has also added the option to include your COVID-19 vaccination certificate in the Wallet app in supported regions. If your region doesn't support it, make sure to check our guide on how to manually add your vaccination certificate to Apple Wallet.
Will you be using SharePlay with your friends? Let us know in the comments section below.