Apple's iOS 15 will be missing these key features at launch

When Apple revealed iOS 15 in June during WWDC 2021, a slew of brand new, exciting features were announced. However, not all of these have made an appearance yet in the iOS 15 developer and public betas, and chances are, we won't be seeing them on the initial launch later this month. Sometimes this happens, but don't worry — the features will just come later, hopefully by the end of the year or something close to it. This is because the feature in question isn't working properly yet, or the engineers and developers need more time to fix bugs.

Here are the features that may not be launching with iOS 15 (and other software releases) in a few weeks.

SharePlay

SharePlay is one of the biggest headliner features in iOS 15 that won't be making an appearance right away. This feature would allow users to share music, video, and even the device screen with other people through FaceTime.

While SharePlay was active in a few of the earlier betas, it has been disabled since the sixth beta, so it's unlikely that we'll see it right away with the initial iOS 15 launch. It will also be excluded from iPadOS 15, tvOS 15, and macOS Monterey.

Earlier this year, Apple did ask developers who were planning to implement SharePlay to remove the feature from their apps. However, Apple does seem to plan to have it ready sometime later in the fall.

SharePlay has been disabled for use in the developer beta 6 versions of iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and tvOS 15 and will be disabled in the upcoming beta 6 release of macOS Monterey. SharePlay will also be disabled for use in their initial releases this fall. SharePlay will be enabled for use again in future developer beta releases and will launch to the public in software updates later this fall.

Digital ID cards

Source: Apple

iOS 15 is finally bringing support for digital ID cards in the Wallet app. However, this feature also depends on where you live (Apple has already announced the first states getting this feature). With the Digital ID cards feature, you'll be able to store a digital version of your state ID or driver's license in the Wallet app, along with the rest of your other cards. The Digital ID can also be stored on your best Apple Watch and scanned at TSA checkpoints. Verification can be done through selfies.

Despite this big feature being announced, it has yet to show up in a beta. The digital ID card Wallet feature will be coming in a separate update for iOS 15 later in the year. The feature is also exclusive to the US.

App Privacy Report

Apple is a company that values its stance on privacy, such as with App Tracking Transparency, and that continues with iOS 15 and the App Privacy Report feature. You'll be able to find this in the Settings app, and it has full details on what data and sensors every individual app has accessed within the past seven days. The details include location, photos, camera, microphone, contacts, and even when an app contacts other domains and how.

Unfortunately, App Privacy Report won't show up immediately once iOS 15 lands on your favorite iPhone. It requires a future iOS 15 update just to get enabled. Developers who have the beta can currently get this in a plain text file, but the fancy graphics that should appear in the Settings app won't be available until later.

CarPlay: Detailed 3D navigation

The Maps app is getting some big improvements in iOS 15, including incredibly detailed 3D navigation. With this new 3D interactive globe, you'll be able to view cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, and London with more detail than ever before. The detail includes elevation, roads, trees, buildings, landmarks, and more.

However, if you use CarPlay, these new detailed 3D maps will not be available right away. Apple has already stated that these detailed 3D maps for navigation will be coming to CarPlay later.

Legacy Contacts

Legacy Contacts is a feature that allows you to add contacts who can access your account and data, no password required, in the unfortunate event of your death. Proof of death for the Apple ID owner is required to access this information, though, so it's not like anyone can go and get into your information right now while you're still around.

The ability to set Legacy Contacts was available in the betas until the fourth release, after which it vanished. Apple says this iOS 15 feature will be coming back in a later release.

Universal Control

Another big headliner feature this year, though it's technically for iPadOS 15 and not iOS 15, is Universal Control. With Universal Control, a Mac user would be able to control an iPad or another Mac with the keyboard and mouse of the main computer. Yes, it sounds a little confusing, but this is how Apple puts it:

A single keyboard and mouse or trackpad now work seamlessly between your Mac and iPad — they'll even connect to more than one Mac or iPad. Move your cursor from your Mac to your iPad, type on your Mac and watch the words show up on your iPad, or even drag and drop content from one Mac to another.

While Apple has yet to confirm that this will be coming later, it has yet to be seen in any of the betas for iPadOS 15 and macOS Monterey, so the feature probably isn't ready for prime time yet.

Thoughts?

As much as we're looking forward to the launch of iOS 15 and the other software releases this month, it's unfortunate that we won't get everything right away. Hopefully, the missing features will come sooner rather than later — keep your fingers crossed!

What are you looking forward to most in iOS 15? Let us know in the comments below.