iOS 14.5: What You Need to Know & Why It’s Important

The latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system for iPhone and iPod touch — iOS 14.5 — is now available. In this article, we’ll point out the features of the update and why you may wish to install it soon.

How to Install iOS 14.5

The installation process is familiar to anyone who has done an update previously. To install the update manually:

1. Launch the Settings app
2. Tap on General
3. Tap on Software Update
4. Read the release notes, then tap the Download and Install button

Of course, you can also have iOS 14.5 installed automatically. Just make sure Automatic Updates are enabled in Software Update. When the update is available for your device and it is plugged in, locked, and on a Wi-Fi network, the update is installed.

Features of iOS 14.5

As with all updates to iOS, this latest version is a mixture of feature enhancements, bug fixes, and security improvements.

Unlock an iPhone With Face ID While Wearing a Face Mask

Last year when COVID-19 made wearing face masks a necessity, we told you about a method that allowed Face ID to work even while wearing a face mask. Unfortunately, that method wasn’t foolproof, and it seemed to work less frequently with every iOS update.

Now if you have an iPhone X or newer with iOS 14.5 or later, and an Apple Watch running watchOS 7.4 or later (also released on 4/26/21), you can use the Watch to unlock your iPhone with Face ID while wearing a mask.

It’s important to know that there is a setting you’ll need to make before this works – I found out the hard way. After you’ve updated to iOS 14.5 and watchOS 7.4, launch Settings and tap on Face ID & Passcode. Scroll down to “Unlock with Apple Watch,” and then enable your Watch to unlock your iPhone:

When the Apple Watch is on your wrist and unlocked, you just need to glance at the iPhone and the Apple Watch unlocks the iPhone. A haptic “buzz” indicates that the iPhone has been unlocked.

Why It’s Important: There’s no more need to tap in your passcode to unlock your iPhone or iPod touch while wearing a face mask, and this method works 100% of the time.

Siri Enhancements

Siri no longer has a default voice. When a user is setting up Siri for the first time, there is a choice between four different American voices. On devices that already have Siri set up, you can launch Settings, scroll down to Siri & Search, then tap on Siri Voice. On the screen that appears, select one of the four voices.

Two of the voices are male, while two are female. I found American (Voice 1) to be quite pleasant and usable. Your mileage, of course, may vary. All of the voices sound much more realistic and powered by Apple’s Neural Text to Speech technology.

Siri also gained new capabilities in iOS 14.5. In Group FaceTime, it’s possible to initiate calls with multiple contacts through Siri. For users of AirPods and compatible Beats headphones, Siri can announce incoming calls. If an iPhone owner needs assistance and can’t physically make a call, Siri can now call emergency contacts.

In Apple Maps, Siri can let a user report an accident, hazard, or speed check on their route. During navigation, the user just needs to say things like “There’s a crash up ahead” or “There’s something on the road”, and that information is reported. Maps users can also ask Siri to share their ETA when walking or cycling – previously, this was only possible when in a vehicle.

Why It’s Important: Apple realized that not everyone found the default Siri voice to be attractive. By giving users a choice of Siri voices that are perhaps more similar to their own voices, they may use Siri more often. Having more Siri commands available — particularly in Maps — once again gives users more of a reason to use Siri.

More Privacy Controls

Apple is becoming the “Anti-Facebook” by making it easier for users of all of its operating systems to gain control over their personal information. iOS 14.5’s App Tracking Transparency requires apps to ask users for permission before tracking their data across websites or apps owned by other companies. That is a direct poke at advertisers, as is the new requirement to ask users for permission to share their data with data brokers.

Apps can ask users for permission, and in Settings, users can see which apps have asked for permission to track. Users can change their choice of permission at any time.

Why It’s Important: Apple has made privacy a selling point, and the new App Tracking Transparency gives iPhone owners more control over how their personal info is shared.

New Emoji

Apple continues to up the emoji game with the ability to select different skin tones in the couple kissing and couple with heart emoji.

There are also some totally new emoji, including an exhaling face, a face in clouds, and my personal favorite – the face with spiral eyes. Doesn’t everyone feel like they’re going crazy at some point and need to send that face with spiral eyes emoji?

Why It’s Important: Apple’s commitment to diversity now reflects in some of the more personal emoji, and the heart on fire and mending heart emoji express very strong emotions.

Apple Podcasts Redesign

The Apple Podcasts app now has redesigned show pages which make it easier to start listening. There’s a new option to save and download episodes as they appear so they’re automatically added to a podcast library.

To help find new shows, Apple Podcasts adds categories, curated collections, and “Top Charts” to the Search tab.

Why It’s Important: More than any other tech company, Apple has made it simple for people to get hooked on podcasts. The Apple Podcasts app refresh helps iPhone owners find new podcasts and listen to more episodes of the ones they currently subscribe to.

AirTag Support

Apple announced its new AirTags during the recent “Spring Loaded” event. They’re small battery-powered devices that give Apple users the ability to add almost any physical object to the Find My app.

iOS 14.5 now adds support for AirTags.

Why It’s Important: Planning on using AirTag? You’ll need to update to iOS 14.5 to find your items privately and securely in Find My.

Apple News

Are you a subscriber to News+? If so, there’s now a redesigned News+ tab in the Apple News app to make it easier for you to find, download, and manage. your magazines and newspaper issues.

An all-new search experience lets all Apple News users – not just News+ subscribers – find topics, channels and stories of interest more quickly.

Why It’s Important: Apple News+ might be needing a boost in subscribers, as most of the news can be found on other websites and through similar services. Apple wants to make the news experience as pain-free as possible, and these enhancements add to the usability of the app.

Apple Fitness+

Subscribers to Apple Fitness+ no longer need to have an Apple TV device in order to stream workouts to their TVs. If they have one of the new AirPlay 2-enabled TVs or other devices, they can view their workout audio and video directly to those devices.

Why It’s Important: This adds “juice” to both Apple’s Fitness+ subscription service and to the company’s push to have more smart TV manufacturers add AirPlay 2 to their devices.

Reminders

Finally, users of the iOS Reminders app can sort by title, priority, due date, or creation date. Apple also added the option to print reminder lists.

Why It’s Important: Have you ever been working on something and needed a printed reminder list so you didn’t have to dirty up your iPhone? I’m loving the new printed reminder lists…

5G Improvements

Have an iPhone 12? iOS 14.5 adds Dual SIM support for 5G connectivity, making it possible to make the best use of available 5G networks.

The improvements also offer enhancements to Smart Data Mode to provide better battery life and less data usage on 5G networks.

Why It’s Important: Most of the country is still on pre-5G networks, but Apple is making sure that capable iPhones will be able to make the best use of true 5G networks as they expand.

Voice Control for Accessibility

Voice Control for Accessibility is useful to those who can’t use their hands to navigate iPhone controls. Apple has added support in iOS 14.5 for English Voice Control for Accessibility in Australia and Canada, as well as the Spanish control in Mexico, Spain, and the United States.

Why It’s Important: Apple recognizes that physical disabilities aren’t limited to just one country or language, and is expanding support for this important accessibility feature.

Related Links

• Set Up Face ID to Work With a Face Mask
• Deeper Dive: The “Spring Loaded” Event
• A Closer Look at the 2020 iPhone (and HomePod mini) Event
• Make Your iPhone Keyboard Work for You

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