Apple today introduced the second betas of iOS and iPadOS 14.5, building on the expanded feature set introduced in the first betas.
Changes in the second beta are smaller in magnitude than what we saw in the first beta, but there are still new additions worth noting. Below we’ve rounded up the changes we noticed in the second beta.
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New Emoji Characters
As highlighted by Emojipedia, iOS 14.5 introduces several new emoji characters including heart on fire, heart restore, face exhale, spiral-eyed face, face in clouds, along with different gender options for bearded people. There are also new few emojis with new skin tone mixes.
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Apple has removed the blood of the syringe emoji to give it a more neutral look that also works for vaccinations. The headphone emoji has been updated to look like the AirPods Max instead of generic headphones.
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Repair green tint?
Reports suggest that the second beta of iOS 14.5 may resolve the green tint issue some iPhone owners were experiencing. Some iPhone 12 models show a gray or green glow, an issue Apple was investigating in November. For some users, there are improvements, but for others, the problem still seems to exist so it’s not entirely clear if the beta is definitely addressing the hue.
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Indication of the battery
There is a vague mention of charging an iPhone with a “battery pack” in the iOS 14.5 code below the optimized charging section. It is not clear what Apple is referring to by “battery pack” as the existing battery options are Apple Smart Battery Case. It’s an unusual wording for the cause or a hint of a future iPhone 12 battery. “To improve charging efficiency and maximize available battery life, the battery keeps your phone about 90% charged,” the text read.
iPad Smart Folio protection
On the 8th generation iPad, the 4th generation iPad Air, the 2nd generation 11-inch iPad Pro, and the 4th generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro, Apple has added a new privacy feature designed to mute the built-in sound. microphone when the Smart Folio is closed.
This prevents apps from accessing the microphone when the tablet is not in use, with the feature also working with other MFi smart cases. Apple first introduced this feature in the 2020 iPad Pro models and is expanding it to more models.
Shortcuts
There is a new shortcut action for taking a screenshot that can be included in different shortcuts, plus new actions to lock the orientation of the iPhone and switch between mobile data modes. With the Voice and data mode action, there are options to select 5G, 5G Auto and 4G network options.
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Apple Music
There are new slide gestures in Apple Music to add a song to the Now Playing queue or add it to the Apple Music library. Long press on a song also brings new options for “Last Play” and “View Album”. In the library, the download button has been replaced with three dots you can tap to access a whole host of options for a song. The actions are the same as those available when you long press a song title anywhere in the Music app.
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Software up-to-date text
The first beta of iOS 14.5 changed the text of the software update to say “Your iPhone is up to date with all the latest bug fixes and security enhancements,” but iOS 14.5 beta 2 is rolling back. Now it only says “iOS is up to date”, which could be a text placeholder for a future change.
Privacy labels in the App Store
Apple has changed the look of the App Store’s privacy labels to make them easier to distinguish in dark mode.
Code changes and minor function changes
There are a handful of changes to the underlying code that don’t necessarily reflect new feature implementations at this point, but could potentially serve as an indication of what’s to come in the future. There are also a few smaller changes and tweaks that we’ve included below.
- For the Find My app, there is a new wording for AirTags or future third-party item trackers. “These are items that are not yours, but that you have seen with you for a long time.”
- There are web apps that have access to speech recognition.
- There is an Apple Watch accessibility option for headphone notifications, which can be turned off the feature.
- Apps can ask to connect with your Game Center friends for enhanced multiplayer.
Missing iOS 14.5 Beta 2 Features?
Do you see anything that we have missed? Let us know in the comments below and we’ll add it.
More iOS 14.5 features
We have a full list of all the features that are new in iOS 14.5 in our dedicated iOS 14.5 feature guide, which is worth checking out if you want to know what to expect when the software is released to the public in early spring.