iOS 14.5 is the next version of iOS, and while it won’t be as big of an update as iOS 15, which isn’t expected to arrive in completion until September, it will still add a ton of new features and improvements.
We know this because iOS 14.5 is already in beta, so developers and members of the public have found all kinds of interesting additions.
Below we’ve highlighted the five best things we expect in iOS 14.5. It’s worth noting that there’s a chance some of these things won’t show up as beta features occasionally don’t make it to finished release, but we’re definitely expecting most of them.
We’ve also added information on when iOS 14.5 is likely to land, so those who don’t want to brave the beta know how long to wait.
iOS 14.5 release date
There is no news on exactly when iOS 14.5 will launch, but we have reason to believe it will be available soon.
There are a number of reasons for this. First, it’s already available in both public betas and developers, suggesting it’s likely to be released soon. But secondly and more importantly, Apple has launched a new 14.x version every calendar month since iOS 14 launched, and iOS 14.4 landed in January, so we could see iOS 14.5 this month (February).
That said, iOS 14.4 started rolling out in late January and the actual gap between new versions averages a little over a month, so it could be the end of February or even the beginning of March by the time we get iOS. 14.5, but that’s just a few weeks away at the time of writing.
Five things iOS 14.5 will bring to your iPhone
We’re expecting a ton of updates as part of iOS 14.5, but below we’ve listed the five most interesting we’ve heard about so far.
1. Mask support for Face ID
Face ID was great until we all started wearing masks, but with iOS 14.5, Apple is making it great again, at least for Apple Watch owners.
That’s because as long as your Apple Watch is unlocked, you can now use it to verify your identity on your phone, which means you can simply raise your phone as if you wanted to use Face ID, and it will be unlocked with a buzz around your wrist to tell you that your watch has done the heavy lifting.
While this works for unlocking your iPhone, it currently doesn’t work for other things that rely on Face ID, such as verifying purchases.
2. A default music player of your choice
On iOS 14.4 and below, you’re stuck with Apple Music as the default music player, but with the iOS 14.5 beta, you can finally change this.
The first time you request a song from Siri it should ask which player you want to use, with Spotify supported, among other things, and in the future it should always default to that player, so you don’t have to specify with every request.
We say it ‘should’ do this because the beta version seems to have some teething problems, and doesn’t work consistently for people, but hopefully these issues will be resolved in time for the completed version of iOS 14.5.
3. Transparency of app tracking
iOS 14.5 is also expected to include a big new privacy feature called App Tracking Transparency. This requires apps to get your permission before sharing your activity and data with websites and apps owned by other companies.
This data sharing is often used for advertising, with Facebook making extensive use of it, for example, but with App Tracking Transparency you can opt-out if you prefer, and Apple insists that users still have full access to apps even if they unsubscribe from this.
4. PS5 and Xbox Series X controller support
If you’re a gamer you’ll likely appreciate the addition of support for PS5 and Xbox Series X controllers as part of iOS 14.5. The Verge reports that this feature was found in the public beta and it should be a useful upgrade for anyone who owns one of these consoles, especially those who also use Apple Arcade.
This would no doubt be even more useful for Apple TV gaming, and while the feature hasn’t been confirmed for tvOS yet, we expect it to be added to that soon as well.
5. Crowdsourcing Notifications in Apple Maps
Many of us aren’t going anywhere right now, but for those who can use Apple Maps a lot, there’s a potentially useful new feature in the iOS 14.5 beta.
MacRumors reports that you can now report accidents, hazards, and speed traps during your trip, and presumably if enough people report the same, a warning will pop up on Apple Maps – although so many people stay at home and the feature is still active. in beta it’s not used enough to confirm that as far as we can see.