The best features in any software update are usually hidden.
The iPhone and iPad’s latest software updates, iOS 15 and iPadOS 15, are available to install right now. Apple unveiled the updates in June during its annual developer conference and walked viewers through plenty of flagship features like Live Text, a new Focus feature and the ability to FaceTime Android users. Those features are all welcome additions, but they’re not the entire story. As is often the case with any software update, not every feature makes the announcement page or changelog. These hidden features are some of my personal favorites, regardless of the of the platform, including iOS 15 and iPadOS 15. Below are six hidden features I’ve found so far, with plenty more to come, I’m sure. When you open Safari after updating to iOS 15, the first thing you’ll probably notice is that the address bar is now at the bottom of your screen. It’s a design change that’s supposed to make using Safari easier and more accessible, especially on larger iPhone screens. I happen to prefer the new placement, but not everyone will, and thankfully Apple included a way to move it back to the top — but it’s not easy to figure out. When viewing a webpage in Safari, tap on the Aa icon on the left-hand side of the address bar. At the very top of the menu that shows up is the option Show Top Address Bar; tap it and the address bar will automagically move to the top of your screen. If you decide you want to give the new design another chance, you can always move it back down by repeating the steps I just outlined. Only this time, the option to move the address bar down will be at the bottom of the menu. Apple acquired the Dark Sky weather app and its team a couple of years ago. The app gained popularity due to its ability to precisely predict — to the minute — when you’d see some sort of precipitation for your exact location.
