Apple has started rolling out iOS 15.5 and iPadOS 15.5 with new features, fixes, security updates, and tools for developers to play with.
Members of the Apple subreddit have been kind enough to provide the Pastebin release notes to those who have not yet received the update.
The new iOS 15.5 update will allow Apple Cash users to send or request money through the Wallet app, a new Podcasts feature that limits the number of episodes stored on an iPhone and then automatically deletes old ones, and a bug fix. errors in automations in the Home app.
These automations could be affected to turn lights off when you leave your house, for example, but there was apparently a reliability issue where they wouldn't activate. And for the Cash upgrade, you'll see two new buttons called "Request" and "Send" for the new money transfer capability. iPadOS 15.5 sees a much smaller update as it only gets the podcast changes.
iOS 15.5 was first released in beta in April 2022 and seems to be missing some features. Hidden in the beta code were hints of a new SportsKit feature for streaming baseball games, Apple Classical, which is a classical music streaming service, and an App Store gift code feature called iTunes Pass. .
It's unclear when these features will be released, but Apple's WWDC 2022 event is coming soon on June 6, so it's likely people will be able to see them and iOS 16 at that time.
Security and upcoming changes
The security fixes are also quite minor. They all relate to fixing holes in the code of these apps to prevent bad guys from accessing them. Apple has also tightened Wi-Fi security to further prevent denial-of-service attacks.
Regular consumers may not find the developer side particularly interesting, but they can give an indication of future releases. One particularly interesting change is support for DualSense adaptive triggers.
DualSense controllers have a unique sensitivity to their rear triggers that is available on the PS5 and may change for iOS. Corrections can also be made in the Health app. The notes say that the app crashes when people try to use the blood oxygen feature.
If you want to take advantage of these changes, Apple has a detailed set of instructions on how to update your iPhone or iPad.