After months of beta testing, the latest and greatest (yet) iOS 14.5 is out in its full glory for eligible iPhones. And not just iPhones, Apple has also released iPadOS 14.5 alongside. So, if you are an iPhone or iPad user, check your phone and brace yourself for an updated version of iOS and iPadOS.
In this article, we will walk you through every new feature that debuts with iOS 14.5. We will also detail bug fixes and other minor changes made by Apple.
Changes At A Glance
- Unlock With Apple Watch
- Apple Goes Transparent With App Tracking
- Apple News Get Makeover
- Siri Gets Better
- New Set of Emojis
- Podcast App Updated
- iOS 14.5 Bug Fixes
We detail every new feature and improvement that Apple brought with the latest version of iOS.
Unlock With Apple Watch
Perhaps one of the most remarkable changes that Apple brings with iOS 14.5. If you have an Apple Watch, you will be able to unlock your iPhone when wearing a mask using wearable tech. Of course, this feature would only work if you have updated your Apple Watch to the latest watchOS 7.4.
After ensuring that your Apple Watch is updated, head to the Settings app on your iPhone and go to “choose Face ID and Passcode”, and then tap on the newly added “Unlock with Apple Watch” option to enable.
Once activated, you will be able to automatically unlock your iPhone with Apple Watch while wearing a face mask. When it unlocks, you will also get haptic feedback on your Apple Watch to ensure complete security. You will also be able to lock your iPhone with your Apple Watch from the notification.
Apple Goes Transparent With App Tracking
With iOS 14.5, Apple has chosen to be more transparent about app tracking. The new App Tracking Transparency feature makes apps and websites ask for user permission before they track them. This feature would be a little daunting for apps like Facebook as after the update; users will get a prompt asking for tracking permissions.
Users will get two options to choose from the prompt – “Ask App not to Track” or “Allow.” Additionally, users will also be able to view the list of apps tracking them in the “Privacy” section of the “Settings” menu.
Apple News Get Makeover
Apple News is a one-stop destination for iOS users to get all the news from around the world, pretty much like Google News. The latest iOS version updates the Apple News app and brings a new Search tab alongside a whole new Apple News+ UI.
Users get a Redesigned News+ tab that allows Apple News+ subscribers to find, download, and manage magazine and newspaper issues. The latest search option lets them find relevant news, sources, and topics.
Siri Gets Better
The newest iOS version brings some enhancements to the virtual assistant, Siri. It gets a new feature that allows it to tweak itself as per the user’s preferred music app. Apple says that there is no default music service option in iOS; users can use Siri to enjoy the feature. With Siri becoming capable of choosing a default music app, users can ask it to play a song. This feature is compatible with a slew of music apps like Spotify, Prime Music, and more.
Other enhancements include having more voice options for the virtual assistant; you now get two more Siri voice options. Apple adds this feature to push its diversity initiative. The latest update also improves Siri voices in Ireland, Russia, and Italy, by upgrading them using neural text to speech.
New Set of Emojis
You now get 200 new emojis with the latest iOS version. The Emoji 13.1 brings support for different skin color tones for couple emojis. It also brings new face emojis, heart emojis, and also a woman with bear emoji.
Podcast App Updated
Apple Podcasts Subscriptions are slated to launch next month, but Apple has gone ahead and made a slew of improvements to its Podcast app. The app now has a redesigned Podcasts Show Pages making the app easier to navigate. The app now allows users to save and download podcast episodes, and they also get added to the library for easy access.
Users can also customize the downloads and settings of the app as per different shows. The app also gets new categories like Top Charts and Popular to make it easier for users to find new content.
iOS 14.5 Bug Fixes
The iOS 14.5 also brings a multitude of bug fixes and performance enhancements. Here’s a list:
- Messages at the bottom of the thread may be hidden by the keyboard under certain circumstances
- Deleted messages may still appear in Spotlight search
- Messages may persistently fail to send texts in some threads
- Mail would not load new emails for some users until restarting the device
- Call blocking and identification section may not appear in Phone settings
- iCloud Tabs may not appear in Safari
- iCloud Keychain could be prevented from turning off
- Reminders created via Siri may be unintentionally set for early morning hours
- Optimization to reduce the appearance of a dim glow that may appear at reduced brightness levels with black backgrounds on iPhone 12 models
- AirPods audio routing to incorrect device for Automatic Switching
- AirPods Automatic Switching notifications might be missing or duplicated
