iOS 15.5 Beta 1 is Out! — What’s New?
With a “new” Music app, Wallet & Apple Pay changes, and many more
Apple has filled Adrenaline and Dopamine inside Apple fanboys/girls with dozens of never-before features in iOS 15.4. Rumours said it’d be the last update till iOS 16 arrives, but Apple fades them off with yet another update — the iOS 15.5.
Best part, it still brings many new features! However, as yet, it’s in beta, so you may not be able to download if you use public iOS software. Anyways, you can scroll further to know the features you’ll be enjoying with the final iOS 15.5 update.
#1. Apple Pay → Apple Cash
You might have already seen a button saying ‘ Pay’ (Apple Pay) below the message bar in the default Messages app. Now it’s rebranded to ‘ Cash’ (Apple Cash).
#2. Apple Card in Wallet App now has Request and Send Buttons
The Wallet app now shows direct Request and Send buttons, making it easier to manage money transactions.
#3. iTunes Pass → Apple Card
Apple renames iTunes Pass to Apple Card in the iOS 15.5 beta 1 code. It might surface in the next betas or public update.
iTunes Pass is basically a way to check your Apple Card balance in the Wallet app. This balance can be used to purchase Apple products in an Apple store, as well as digital ones like apps, media, and subscriptions.
#4. Apple Classical Music App?
Back in August 2021, Apple acquired Primephonic, a classical music streaming service. It was initially predicted Apple might integrate it into the default Music app.
But this doesn’t seem like the case. The are some references to a separate app for Classical Music in the build code of iOS 15.5. It says Open this in the new app designed for classical music . Isn’t this enough for proof?
#5. Magic Tap on Apple Watch
There appears a new accessibility feature called Magic Tap in iOS 15.5 beta Watch app with paired Apple Watch running watchOS 8.6 beta.
If you’re a beta tester, on your iPhone, go to Watch app < Accessibility 🚹 < VoiceOver < Hand Gestures , select any gesture, and you’ll find Magic Tap ⏯ .
Currently, we don’t know how exactly to “Magic Tap”. But with the next betas or public version, Apple might explain us how to do it.
#6. Sportskit Upgrades
As we already know, Apple has partnered with MLB (Major League Baseball) and is premiering Friday Night Baseball games exclusively on Apple TV+ app for fans in eight countries.
This update, it made few upgrades to the service so it could report the scores real-time for different innings.
#7. “External Link Account Entitlement”
Apple now supports External Link Account Entitlement feature that allows “reader” apps to offer a link redirecting to an external website so users can create and manage their accounts outside App Store.
This is especially useful if the developer doesn’t want to use Apple’s in-app purchase system and prefers their own payment methods on their website.
Apple defines “reader” apps as: Apps may allow a user to access previously purchased content or content subscriptions (specifically: magazines, newspapers, books, audio, music, and video).
One more little change…
There might be a new Manga section in the book store in Apple Books. It’s found in code, and might surface up in the future.
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