For Apple users, here is a piece of major news to cheer! The iPhone maker has released the much-awaited software updates for all of its major platforms, including the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and HomePod.
These updates will be available for users worldwide. The recent updates will offer a host of features and advancements to compatible Apple devices, but the most important update in the series is iOS 14.5.
What do you get with the iOS 14.5 update?
The latest iOS 14.5 is the critical software update for iPhone users and offers the ability to unlock your iPhone using an Apple Watch even when you are donning your face mask. With this update, the user will have the option to decide whether they want Siri to speak in a female or male voice at the time of setting up the phone.
Other features include 5G support for dual-SIM devices, new Emoji characters, AirPlay support for Fitness+, an overhauled Podcasts app, and more. However, the most important addition includes the new privacy change. Apple users will get more control over apps that aim for advertisements. This update will cause companies such as Facebook miffed about the privacy change. The update also includes support for the recently launched AirTag Bluetooth tracker.
Apart from these, another added feature in the iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5 include the App Tracking Transparency (ATT) announced last year which faced certain resistance ahead of its introduction.
The feature will seek permission through a pop-up message when an app requires tracking of their data for advertising across apps or websites owned by other companies. Besides, it also asks for permission when any app shares data with data brokers.
Users can opt to prevent the app companies from tracking activity across other companies' apps and websites by tapping the 'Ask App Not to Track' on the pop-up message you get across most of the apps after installing iOS 14.5.
Not just this, user can also opt for the new privacy setting universally across all other apps by going to Settings > Privacy Tracking and turning off Allow Apps to Request to Track.
Moreover, the latest update will also allow users to report incidents such as an accident, hazard, or a speed camera in Apple Maps. But the feature will be limited to users in the US and Canada as of now.
iPadOS 14.5 update will also mostly offer all the new features similar to the iOS 14.5. But certain specific features that are only available for iPadOS, the operating system that powers the iPad include iPad emoji support. The feature allows you to search for a specific emoji in iPadOS 14.5, besides offering a new smart folio security option allowing users to mute the built-in microphone whenever smart folio is shut.
Other features include Scribble language support and more. Another noticeable feature is the loading screen with the Apple logo now is now demonstrated in a horizontal position if the tablet is positioned in that way.