Apple releases iOS 14.5 & Co: What's new

Apple has now officially released iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5, tvOS 14.5, watchOS 7.4 and macOS Big Sur 11.3 to all users worldwide.

Apple has now rolled out the latest versions of its operating systems for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch, HomePod and Mac worldwide. In iOS 14.5, Apple has made some new features as well as adjustments and bug fixes. By far the biggest change, however, is the "App Tracking Transparency" feature. For anyone who missed the topic, here is a summary:

App Tracking Transparency is a new iOS 14 feature that requires apps to ask for users' permission before tracking them across other apps and websites. In Settings, users can also see which apps have requested permission to track, so they can make changes if they see fit. Once this requirement takes effect, users will, for example, see a pop-up when they open the Facebook app. This message states that Facebook wants to track the user across other apps and websites. There are two options users can choose from: "Do Not Track" or "Allow." If a user opts out of tracking, Apple will prevent the developer of the respective app from accessing the user's advertising identifier. The developer is also required to respect the user's tracking preference in general, which means that they cannot use other methods to track the user. Otherwise, the app could be removed from the App Store.

Below we list some features that are now available.

AirPlay 2 for Fitness+, 5G in dual-SIM mode and more

• Unlock iPhone with Apple Watch - In the future, users who wear a mask will be able to unlock their iPhone with Face ID easily and conveniently thanks to the Apple Watch. This requires iOS 14.5 and watchOS 7.4. The Apple Watch must be paired with the respective iPhone and have an active key code. In order for the process to be triggered, wrist detection must also be active. If this is the case, the iPhone is unlocked via Face ID without entering a code. However, the feature must be activated separately.
• AirPlay 2 for Fitness+ – iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5 and watchOS 7.4 enable AirPlay 2 support for Apple Fitness+. This means that Apple's fitness service can now be streamed via AirPlay to a compatible AirPlay 2-enabled smart TV or Apple TV. Although workouts can now be performed on a larger screen, the Apple Watch, iPhone or iPad are still required for metrics. This means activity rings, remaining workout time, calories burned, running time and burn bars are not displayed on the TV and must instead be viewed on the connected iPhone or iPad.
• 5G in dual-SIM mode – The iPhone 12 models are known to have a physical SIM tray and also support eSIMs. This means that the devices offer users dual-SIM operation if they wish. But until now, dual-SIM operation was limited to LTE. This is now changing with iOS 14.5. This means that in the future, users of an iPhone 12 will be able to operate both lines on 5G.
• Expanded controller support – In addition to expanding dual-sim mode, support for the latest gaming controllers from Sony and Microsoft has also been introduced. This means that users will be able to connect the PS5 DualSense controller and the Xbox Series X joystick to the iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV.

iOS 14.5: Podcasts app and more

• Podcasts app – There are some minor design changes made to the Podcasts app. The podcasts under Shows are now listed more prominently with episode descriptions and an easier to access Resume button.
• Reminders app – There is now an option to sort lists in reminders by due date, creation date, priority, or title. There is also an option to print a reminder list, which is a feature users have been requesting for some time.
• In iPadOS 14.5, Apple has expanded the Scribble languages. French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish are now supported.

iOS 14.5: Emergency Alerts, Horizontal Loading Screen & Emoji Search

• Emergency alert settings – Apple has also made a small change in this area. In the settings, under Notifications, in the "Emergency alerts" section, the "Always play" function can now be deactivated. This means that emergency alerts will not play a sound if the volume or ringtone is muted. There are some exceptions, however. According to Apple, alarms for earthquakes, tsunamis and other similar emergency alerts will continue to play loudly.
• Horizontal loading screen – On the iPad, the loading screen with the Apple logo will now be displayed in a horizontal orientation, provided the device is positioned accordingly.
• Emoji Search – iPadOS 14.5 now lets users search for a specific emoji, a feature introduced on iPhone in iOS 14.

