iOS 15 may revamp notifications and the iPad home screen

There's little doubt that Apple will reveal the next versions of iOS and iPadOS at WWDC, but there are now inklings of what that will entail. Bloomberg sources say iOS 15 and its iPadOS 15 equivalent will include upgrades to a few core areas of the interface, including notifications. You'll reportedly control how notifications behave based on a status you can change, such as whether you're driving, sleeping or working. You'll have quick access to that feature in Control Center and the lock screen, according to the tipsters.

You could set automatic replies to messages for statuses beyond driving, too.

 The update will reportedly deliver significant upgrades to the lock screen and the iPad home screen. While the lock screen changes aren't clear, iPadOS 15 would give you the same app grid widgets that you find on the iPhone in iOS 14, to the point where you could have only widgets if you prefer.

Other additions could include an iMessage upgrade that turns it into more of a social network as well as a privacy menu that shows the apps quietly collecting data. The iMessage feature is "early" and might be pushed back, as would any other feature that wouldn't be ready in time for the final iOS 15 release. Apple historically releases major operating system updates around September.

There's a good chance Apple will deliver many more updates beyond what's mentioned here. As with last year, though, the focus appears to be on updating the most commonly-used interface elements. Even if it's unlikely to be a complete overhaul, it could be welcome if it addresses pain points that have existed for years.