iOS 15.1 Release Candidate
Anthony Karcz
As expected last week, Apple released the iOS 15.1 Release Candidate today, right after their new MacBook and AirPods 3 event. This is the version that will be released to the public next week, barring any last-minute bug fixes.
So Apple has a chance to save themselves.
What’s New?
What are we getting with iOS 15.1? Quite a bit, actually. As expected, SharePlay returned in the first big release after iOS 15. That makes sense, given that SharePlay was such a tentpole feature of summer keynote.
Here’s everything else that’s included in the upcoming public release.
- Auto Macro mode toggle
- The ability to shoot ProRes video
- SharePlay – the feature pulled from the original beta, and talked about voluminously during Apple keynotes. This feature lets you share your media with everyone during FaceTime calls.
- Lossless Audio – if you’re looking for hi-fi sound on your iDevice, this feature does just that (as long as you have AirPods Pro or Max).
- Virtual Vaccination Cards – if you’re lucky enough to live in a state that provides digital medical records, you can add your vaccination card to Apple Wallet.
What’s Broken?
I fully expected Apple to dig in and fix the telephony bug reported last week in their official release notes. I was wrong. The telephony bug is still there and, hopefully, being worked on so that it’s not an issue before iOS 15.1 is released to the public.
- Matter accessory notification won’t work (requiring a reboot of the Home app)
- You might lose audio on phone calls, followed by the call dropping altogether! If it happens, toggle Airplane mode, then back.
- The App Store might not register that transactions are completed.
This is, hopefully, all that’s still broken in the Release Candidate. That doesn’t mean something can’t have creeped in. If you find a bug, report it in the Feedback app.
What’s Fixed?
Well, it’s no phone call fix, but you can now activate alarms in the Clocks app if you use Voice Over. Yay?
What’s Next?
With new AirPods and MacBook Pros revealed today, shipping next week, it’s no surprise that Apple is releasing iOS 15.1 next week (along with macOS Monterey, finally). While there’s still a chance that Apple could tweak the final release candidate, it’s not entirely likely, meaning that, if the telephony bug turns out to be a bigger issue once it’s on millions of iPhones, we could see a very quick bug release, iOS 15.1.1.
Barring an emergency bug release, I fully expect to see iOS 15.2 begin its beta testing cycle sometime next week with iOS 15.2 Public Beta 1.
Now is a great time to get enrolled in the Apple Beta Program, given that all that’s currently out there is finalized software that everyone is getting next week. It’s like seeing the future. Or, at least a very specialized portion of it.
How Do I Sign Up?
Head over to the Apple Beta Program site on the device you’d like to enroll, sign in with your enrolled Apple ID (or create a beta account if you don’t have one already) and follow the steps, it’s as simple as that! You’ll download the beta profile to your iPhone or iPad, then reboot, check for a software update, and you’ll be testing in no time!
Remember, this is beta software and Apple makes it extremely clear in the agreement you scroll past on the way to the Agree button that it can do anything up to and including bricking your device and corrupting your data. My Public Beta Installation Guide has all the housekeeping steps you need to take before installing the beta.
