14 DAY TRIAL // Apple is expected to launch the new iOS 14.5 later today, according to several reports, as the company has already confirmed that its highly-anticipated operating system update is projected to go live at some point this week.
But according to The New York Times, Monday is the day when Apple will press the go-ahead button for iOS 14.5, though for now, no confirmation from the Cupertino-based tech giant obviously exists.
What’s new in iOS 14.5
Just like iOS 14, the new update to version 14.5 will be available for the iPhone 6s and newer and will include significant improvements and new capabilities.
One of them is support for unlocking an iPhone with the Apple Watch. In other words, if you’re wearing a mask and Face ID is therefore unavailable, your next best option is to enter the passcode. But it goes without saying this isn’t necessarily the most convenient solution, so Apple will now allow iPhone users to unlock the smartphone with a paired Apple Watch.
In addition, the release of iOS 14.5 marks the moment when Apple’s controversial App Tracking Transparency policy comes into effect. According to this privacy update, apps need to obtain users’ permissions before tracking them across other apps and websites.
“Starting with iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5, and tvOS 14.5, you’ll need to receive the user’s permission through the AppTrackingTransparency framework to track them or access their device’s advertising identifier. Tracking refers to the act of linking user or device data collected from your app with user or device data collected from other companies’ apps, websites, or offline properties for targeted advertising or advertising measurement purposes. Tracking also refers to sharing user or device data with data brokers,” Apple explains.
iOS 14.5 will also include a new Apple Maps update that will introduce incident reporting capabilities similar to Waze, allowing users to report speed traps and accidents on the map.