Technologies
iOS 15: Release date, new features and everything else we know after Apple’s event
Apple’s new iOS 15 will soon be available for download to iPhones as far back as the 6S. Here’s everything we know.

This story is part of Apple Event, our full coverage of the latest news from Apple.
Apple’s iOS 15 is finally on the way. After Apple’s iPhone 13 event Tuesday, the tech giant revealed that iOS 15 would be generally available for free download on Monday, Sept. 20, alongside iPadOS 15. At the event, we also saw four iPhone 13 models, new iPads and the Apple Watch Series 7 all debuted.
Not to be confused with yesterday’s release of iOS 14.8 which addresses a security issue, iOS 15 will bring new features to several generations of the iPhone.
We got a first look at Apple’s iOS 15 update at the company’s virtual Worldwide Developers Conference in June, followed by a developer beta and then a public beta. (Here’s how to download the iOS 15 public beta, the three things you need to know before installing and how to check if your phone can run iOS 15.)
While we saw a lot of new features arrive this spring and summer with iOS 14.5, iOS 14.6 and iOS 14.7, including being able to unlock your iPhone with Face ID while wearing a mask, stop apps from tracking you for advertising purposes and choose from four Siri voices, iOS 15 adds even more. New iOS 15 features include the ability to start FaceTime calls with Android users, easier sharing in iMessage and better directions in Maps. Keep reading for everything we’ve learned about iOS 15 so far, including when it will be generally released, how to download it and some of the biggest new features.
iOS 15 release date: Sept. 20
Apple initially revealed iOS 15 at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference on June 7, as is typical. The new OS was first available for developers to test and became available to download as a public beta on June 30.
At the iPhone 13 event on Sept. 14, Apple announced that iOS 15 will be generally available for free download on Sept. 20.
This follows Apple’s typical iOS release pattern, with the software typically arriving within a week after an iPhone launch event.
And if you’ve been holding onto the same iPhone since 2015 or later, you will likely be eligible to receive iOS 15. Apple’s iOS 15 will be available on the iPhone 6S and every iPhone onward.
iOS 15 new features
Here are a few of the key new features coming to iOS 15, unveiled at WWDC 2021. (And here’s an overview of all of the new features in iOS 15.)
FaceTime upgrades: Spatial audio, support for Android and Windows
FaceTime will offer spatial audio to make people’s voices appear to come from their position on the screen, making your video chats feel more natural and lifelike. FaceTime will also start to look more like Zoom, allowing you to see all participants in a grid view, schedule calls and share links to calls that can be accessed via browser on Google Android and Microsoft Windows devices.
Read more: Fun FaceTime date idea: Try Apple’s new SharePlay feature in iOS 15
iMessage sharing features
iOS 15 adds some new iMessage sharing features for photos, news articles and playlists. When a friend sends you multiple photos over iMessage, they’ll appear in a dynamic collage formation that allows you to swipe through them or tap through to view the whole bunch in your photos app. If you want to access the same photos later, you’ll find them stored in a new Shared with You folder, as well as mixed in with your own featured photos and memories. You’ll also find news articles and playlists shared through iMessage in new Shared with You tabs in your News and Apple Music apps.
Apple Maps update: 3D street data, AR walking directions and weather warnings
Apple Maps gets an upgrade with more elevation data, road colors and driving directions, rich labels, 3D landmarks and improved night mode. In terms of public transportation, you can also pin nearby public transit stops and station information to your iPhone and Apple Watch devices, and receive automatic updates and notifications as you ride and approach your stop. When traveling on foot, a new augmented reality feature lets you scan nearby buildings in the area with the iPhone’s camera to determine their precise position for more accurate walking directions, which are also presented in augmented reality.
Maps also could factor weather warnings into suggested routes in iOS 15. Redditor ChrisSDreiling, who spotted the update in iOS 15 beta 3, says Maps will let you know if there are flash floods on your journey, and suggest alternate routes to avoid the extreme weather. Although other types of weather alerts weren’t mentioned in ChrisSDreiling’s post, it will be interesting to see if more weather warnings will be added before the iOS 15 general release.
