Apple Releases iOS 15.1, iPadOS 15.1, tvOS 15.1 And watchOS 8.1

Apple has released iOS 15.1, iPadOS 15.1, tvOS 15.1, and watchOS 8.1 with SharePlay support and more.

iOS 15.1 AND iPadOS 15.1

Here are Apple’s release notes for iOS 15.1 and iPadOS 15.1:

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

On the iPad, the update adds the above listed features and support for Live Text in the Camera app. With Live Text, the Camera can detect text, phone numbers, addresses, and more, with the feature available on iPads that have an A12 Bionic chip or later. Live Text was already available on the iPhone.

The iOS and iPadOS 15.1 updates are available on all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the new software, go to Settings —> General —> Software Update on your iPhone or iPad.

tvOS 15.1 also offers SharePlay support. It can be downloaded over the air through the Settings app on the Apple TV by going to System > Software Update. ‌‌‌‌If you have an Apple TV and have automatic software updates enabled, it should upgrade automatically.

watchOS 8.1

Here are Apple’s release notes on watchOS 8.1: 

watchOS 8.1 includes the following improvements and bug fixes for your Apple Watch:
– 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)

watchOS ‌8.1 can be downloaded for free through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General —> Software Update. To install the new software, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50% battery, it needs to be placed on a charger, and it needs to be in range of the ‌‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌‌.