Apple on Wednesday seeded the fourth betas of iOS 15.1 and iPadOS 15.1 to developers. The new beta releases come just one week following the release of the third beta release.
Beta builds of iOS 15.1 and iPadOS 15.1 are available to developers through the Apple Developer Center or over the air on the devices with the proper configuration installed.
As usual, MacTrast and Apple both warn users to not install any betas on their daily driver iPhone or iPad. Instead, only install betas on a device set aside for testing purposes. This is especially true when it’s an early beta of a new operating system.
The new betas of iOS 15.1, iPadOS 15.1 reintroduce SharePlay, the feature that Apple pulled from the iOS 15.0 updates because it was not yet ready to be released.
SharePlay is a FaceTime feature that allows users to watch movies and listen to music with their friends and family on FaceTime calls, the feature includes a screen sharing feature.
When paired with the HomePod 15.1 beta (which is invite only), iOS 15.1 adds Lossless Audio and Dolby Atmos with Spatial Audio support to the HomePod and the HomePod mini.
The update fixes an Unlock with Apple Watch bug that prevented an authenticated Apple Watch from unlocking an iPhone when the user is wearing a mask
The iOS 15.1 beta also allows iPhone users to upload their COVID-19 vaccination status to the Health app to generate a vaccination card in Apple Wallet. The vaccination card can then be shown to businesses, venues, restaurants, and more that are requiring vaccines for entry.
As mentioned in an announcement to developers, verifiable health records are based on the SMART Health Cards specification.
California, Louisiana, New York, Virginia, Hawaii, and some Maryland counties support Smart Health Cards, as do Walmart, Sam’s Club, and CVS Health.