After nearly two months of beta testing, Apple is finally rolling out the iOS 15.6 software update to all iPhone users. While it’s not as feature-rich as iOS 15.5 or iOS 15.4 that preceded it, there are still a few things you’ll want to know about it.

The iOS 15.6 update was released on July 20 after five betas and two candidate builds were released for developers and public beta testers. The same goes for iPadOS 15.6, which has the same features listed below.

1. New commands for live sports in the TV app

There’s only one new feature that Apple acknowledges for iOS 15.6: a set of controls for live sports games in the TV app. With the new controls, you can pause, rewind or fast forward live sports coverage, as well as restart the entire broadcast so you can watch the game from the start.

2. Bug fixes

Besides the new TV controls for live sports games, the only other things Apple acknowledges for iOS 15.6 are a few bug fixes:

• Addresses an issue where Settings may continue to show that device storage is full even though it is available.
• Addresses an issue that may cause Braille devices to become slow or unresponsive when navigating Mail text.
• Fixes an issue in Safari where a tab may jump back to a previous page.

3. Clear Tabs When Deleting Safari Data

Usually, when you go to Settings -> Safari -> Clear history and website data -> Clear history and data, your history, cookies and other browsing data disappear immediately. In iOS 15.6, you may also be prompted to “Close Tabs” or “Keep Tabs”. This option is just for all your open tabs in the main”[#] tab group”, but custom tab groups will not be affected.

4. Improve communications security

If you have a child in your family group, there is now an option via Settings -> Screen Time -> [Child’s Name] –> Communications Security which allows you to “enhance communications security”. You can turn on this switch if you want to help Apple improve the communication security feature.

Help Apple improve communications security by sharing analytics and usage data. Analytics and data are aggregated in a form that is not personally identifiable. No messages or media are shared with Apple.

If you’ve never opened the “Communications Security” options, you may see a splash screen (left screenshot below) asking you to “Share with Apple” or “Do Not Share” scans and usage data. You may also see a notification on your child’s Screen Time page asking “Improve communications security”, which opens the splash screen below.

5. New options for incoming international calls

Now whenever you receive an international call from an unknown sender, iOS will label it as an international call and provide an option to report it as spam.

6. Improved Home Invites Menu

In the House app, invitations to join houses are now separated by a space, as shown below. Also, there are no “Accept” buttons in the home settings view. Instead, you’ll see “Show”, which displays a splash page with more information where you can accept or decline the invitation.

Home’s biggest update to the invitation process is a new “Report Spam” button for invitations sent by unknown senders, i.e. users who are not in your contacts . Previously, you could simply accept or decline invitations from unknown contacts, but now you can view more information or report them as spam.

7. Over 35 security fixes

There are also 37 security updates, and some of the biggest fix vulnerabilities with Home, Safari Extensions, Wi-Fi, WebKit, WebRTC, and Kernel. There’s even a vulnerability with the software update that would allow “a user in a privileged position on the network to track a user’s activity.” And one for iCloud Photo Library where “an app may be able to access sensitive user information.” issues iOS 15.6 addresses:

• AFPS: An application with root privileges may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
• Apple AVD: A remote user may be able to cause kernel code to execute
• Apple AVD: An application may be able to leak kernel memory
• AppleMobile File Integrity: An application may be able to gain root privileges
• Apple Neural Engine: An application may be able to break out of its sandbox
• Apple Neural Engine: An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
• Apple Neural Engine: An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
• Audio: An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
• Audio: An application may be able to leak kernel memory
• CoreMedia: An application may be able to leak kernel memory
• CoreText: A remote user can cause an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution
• File system events: An application may be able to gain root privileges
• GPU drivers: An application may be able to leak kernel memory
• GPU drivers: An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
• House: A user may be able to view restricted content from the lock screen
• iCloud Photo Library: An application may be able to access sensitive user information
• USI: Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to execution of arbitrary code
• ImageIO: Processing a maliciously crafted image may lead to disclosure of process memory
• ImageIO: Processing a maliciously crafted file may lead to execution of arbitrary code
• ImageIO: Processing a maliciously crafted image may lead to disclosure of user information
• ImageIO: Processing an image can lead to a denial of service
• IOMobileFrameBuffer: An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
• Core: An application with root privileges may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
• Core: An application may be able to leak kernel memory
• Core: An application with arbitrary kernel read and write capability may be able to bypass pointer authentication
• Core: An application with arbitrary kernel read and write capability may be able to bypass pointer authentication
• Liblouis: An application can cause the application to exit unexpectedly or the execution of arbitrary code
• libxml2: An app may be able to leak sensitive user information
• Multi-keys: An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
• PluginKit: An application may be able to read arbitrary files
• Safari Extensions: Visiting a maliciously crafted website may leak sensitive data
• Software update: A user in a privileged position on the network can track a user’s activity
• Webkit: Visiting a website that frames malicious content may lead to UI spoofing
• Webkit: Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to execution of arbitrary code
• WebRTC: Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to execution of arbitrary code
• Wireless: An application may be able to cause an unexpected system abort or write to kernel memory
• Wireless: A remote user may be able to cause an unexpected system shutdown or corrupt kernel memory

Have you seen any new iOS 15.6 features? Let us know in the comments below!