Facial recognition selfies to validate digital ID cards in the Wallet app
At WWDC this spring, Apple announced that it will add ID card support for the Wallet app in iOS 15, allowing you to carry digital versions of government-issued identification cards like your driver’s license on your iPhone. But it’s still unclear how exactly the new feature will work. According to code uncovered by 9to5Mac in the latest iOS 15 beta 4 for developers, Apple could be using facial recognition selfies to validate your digital ID cards when adding them to your wallet. Some banking apps already use this selfie validation feature to authenticate users when logging on with new devices.
How do you download iOS 15?
Once iOS 15 is generally available, Apple will probably send a notification letting you know you can update. Or you’ll be able to do it manually, by going to the Settings app > General > Software Update.
If you’d like to test out iOS 15 before it’s generally released, you can download it now as a public beta. (Check if your iPhone can run iOS 15 here.) Just be warned: Betas are usually buggy, and we don’t recommend downloading them on your primary device — especially so close to the final release. But if you want to, here’s how to download the iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 betas. (And if the bugs get you down, here’s how to change back to iOS 14.)
Read more: Apple’s iOS 15 beta is here, but watch out for these bugs
For more, here’s everything to know about the iPhone 13. You can also take a look at the cool new features for WatchOS 8, the best things about MacOS Monterey and check if your computer is compatible with the new MacOS.
Technologies
Tariffs Explained: Price Hikes Loom as Trump Clashes With Walmart
Technologies
Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for May 20, #443
Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle No. 443 for May 20.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.
Today’s NYT Strands puzzle reminds me that I haven’t had a meal in a fancy restaurant in some time. Maybe it’s time to make a reservation. If you need hints and answers, read on.
I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.
If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.
Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far
Hint for today’s Strands puzzle
Today’s Strands theme is: Oh, of course!
If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Elegant eats.
Clue words to unlock in-game hints
Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:
- SITE, FINE, SINE, DINE, PEAS, TEEN, PEER, STEEP, DEER, SEED, SEEN, POET, TREE, NOPE, SEES.
Answers for today’s Strands puzzle
These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:
- SOUP, SALAD, CHEESE, ENTREE, DESSERT, APPETIZERS
Today’s Strands spangram
Today’s Strands spangram is FINEDINING. To find it, start with the F that’s three letters down on the farthest row to the left, and wind across.
Toughest Strands puzzles
Here are some of the Strands topics I’ve found to be the toughest in recent weeks.
#1: Dated slang, Jan. 21. Maybe you didn’t even use this lingo when it was cool. Toughest word: PHAT.
#2: Thar she blows! Jan.15. I guess marine biologists might ace this one. Toughest word: BALEEN or RIGHT.
#3: Off the hook, Jan. 9. Similar to the Jan. 15 puzzle in that it helps to know a lot about sea creatures. Sorry, Charlie. Toughest word: BIGEYE or SKIPJACK
Technologies
Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for May 24, #713
Hints and answers for Connections for May 24, #713.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.
Today’s Connections puzzle has a fun variety of categories. The purple one appeals to my English major heart. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.
The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.
Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time
Hints for today’s Connections groups
Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group, to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: Goo-goo.
Green group hint: Not shirts.
Blue group hint: City that never sleeps.
Purple group hint: Acclaimed writers.
Answers for today’s Connections groups
Yellow group: Baby gear.
Green group: Kinds of pants minus «s.»
Blue group: New York sports team members.
Purple group: Black women authors.
Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
What are today’s Connections answers?
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is baby gear. The four answers are bib, bottle, monitor and stroller.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is kinds of pants minus «s.» The four answers are capri, jean, jogger and slack.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is New York sports team members. The four answers are Jet, Met, Net and Ranger.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is black women authors. The four answers are Butler, Gay, Hooks and Walker.
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