The new version of iOS for iPhone and iPad – iOS 15 – will be available this fall. I have the first developer beta versions so, as I do every year, my early testing will focus on any changes that require updating apps published in the App Store so you know if you need to prepare for any changes.

At first glance – once you get to the springboard (desktop) of your device – iOS 15 differs from iOS 14 even less than iOS14 differed from iOS 13. The changes are naturally there, but they are purely cosmetic adjustments. Nothing that will cause apps running on iOS 14 to require an update. I haven’t noticed incompatibilities at the code level, so unless you plan on giving your users access to the new features being introduced with iOS 15, you don’t need to plan on updating.

When looking at the new iOS, it’s also worth remembering the changes to the App Store, which will finally take effect at the end of the year. Like Google Play, there will be changes regarding user privacy and data usage by apps. In the App Store, a new privacy section has appeared on the tab of each app – this is an extensive privacy and data use form. It will be mandatory for every app owner to fill it out when wanting to publish a software update or release a new app.