Apple iOS 15 got off to a terrible start and little improved with iOS 15.0.1 and iOS 15.0.2. Now the first major iOS 15 release has arrived bringing long awaited features, fixes and upgrades. But does iOS 15.1 deliver? For new features, yes. But in terms of stability, there are still a lot of problems. Here’s everything you need to know.
Tip: bookmark this page because I will keep it up to date if/when new problems are found. I will deliver my final verdict in a week.
Apple iOS 15
Apple
Who Is It For?
Apple iOS 15.1 has been released for all iOS 14-compatible devices, aka the iPhone 6S and newer. You should be automatically notified to upgrade but, if not, the update can be triggered manually by navigating to Settings > General > Software Update. If you are running a newer iOS 15 beta (see ‘The Road Ahead’ section at the end), you must unenroll your iPhone first before iOS 15.1 will show up.
Note: this guide is not focused on older iOS updates or iPadOS, but I will touch upon pertinent issues in these guides.
The Deal Breakers
Jailbreakers, no movement here. Both Unc0ver and checkra1n have yet to crack the later iOS 14 releases, let alone iOS 15.
For everyone already on iOS 15, however, the news is familiar. A limited number of fixes with limited success for a wide array of ongoing problems. Perhaps the most frustrating is the bizarre storage bug iOS 15 caused millions of iPhones and iPads. Apple claimed it was fixed in iOS 15.0.1 and now again in iOS 15.1 / iPadOS 15.1 but the second attempt is again a bust (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 etc) despite some exceptions. Worst still, iOS 15.1 is also causing it for some previously unaffected users.
This continues a frustrating pattern of iOS 15.x fixes not delivering and another is WiFi connectivity, a problem iOS 15.1 claims to fix but is again being created for some upgraders. Car connectivity issues also remain, as do problems with Notification Stacks, iOS 15-introduced touchscreen bugs (1,2,3,4,5,6,7) and 120Hz animation issues with third party apps.
I’m also seeing isolated reports of missing photos, Spatial Audio refusing to disable, lost Apple Calendar data and problems with calls. Battery complaints are building as well (1,2,3,4,5) but treat these with caution so soon after updating because your iPhone will still be reindexing.
So What Do You Get?
Apple iOS 15.1 is the first feature rich update to iOS 15 and it brings a lot. Here are the official release notes:
SharePlay
- 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 …….