Apple has Released iOS 15.1 Which Includes Support for SharePlay

As of today, iOS 15.1 and iPadOS 15.1 have begun rolling out to eligible devices. SharePlay, one of iOS 15’s most exciting new features, has finally made it into this update.

Users will be able to listen to music, watch movies or TV shows, work out with a friend or family member while using SharePlay, or share their screen to view apps while on a FaceTime call. Apple Music, Apple TV+, and Apple Fitness+ currently support SharePlay, as will Disney+, ESPN+, HBO Max, Hulu, MasterClass, Paramount+, Pluto TV, SoundCloud, TikTok, and Twitch in the future, as well as other services. Apple TV, iPhone, and iPad are all supported.

The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max now have the option of recording videos in ProRes format. Cinematic cameras and editing software all support the ProRes codec, which is widely used in the film industry for acquisition and post-production. Compared to the standard H.264/HEVC codec, this will allow users to record in the highest quality possible for editing and post-processing on their iPhones.

Apple has also added the ability to prevent the camera from automatically switching to macro mode when the lens is in close proximity to the subject. When you get close to your subject with the iPhone 13 Pro or iPhone 13 Pro Max camera, it automatically switches to macro mode, with no manual control. The user can now opt out of the camera moving closer to the subject automatically with this update.

COVID-19 vaccination cards will now be supported in Apple Wallet as of iOS 15.1, making it even easier to store and present your vaccination card using an iPhone or Apple Watch.

The following is a complete list of the updates that have been made since the last release:

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 look at photos, browse the web, or help each other out

Camera

ProRes video capture using iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max
Setting to turn off automatic camera switching when taking macro photos and videos on iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max

Apple Wallet

COVID-19 vaccination card support allows you to add and present verifiable vaccination information from Apple Wallet

Translate

Mandarin Chinese (Taiwan) support in the Translate app and for system-wide translation

Home

New automation triggers based on the current reading of a HomeKit-enabled humidity, air quality, or light level sensor

Shortcuts

New pre-built actions let you overlay text on images or gifs, plus a new collection of games lets you pass the time with Siri

This release also fixes the following issues:

Photos app may incorrectly report storage is full when importing photos and videos
Weather app may not show current temperature for My Location, and may display colors of animated backgrounds incorrectly
Audio playing from an app may pause when locking the screen
Wallet may unexpectedly quit when using VoiceOver with multiple passes
Available Wi-Fi networks may not be detected
Battery algorithms updated on iPhone 12 models to better estimate battery capacity over time