Apple just concluded its largely awaited WWDC 2021 keynote, and it was filled with amazing news and announcements, including our maiden looks at Apples’s iOS 15, the new macOS Monterey that now succeeds the macOS Big Sur. The new ios15 has huge improvements to FaceTime and a lot more features.
Here is what we have understood for the WWDC 2021 event as announced by Nilay Patel and Dieter Bohn. We have a summary of what has been announced in a nutshell.
1. IOS 15 BRINGS MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS TO FACETIME, UPDATES TO NOTIFICATIONS, AND MUCH MORE
With the new iOS 15, Apple has advanced improvements to FaceTime. The improvements that have recently announced, include:-
- Spatial audio
- The new “SharePlay” feature lets you share media with other people on FaceTime virtually
- Updates to Messages
- A new look for notifications
- The option to set different “Focus” statuses
- Updates to Memories in Photos
- A redesign to the weather app, and many more.
2. APPLE IS BUILDING VIDEO AND MUSIC SHARING INTO FACETIME
Apple’s new SharePlay feature gives you an option to watch or listen to content with others virtually. Apple is also introducing a SharePlay API so that other developers could collaborate to create apps that support the feature.
3. APPLE IS GOING TO USE AI TO READ ALL THE TEXT IN YOUR PHOTOS
Apple’s new Live Text will render text in your photos in digital format so that you can be able to copy and paste text from a picture. For example, one can click on a phone number and make a call that is in a photograph, a new technology that Apple terms as “on-device intelligence” for the feature.
4. YOU’LL SOON BE ABLE TO USE YOUR IPHONE AS YOUR ID AT THE AIRPORT
Apple’s Wallet will soon give you the ability to store your ID in a digital format (in participating US states) that you can then use as identification in US airports.
5. IPAD OS 15 LETS YOU DROP WIDGETS ON THE HOME SCREEN AND BRINGS CHANGES TO MULTITASKING
Thanks to iPadOS 15, you will now be able to add widgets to your home screen and access the app library, which was first introduced last year on iPhone with iOS 14. Apple is also introducing improvements to multitasking, with new controls that make it easier to manage your apps, and you’ll be able to build apps with Swift Playgrounds.
6. APPLE ADDS WELCOME PRIVACY FEATURES TO MAIL, SAFARI
Apple also announced new privacy-focused features at WWDC, including that Apple Mail will block tracking pixels with Mail Privacy Protection and that Safari will hide IP addresses. Apple will introduce a new section in settings called the “App Privacy Report.”
7. APPLE’S SIRI WILL FINALLY WORK WITHOUT AN INTERNET CONNECTION WITH ON-DEVICE SPEECH RECOGNITION
Apple will let Siri process voice requests on your physical device, meaning audio will not be sent over the web, and Siri can accept many requests while offline.
8. APPLE LETS USERS SEE FAMILY MEMBERS’ HEALTH DATA
Apple announced that a number of new health-focused features will be added, such as the ability to share health data with your families and with healthcare providers.
9. APPLE IS MAKING AIRPODS EASIER TO HEAR WITH AND FIND
Apple announced at the WWDC 2021 that some new changes to AirPods will be included, such as making it easier to find them on the Find My network and the ability to announce your notifications.
10. APPLE’S ICLOUD PLUS BUNDLES A VPN, PRIVATE EMAIL, AND HOMEKIT CAMERA STORAGE
Apple’s iCloud is getting a new private relay service that will enable you to create burner emails called “Hide My Email.” These will be part of a new iCloud Plus subscription, which will be offered at no extra cost to the current iCloud paid users.
11. APPLE ANNOUNCES WATCH OS8 WITH NEW HEALTH FEATURES
Apple’s new watchOS 8 has amazing new health features, including a new Mindfulness app, improvements to the Photos watchface, and many more features.
12. SIRI IS COMING TO THIRD-PARTY ACCESSORIES
Apple will allow third-party accessory makers to add Siri to their devices, Apple announced during WWDC 2021. The company showed it on an Ecobee thermostat in its presentation.
13. MACOS MONTEREY LETS YOU USE THE SAME CURSOR AND KEYBOARD ACROSS MACS AND IPADS
Apple’s next big macOS release after the macOS Big Sur will be known as the MacOS Monterey. One big new feature is the ability to use the same mouse and keyboard across your Mac and your iPad. Apple’s Shortcuts app will also be featuring on the Mac. And macOS Monterey adds improvements to FaceTime, SharePlay, and Apple’s new “Focus” statuses that are coming to Apple’s other software platforms.
14. APPLE REDESIGNS SAFARI ON THE MAC WITH A NEW TAB DESIGN AND TAB GROUPS
Apple is giving Safari a facelift with a new look for tabs and tab groups. And on iOS, the tab bar will be at the bottom of the screen to be in easier reach of your thumb. Web extensions are also coming to iOS and iPadOS.
15. APPLE IS BRINGING TESTFLIGHT TO THE MAC TO HELP DEVELOPERS TEST THEIR APPS
Apple announced that it will let developers use TestFlight to test their apps on the Mac. Apple also announced Xcode Cloud, which allows you test your apps across all Apple devices in the cloud.
