First, Apple is rolling out new improvements to Apple Podcasts, which are available on iOS 15.5, iPadOS 15.5, and macOS 12.4. There’s a new setting to change how many episodes of podcasts are downloaded and saved to your device, preventing your storage from being filled up with old episodes you might not get around to listening. Best of all, changing the setting will immediately remove all downloads that are older than you selected, acting as a bulk cleanup tool.
Apple has also added an option to not download any episodes automatically at all, turning the Podcasts app into a streaming-only player. That’s a handy feature for anyone who sticks to Wi-Fi most of the time, or people with plenty of cellular data to spare. You can also now browse shows by season and filter episodes by status, according to TechCrunch, and some premium shows will soon have a yearly subscription option.
The other updates in iOS 15.5, iPadOS 15.5, and macOS 12.4 are relatively minor. The new Mac update removes the beta label on Universal Control, which allows you to use a single mouse/trackpad and keyboard across multiple Macs and iPads. It also includes updated firmware for the Apple Studio Display, designed to improve photo and video quality on the monitor’s built-in camera. Meanwhile, iOS now supports sending and requesting money from an Apple Cash card in the Wallet app, and fixes some bugs with home automations.
Most of the rest of Apple’s hardware ecosystem also received updates on Monday. The Apple Watch now has watchOS 8.6, which adds ECG and irregular heart rhythm detection for people in Mexico. HomePod firmware 15.5 and tvOS 15.1 are rolling out for HomePod speakers and Apple TV devices, respectively, but Apple hasn’t said there are any noticeable improvements in either update.
If you have an iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch, you should receive a notification about a system update soon. We also have a guide on how to update the iPhone.
Source: TechCrunch, MacRumors (macOS, iOS, watchOS, HomePod, tvOS)