Below you will find the update description in full. The new versions can now be downloaded as usual via the settings. But please remember - the servers first have to acclimatize to the situation - i.e. the requests. So be patient or try to download later. (Photo by Photonphoto / Bigstockphoto)

• Unlock iPhone with Apple Watch – how to do it under iOS 14.5

iOS 14.5 update description:

Unlock iPhone with Apple Watch

• Ability to unlock your iPhone X and later with Apple Watch Series 3 and later when trying to use Face ID while wearing a face mask

AirTag and Find My

• Support for AirTag to find and manage your important items like keys, wallet, backpack and more privately and securely in the Find My app
• Precision Find uses visual, audio and haptic feedback to guide you directly to your nearby AirTag, using the ultra-wideband of the U1 chip on iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 models
• AirTag can be located by playing a sound through the built-in speaker
• The Find My network of hundreds of millions of devices can help you find your AirTag even if it's not nearby
• Lost Mode notifies you when your AirTag is found and lets you enter a phone number where you can be contacted

emoji

• Support for separate skin tones for each person in all variations of the Couple Kissing Emoji and Couple with Heart Emoji
• New face emojis, heart emojis, woman with beard emoji

Siri

• Siri now includes more language options
• Incoming calls can be announced with Siri, including who is calling when you're wearing your AirPods or compatible Beats headphones, and you can answer hands-free
• Group FaceTime calls are supported by asking Siri to make a list of contacts or a group name from Messages to FaceTime
• Emergency contacts can be called by asking Siri

data protection

• App Tracking Transparency lets you control which apps can track your activity across other companies' apps and websites for advertising purposes or for sharing with data brokers

Apple Music

• Share your favorite texts via Messages, Facebook and Instagram Stories, and participants can play the snippet in Messages without leaving the conversation
• City charts show what is popular in over 100 cities around the world

podcasts

• Podcasts show pages have been redesigned to make it easier to get started listening
• Option to save and download episodes that are automatically added to your library for quick access
• Download behavior and notification settings can be customized for each individual broadcast
• Top charts and popular categories in search help you discover new shows

5G improvements

• Dual-SIM support enables 5G connectivity on the line, which uses cellular data on iPhone 12 models
• Improvements in Smart Data Mode optimize the use of 5G networks for better battery life and data usage on iPhone 12 models
• 5G international roaming enabled on iPhone 12 models with supported network operators

News

• The redesigned News+ tab allows Apple News+ subscribers to quickly find, download and manage magazine and newspaper editions
• Completely new search function that helps you find relevant topics, channels and stories

cards

• Accidents, hazards or speed checks along your route can be reported via Siri on your iPhone or via CarPlay
• Estimated time of arrival (ETA) can be shared not only while driving, but also while cycling or walking by asking Siri or tapping the route map at the bottom of the screen and then tapping "Share ETA"

Memories

• Ability to sort reminders by title, priority, due date or creation date
• Option to print your reminder lists

Translate

• The speed of translation playback can be adjusted by long pressing the play button

Play

• Support for Xbox Series X|S Wireless Controller or Sony PS5 DualSense™ Wireless Controller

Fitness+

• Ability to stream audio and video content from Apple Fitness+ workouts to AirPlay 2-enabled TVs and devices

CarPlay

• The estimated time of arrival (ETA) in Apple Maps can be easily shared while driving using the new Siri or keyboard controls in CarPlay

This version also fixes the following issues:

• Messages at the bottom of the thread may be obscured by the keyboard under certain circumstances
• Deleted messages may still appear in Spotlight search
• Messages may permanently fail to send text in some threads
• For some users, Mail only loads new emails after restarting the device
• The call blocking and identification section may not appear in the phone settings
• Cloud Tabs may not appear in Safari
•  iCloud Keychain may not have been able to be turned off
•  Reminders created through Siri may be inadvertently set for the early morning hours
•  The battery health reporting system will recalibrate maximum battery capacity and peak power on iPhone 11 models to address inaccurate battery health report estimates for some users (https://support.apple.com/HT212247)
•  Optimization to reduce the appearance of a faint glow that can occur at reduced brightness with a black background on iPhone 12 models
•  AirPods audio routing to wrong device for auto-switching
•  AirPods auto-switch notifications may be missing or appear twice

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