The rumors: Apple is preparing a number of significant upgrades for iOS 15, according to Mark Gurman (88.7% accurate).
Here’s what will likely be included in the update, per the latest report from Bloomberg:
- Upgraded notifications: Choose whether or not your device makes a sound on receipt using new categories like “driving, working, sleeping or custom categories.”
- New Lock Screen: Little details are provided, but you’ll apparently be able to access the new notifications options here and in Control Center
- Better automatic replies for messages: This option will be available everywhere now, rather than just while driving
- iMessage may gain more social features, but these could be delayed
- A new Home Screen on iPad: “The most significant update to the device’s Home Screen since first launching the product in 2010,” widgets will be placable anywhere, and you’ll even be able to replace the standard app grid with an all-widget look
- More privacy features, too: See which apps are silently collecting data from you
Our take: Sounds like a smaller upgrade than iOS 14, but still some big changes coming. I’m so excited to see the new Lock Screen because I’ve gotten quite bored of the current design that was unveiled with iOS 7. The new Home Screen on iPad sounds great too…I just hope it’s enough to make it feel more like a serious computing device. Gurman also mentions Apple’s plans for iMessage to become more like a social network in the future: I’ve never thought about it this way, but it’s probably the app that I do use the most.
