Apple’s annual developer’s conference began on Monday with the announcement of new features in iOS 15. It will cater to our lives as the world continues to emerge from the epidemic, including changes to FaceTime video conversations and digital keys in Apple Wallet.

Apple will introduce new FaceTime features that will allow users to view movies or listen to music while on the phone. FaceTime calls will now be available to Android and Windows users as well.

Apple is also releasing changes to its mobile wallet that will allow customers to utilize digital keys in the app to open everything from their home to their hotel room.

“You can never leave home without your keys,” Jennifer Bailey, VP of internet services and Apple Pay, said, adding new features such as car keys to open a vehicle from your iPhone. BMW and other automakers would begin shipping cars with this capability later this year, she added.

Apple Wallet will also be able to store identity cards, according to the firm. Users in participating states will be able to scan their driver’s license or ID into the wallet app. Apple is collaborating with the TSA to utilize the digital ID at airport security checkpoints, according to Bailey.

Keeping Apple at the heart of the customer — and developer — experience

During the pandemic, Apple and its products, like many other digital businesses, were even more crucial to our lives as we were to work more behind screens.

For those who are still addicted to their screens, Apple has launched “Focus,” a new iOS feature. This allows users to choose what types of alerts they wish to receive and from whom at different times of the day. A user can, for example, put their phone to “work” mode and limit alerts to coworkers, emails, and Slack messages. Users can configure a “do not disturb” auto-reply for messages while all other notifications are off.

“You can carve out time in your day for business and personal life using Focus,” Federighi explained.

Apple aims to make it easier for consumers to keep track of photographs, links provided to them over iMessage. A “shared with you folder” will now appear in apps like Photos, Safari, and Apple Music to emphasize information that has been received over messaging.

Aside from new gadgets and the release of iOS 15, WWDC is an opportunity for Apple to address its developers.

Increasing the privacy at Apple

During the speech, Apple, as predicted, emphasized the importance of privacy.

“At Apple, we think that privacy is a basic human right,” Federighi added, referring to new features like app nutrition labels. “We don’t believe that outstanding features and privacy should be mutually exclusive. We feel you should get the permission of both.”

The corporation unveiled a number of new security measures, including “mail privacy protection”. Companies sending emails will no longer be able to link users’ IP addresses and locations to their other online behavior since the email software on Apple devices will now hide users’ IP addresses and locations.

Additional new privacy options are available to iCloud+ subscribers. When signing up for an account on a new website that would route messages to their inbox, customers can use the “hide my email” function to enter a randomly generated email address.

Multitasking on the iPad and locating misplaced Airpods

The new iPad OS 15 will make it easier for consumers to work while on the road. Widgets for contacts or Apple TV, as well as new, bigger formats created for the iPad’s display. It will soon be available among the apps on the device’s home screen for those who possess it.

On the iPad, a new “multitasking” feature will allow users to work on two apps at once utilising a split view and a simple swiping method to flip between them.

In addition, the business unveiled system-wide translation for iPad OS, iOS, and Mac OS. Users may translate text by right-clicking on it in any program, even text picked from a photo. When you chat to your iPad, and “auto-translate” feature may listen and translate what you’re saying.

Apple has added a new feature to AirPods dubbed “conversation boost,” which is intended to assist persons with hearing loss. The feature directs the user’s AirPods Pro to the person speaking in front of them. It makes it easier to hear in a face-to-face discussion. It can also help to lessen the quantity of noise in the environment.

Users may also utilize Apple’s Bluetooth “Find My” network to locate their AirPods Pro and AirPods Max. If users believe their lost AirPods are close, they may use the Find My app to pick “play sound,”. The AirPods will produce a chirping sound, which is beneficial when individuals resume their lives outside of their houses.