Now that Apple has shown off what iOS 15 can do, these are the features I'm most excited about.
Now that Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) keynote has come and gone, we've had time to go over and analyze what we got in iOS 15, as well as what we didn't get (as disappointing as that is). Even though we're not seeing things like a more streamlined customization process or native Health app food tracking in iOS 15, there are still some features that I'm actually very excited about, and I can't wait to get my hands on them.
These are just a few of my favorite iOS 15 features that will make the best iPhone in the fall even better.
Drag and drop
This is one of the smaller features in iOS 15 that you may have missed, but it's definitely there. With Drag and Drop support, you're now able to pick up any images or other files and then drag them into another. This was previously only on iPad, but iOS 15 brings it to the small screen of the iPhone. And it's pretty easy to do, though it may require two hands to do so. You'll need one finger to "pick up" the file and another to bring up the app you want to drop it into.
Finally, I won't need to endlessly scroll through the annoying image picker in Messages and find the meme I want to send to my husband.
Focus and Notifications
I get easily distracted, so Focus and how it handles notifications will be a big deal for me (and many others, I'd imagine).
With Focus, you're finally going to be able to choose when to get all of those "low priority" notifications throughout the day, and all in a summary rather than constant popup after popup. I also have been wanting to set a "Work" time to block out unnecessary texts from family and friends, allowing me to focus on writing without my mind going somewhere else every five minutes because my family group chats can end up with 30 new messages in 10 minutes (ugh).
I also love that setting Focus or Do Not Disturb will let others know my "status" in iMessage and through Spotlight contact search. It's like the good old days of AIM again! Yeah, I'm old.
Safari
While Apple didn't talk it about during the iOS segment, big changes are coming to Safari in macOS, iPadOS, and iOS.
The changes include moving the URL/search/tab to the bottom and making it float, which means it is much easier to browse the web with just one hand. This also means that the content on a web page is displayed front-and-center, and the window takes on the colors of the page that you're browsing, which I find to be a nice touch.
Plus, there will be tab groups. This means you can organize several tabs into one group, work for example, and switch between your tab groups easily across devices. As someone who has dozens of tabs open at once for work-related pages, this is going to be a great addition.
Digital IDs are coming to Wallet
Though support for this one will vary depending on where you live, I'm ecstatic that there will finally be the option of having a digital ID in the Wallet app. This is a feature that I've wanted for years, ever since I started using my credit cards with Apple Pay. With a digital ID on my iPhone, it means one less card to carry in a physical wallet, and who doesn't want that?
Again, this is a useful feature that will be hampered by region availability, but hey, baby steps.
However, those who are frequent travelers may be able to experience this sooner than most other people. That's because the TSA is working to enable airport security checkpoints that allow customers to use their digital identity cards in wallet to pass. Let's hope the TSA can be efficient and complete that promptly.
Health Report improvements
I only recently started to use Health Records feature in the Health app because I've needed to get a lot more lab work done due to my pregnancy. Since many of my labs are done at Quest, I decided to make an account and plug that data into the Health app. However, when I view my lab results, I honestly have no idea what 90% of it means, and the Health app doesn't really tell me where I should be in terms of expected ranges.
That's supposedly going to all change in iOS 15, so I'm looking forward to this. Knowing details on each result, where I am expected to be in range — this information will help me, and anyone else better understand our own health and well-being. Even though I'm not getting my much-anticipated food tracking, this will be a good addition for someone like me, who needs to go to the doctor quite often.
Oh, and don't forget the ability to privately share your Health Reports with your healthcare provider, as long as it is supported (only six will support this feature from the start, but more can be added later on).
FaceTime with Android and Windows
I don't actually use FaceTime very often, but I'm still excited to see that Android and Windows users will be able to join the fun. This was definitely one of those things that I was not expecting, so it was a nice surprise. Especially when combined with the SharePlay features, Spatial Audio, and Portrait Mode, FaceTime is getting pretty impressive!
So much more to see
There will be plenty of features in iOS 15 for us to enjoy, but these are some of my favorites so far. I'm sure we will see more interesting features that weren't talked about on stage as we dive into the iOS 15 developer betas even more.
What are you excited about in iOS 15?
Again, these are so far some of my personal favorite iOS 15 features. What are you excited about in iOS 15? Let us know in the comments.
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