It was just yesterday that Apple released the next big version updates for its most popular platforms (excluding macOS). But, kind of like the rumor mill, all things must push forward. And, as a result, Apple has already started to move ahead with the next update to iOS 15 and its other platforms.
To get there, we need a beta testing phase. Which is where we, and developers, find ourselves. Today, Apple has seeded the first betas of iOS 15.1, iPadOS 15.1, watchOS 8.1, and tvOS 15.1 to developers. Apple will seed a corresponding public beta at some point in the near future. However, this one’s for the developers.
That being said, as is par for the course (even for developers), this pre-release version of Apple’s mobile operating system shouldn’t be installed on a daily driver. It’s entirely meant for testing purposes. There will likely be plenty of rough elements to the software, which could make daily use a bit of a bummer.
As far as what’s new in this latest beta, that remains to be seen. At time of publication that’s not known. However, that will likely change in short order. When Apple released iOS 15 it did so with some missing features, including support for identification cards and drivers licenses in Wallet. Apple didn’t launch the Expanded Protections for Children feature, which will eventually welcome a trio of new features to the mix to help combat child abuse and sexual exploitation.
Next on the list of things not in iOS 15 at launch: SharePlay. This feature will let customers share their screens to do a variety of things, including watching movies and TV shows together in the Apple TV app, share their screens while using FaceTime, create group playlists in Apple Music and more.
Apple also didn’t add the improved version of Find My support for AirPods Pro and AirPods Max, either. So, it’s possible that this beta will add those features to the mix. If that turns out to be the case, along with any other noteworthy new additions, we will update this post accordingly.
To update, developers simply need to make sure their eligible devices are properly registered, then head over to Apple’s official developer portal to download and install the software. Future beta seeds will be available via over-the-air software updates. As for tvOS 15.1, developers need to download a profile onto the set-top box via Xcode.