Apple’s long awaited WWDC presentation streamed today across the globe. The event
(which felt more like a theatrical production than a simple presentation) revealed many new improvements to Apple's software, including iOS, MacOS and iPadOS. One of my favorite features added to all of these operating systems is Focus. In this article, I’ll give a rundown on Focus and give my input on this new feature.
Focus is a built-in system function which allows users to choose what apps and notifications are displayed on their device at a given time. An example would be if you were at work, you could set your phone to only display apps and notifications relevant to your job. This could include messages from coworkers, apps required for your job, notifications from your work email, and more. Not only does it allow you to choose what notifies you, but it also lets you choose what apps are shown on your homescreen. This means that you can turn a personal device into a work device (or a device streamlined for whatever you are doing) with just one button. I think that this alone is one of the best new features of iOS15. The idea of being able to make my devices more relevant to whatever I’m doing, and being able to block out everything else, is incredible to me.
I do a lot of mountain biking, and I require precision fitness tracking with a Garmin (Apple Watch is precise, but not enough for my personal needs). Sometimes, I need to get my phone out to reconnect my Garmin, pull up a map, or respond to an important text. In these situations, it’s always a struggle wearing gloves to find the specific app I’m looking for. Now, I can just program it to have all the necessary apps on my homescreen while I'm biking. If I were at an important event and didn’t want to be bothered by my phone, but I needed to be ready to receive an important message from someone, then all I need to do is set my focus to that specific situation. The possibilities are endless. I’m betting now that some people are going to use it for changing their home screen depending on whatever they’re feeling in the moment. Others will likely use it to help them focus on their work (we’ve all been distracted by twitter before). I will certainly be using this to help me when I’m writing. Ultimately, there's a lot to look forward to in iOS 15! The first developer beta is currently out right now, and you can install it if you are ready to try out these features and are a member of the Apple Developer Program.