valuable improvements for everyday use

iOS 15 introduces a slew of improvements big and small that mean a lot to the daily use of your iPhone. Read more in our comprehensive iOS 15 review.

Our comprehensive iOS 15 review

You don’t need to install iOS 15. If you’re happy with iOS 14, you can continue to use this version of the operating system and even get security updates. So for the first time you really have a choice, making the question of whether the new update is worth it is more important than ever.

Get your Focus back

If you install iOS 15, unlike iOS 14, you will not be immediately surprised by all the improvements. Visually, not much happens, apart from somewhat larger icons in your notifications. Still, in everyday use, this update makes a big difference in a lot of small ways. An excellent example of such a valuable improvement is Focus.

Focus is an extension of the already well-known Do Not Disturb mode. You create different profiles with different rules. For example, a Work Focus with which you no longer receive notifications from your messaging apps, or a Personal Focus with which you no longer receive notifications from emails.

For each profile you indicate which notifications you can receive from which apps. Nice is that the Messages app shows your contacts which focus you have turned on, if that means you no longer receive notifications from that person. This way you remain undisturbed, without others thinking that you are ignoring them. Hopefully, other apps – such as WhatsApp – will soon offer support for Focus.

You can also indicate for each profile which home screen you will see. This part can only be further developed. The option to create a different home screen for each profile with its own apps (for example, no TikTok and Instagram on your Work focus) is still missing, but it is inevitable that this option will be added in later versions of the operating system. So something to look forward to.

Fewer notifications

At the moment, Focus is mainly an ideal way to get your notifications under control. You do not have to stick to the standard profiles, because you can add others yourself. How about a Walking Focus, or a Family Time Focus?

Also valuable is the notification overview that you turn on in the settings menu of iOS 15. Here you place apps whose notifications you want to see, but where you don’t want to be bothered all day long. You can then have all these notifications delivered at a time of your choosing.

This can be done several times a day, so that there is not too much time between the report and the overview. By default you get the first overview at 8 am and the second overview at 6 pm, but of course you have every option to adjust these times.

In practice, this function simply ensures fewer notifications while you do not miss anything. In addition to Focus, the notification overview is therefore a smart way to be less distracted by your iPhone.

Drag and drop into my heart

It was already possible within iOS to drag images and text, but only within the same app. With iOS 15, this now just works between all apps on your phone and that’s so nice.

The idea is that you keep your finger pressed on, for example, an image. Then use another finger to switch apps and release the image there. For example, you can place images from Google Search in your photo album, or share them via the Messages app. You move files from the Files app, or place photos in albums more easily. In the renewed Notes app, you can even easily move texts in this way.

By tapping multiple items, you can also easily copy multiple photos or files and paste them elsewhere. You’ll soon be wondering how we managed all this time without this feature.

Much attention to air quality

Some Apple apps have also improved. The Weather app in particular stands out, with a completely new look containing much more information about the weather.

The extra focus on air quality in the Weather app is striking and doesn’t seem that relevant to most people. You mainly want to know what the temperature is and whether it is raining. However, if you scroll further down, you will also find other useful information such as wind speed and direction, visibility, air pressure and the perceived temperature.

When you open Safari, it is a bit of a shock that the address bar is now at the bottom, which disappears when you are scrolling. It is possible to put the address bar on top again and many users will probably do this immediately. Still, it can pay off to wait a while, because the new position gets used quickly and actually makes a lot of sense. You can now finally refresh the page by pulling the image down.

FaceTime with Android

FaceTime has also received some new options, which is not unimportant in this age of video calling. For example, it is possible to place all heads in a grid and you can use spatial audio. Especially the latter makes a big difference, because in this way you hear the voices from the angle where the head is visible. This makes conversations feel more natural.

Background noise is also better filtered, you can use portrait mode and you can even call people who have an Android phone. They are not groundbreaking updates, but each and every one of them is new functions that make daily video calling more enjoyable.

Not all improvements are immediately available. SharePlay, the new feature that allows you to watch videos, music and more together while having a FaceTime call, will be added later.

Live text is insane

Not all valuable new features are presented clearly. For example, there is a very handy hidden function that everyone should turn on immediately. Go to Settings > General > Language & Region, and turn on ‘Live Text’. From now on you can copy texts in images.

That works in the photos stored on your iPhone, in the camera app by tapping the text icon, and even within images on Safari. It doesn’t always work perfectly, but in general it works well and fast. For example, you never have to enter a phone number again, because it is recognized after which you can call immediately.

An addition that you do not notice much in your daily use, but which is one of the most important innovations, is Cloud Plus. Enable this, and you’ll get some privacy features in Safari, Mail, and HomeKit. The best we can say about this we didn’t think about it after turning it on and that’s exactly what it’s supposed to be.

iOS 15 review conclusion

If you are not sure whether you should install iOS 15 or not, we can say with certainty that it is more than worth it. The changes aren’t revolutionary, but each and every one of them are valuable improvements that make everyday use of your iPhone much more pleasant.

iOS 15 Features

Do you have iOS 15 and are you still a bit lost? Don’t worry, because we’ve listed all functions for you in handy videos. Take a look at the biggest new iOS 15 features in the picture. Or check the video below with the secret functions.