The free trial of Apple Music was quietly reduced to a single month
Apple Music’s Siri-only plan is now available as iOS 15.2 rolls out
Other new features include an App Privacy Report, a safety option for children and the Digital Legacy program.
Apple has released its latest firmware updates for iPhone and iPad. One of the more notable features Apple is adding in iOS 15.2 and iPadOS 15.2 is the Voice Plan for Apple Music. For $5 per month, subscribers can access the full library of songs, playlists and radio stations via Siri.
On iPhone and iPad, you’ll be able to access an App Privacy Report, which provides details of the data that Apple and third-party apps accessed during the previous seven days. The report shows how often apps use things like location, photos, camera, microphone and contacts, as well as their network activity.
Also new is Apple’s Digital Legacy feature. You can designate contacts who can access your personal information and your iCloud account when you die.
Elsewhere, there’s another safety setting for Messages. It will provide children with warnings and helpful resources when they receive or send photos containing nudity. Apple announced this feature alongside CSAM (Child Sexual Abuse Material) detection tools in August. It planned to release the updates as part of iOS 15, but delayed them following a backlash.
Other iPhone and iPad updates include a way to browse, buy, and rent movies and TV shows in one place in the TV app; a macro photo option for the ultra wide lens on iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max; an enhanced city map in Apple Maps on CarPlay; and the Hide My Email tool for iCloud+ subscribers in the Mail app.
HomePod OS 15.2 is rolling out too. The original HomePod and HomePod mini now support the Apple Music Voice plan, as well as Siri voice recognition for additional languages.
Apple also released macOS Monterey today. Along with the new Apple Music plan, SharePlay is available on supported Macs.
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