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With better search on iOS, Apple keeps beating Google at its own game
Hey Google, what about universal search on Android?
I'm a little angry. No, scratch that, I'm very angry. Whenever Apple introduces improvements to Spotlight on iPhones and iPads, I have vivid PPSSD (post-personal-search stress disorder) and remember the glorious years when we had a decent on-device search solution on Android. Then it was gone and Google, the search company to end all search companies, pretended nothing happened, that it was never there, and whoever really wanted a central search solution on their phone?
As a Mac user, it's getting harder and harder to stick with Android
Apple's luring us with its tight ecosystem approach
I've been a Mac user since early 2008, months before the first Android device was announced and three years before I bought my first Android phone. I felt like an outlier for a while, until I started meeting more like-minded people: Mac users who couldn't fathom the idea of iOS on their phone and chose Android instead. Just here on Android Police, six other colleagues straddle the ecosystem barrier and strive for a cross-platform digital existence like me. But every year at WWDC, Apple takes it upon itself to lure us in, and it's getting harder and harder to resist the temptation.
Apple is going to let you stay on older versions of iOS longer
Not ready to upgrade to iOS 15 yet? Not a problem!
One of Apple's biggest strengths has always been the long-term software support offered for its family of devices. Case in point: the iPhone 6s that was released back all the way back in 2015 will still get the latest version of iOS later this year. But more than just bringing so many users access to the latest software, Apple's decided to start offering a meaningful choice, and all devices receiving iOS 15 will soon have the option to stay on iOS 14 without skipping important security patches.
Apple can't highlight every change to iOS during its annual WWDC keynote, and that means some really cool features often get left out of the spotlight. If you're a power user with an iPhone handy, a popular iPad-exclusive feature is finally coming to your device. Apple is adding drag-and-drop support for files and photos to iOS 15, so you can quickly move content across all of your apps.
iCloud won't try to charge you for switching to a new iPhone anymore
Apple will give you temporary space for your iCloud backups when buying a new device
Switching to a new phone is challenging enough, and that's before you're prompted to pay upfront for cloud storage to move your files over. Thankfully, Apple is making a big change to its setup process. Starting with iOS 15, you no longer have to pay for extra storage to upload your iPhone's backup to the cloud.According to the complete list of iOS 15 details on Apple's website, you'll now be granted a temporary amount of iCloud storage space after you buy a new device to allow your backup to move freely from one phone or tablet to the next. This storage space is only meant to be used for backups, and it'll disappear after three weeks, but that's plenty of time to get all of your apps, photos, contacts, and messages onto your new iPhone. Considering the cost of a brand new iPhone, some temporary free storage to transfer a backup is a pretty nice gesture of goodwill.Apple is also improving the experience of moving from Android to iOS with its latest software. The setup process in iOS 15 will include a QR code that leads directly to the Move to iOS app in the Play Store for easy downloading. The Android app has also gained the ability to move photo albums, files and folders, and even accessibility settings to iPhone.This update continues Apple's quest to make switching to iOS easier than ever, but whether it'll be enough to win over anyone who hasn't already invested in its ecosystem remains to be seen.
Time is relative. Sometimes 10 minutes can seem like forever, but other times it's the blink of an eye and that pot you have in the kitchen is boiling over. Setting timers can prevent that, but what if you need more than one? That wasn't an option on the Apple Watch until now. At WWDC, Apple casually mentioned that multiple timers are coming to its wearable.
Apple's iOS 15 Wallet app will get you through TSA checkpoints with digital IDs
That much closer to replacing your real wallet
Apple Wallet started out with support for credit cards, but it's been expanding to support things like airline tickets and transit passes. In iOS 15, Apple is aiming to finally make your wallet obsolete. You'll be able to store your credit cards, keys, and even your ID all in the Wallet app. Apple says the ID scanning feature is even going to be supported by the TSA.
Nobody wants redundant home audio equipment. Speakers take up space, but in the age of near-ubiquitous smart speakers, a lot of them just sit around in our homes doing a whole lot of nothing. Damn lazy speakers. With an upcoming update, your HomePod mini will finally be able to start pulling its weight around the house. Maybe it'll even get a job.Provided you have an Apple TV 4K, you'll be able to set your HomePod minis (HomePods mini?) up as your television's speakers. It's not clear how many HomePods will be supported for output simultaneously, but at least two, obviously.This is pretty cool stuff, and I'd hope to see Google follow suit with its Nest Audio speakers and Chromecast with Google TV.
iMessage in iOS 15 wants to be a hub for everything you share with friends
From photos and articles to your next binge watch
iMessage is one of the best messaging clients available today — as long as you and your friends are deeply invested in Apple's ecosystem. As part of iOS 15, iMessage is getting several new features, including photo collages, new ways to share content with your friends, and full support for SharePlay.
Apple wants to turn your mom into a 2-factor key
Trusted contacts will make getting back into iCloud easier, but potentially embarrassing
Getting locked out of any account is annoying. Getting locked out of your iCloud account can be downright infuriating. Apple makes resetting your password rigorous if you've enabled its more robust account protections, but today, it announced a new way to avoid a potentially catastrophic loss of digital access to your data.
You'll soon be able to find your AirPods like an AirTag
AirPods Pro and Max get enhanced location support
Finding your AirPods Pro and AirPods Max is about to get a lot easier: Apple has announced at WWDC that both of its premium headphones will get enhanced functionality in the "Find my" app on iOS.With iOS 15, your iPhone will be able to locate your AirPods Pro and Max with the use of a Bluetooth beacon mode. Your headphones will then use that beacon to find other Apple devices that are nearby, which can allow you to triangulate their exact location, similar to Apple's AirTags (minus UWB functionality).
iOS 15 brings spatial audio, SharePlay, and grid view to FaceTime
Making virtual hangouts feel a little more real
For many of us, video calls have become a daily part of our lives. Anyone who owns any Apple devices can tell you how fantastic FaceTime is for reaching out to friends and family. As part of iOS 15, Apple is adding a ton of changes to FaceTime, including spatial audio for more natural-sounding conversations, an all-new grid view, and a SharePlay API that makes it easy to watch videos, share your screen, and more.
FaceTime is getting Android support, but there's a catch
Apple is bringing FaceTime to Android... via the browser
At WWDC 2021 today, Apple announced that its popular FaceTime video call service will be getting a ton of new features, but one in particular caught our attention: Android compatibility. Sort of.