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MagyarApple releases iOS 15.1, iPadOS 15.1, watchOS 8.1, tvOS 15.1, and HomePod 15.1
Apple has updated iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS and HomePod following the release of macOS 12 Monterey. The updates arrive as iOS 15.1, iPadOS 15.1, watchOS 8.1, tvOS 15.1, and HomePod 15.1, with the version numbers denoting that they contain incremental changes.
The quintuple of OS updates are available to download via the Settings menus of each OS, except for watchOS. While the latter can be triggered on your Apple Watch, you must begin the update process on your iPhone. All updates are relatively large downloads, for reference.
Apple has introduced several new features to all its OSes, including HomePod. Most now support SharePlay, which Apple has brought to macOS 12 Monterey. However, Apple has only added ProRes video support for the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max, despite the horsepower of recent iPad Pros. Incidentally, HomePods now support Lossless and 3D audio with Dolby Atmos. You can read the respective release notes for each OS below.
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
- 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 iPad
- Screen sharing lets everyone on a FaceTime call look at photos, browse the web, or help each other out
Live Text
- Camera app Live Text support recognizes text, phone numbers, addresses, and more so you can take action on them (iPad with A12 Bionic and later)
- Keyboard support lets you insert text directly from the Camera into any text field (iPad with A12 Bionic and later)
Translate
- Mandarin Chinese (Taiwan) support in the Translate app and 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
- Audio playing from an app may pause when locking the screen
- Available Wi-Fi networks may not be detected
- Enhanced algorithms to detect falls during workouts and option to enable fall detection during workouts only (Apple Watch Series 4 and later)
- COVID-19 vaccination card support allows you to present verifiable vaccination information from Apple Wallet
- Fitness+ supports SharePlay to allow subscribers to invite up to 32 people to workout together through a FaceTime call using iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV
- Always On may not display the time accurately for some users when their wrist is down (Apple Watch Series 5 and later)
- SharePlay (tvOS 15.1) Watch films or programmes with anyone, anywhere.
- Just start a FaceTime call on your iPhone or iPad (requires iOS or iPadOS 15.1 or later), then choose something to watch together on Apple TV. SharePlay keeps everyone’s playback in sync, so you can watch on the big screen while you laugh, cry, scream or sigh together on your iPhone or iPad.
- Group Workouts in Fitness (tvOS 15.1)
- Group Workouts, powered by SharePlay, let you and up to 32 of your favourite people work out together (requires an Apple Fitness+ subscription for all participants and FaceTime on iPhone or iPad with iOS or iPadOS 15.1 or later). Cheer each other on or talk smack face to face. See when someone closes an Activity ring. And during HIIT, Treadmill, Cycling and Rowing workouts, you get a notification when someone moves ahead of the pack on the Burn Bar.
- HomePod Software version 15.1 includes includes performance and stability improvements and support for these new audio features for HomePod:
- Spatial audio with Dolby Atmos support on HomePod
- Lossless playback with Apple Music on HomePod and HomePod mini
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Prior to writing and translating for Notebookcheck, I worked for various companies including Apple and Neowin. I have a BA in International History and Politics from the University of Leeds, which I have since converted to a Law Degree. Happy to chat on Twitter or Notebookchat.