Apple published iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4 yesterday, marking the fourth significant upgrade to the iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 operating systems, which were first introduced in September. iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4 are massive updates that add a slew of new capabilities to the iPhone and iPad.
Face ID With a Mask
With iOS 15.4, you may now unlock your iPhone while wearing a mask without the use of any additional hardware, such as the Apple Watch. Full face ID is the more secure option, according to Apple, although mask Face ID is now accessible.
After updating to iOS 15.4, you can use Face ID with a mask, which is designed to use the region surrounding your eyes for authentication. It works with glasses but not sunglasses, and you must be staring at the iPhone while wearing a mask to unlock it.
Face ID with a mask is only available on the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models, therefore the iPhone 11 does not have it. Face ID with a mask option can be used to confirm Apple Pay transactions and third-party app logins, unlike the iPhone unlocking function that requires an Apple Watch to authenticate when you’re wearing a mask.
Emojis
New emoji characters are a common feature of spring iOS upgrades, and iOS 15.4 is no exception. Emoji 14 is now supported in the update, which adds 37 new emoji and 75 new skin tones for a total of 112 new characters.
Melting face, saluting face, face with open eyes and hand over mouth, face with peeking eye, face with the diagonal mouth, and dotted line face is among the new faces while biting lip and bubbles are among the new emojis.
Turn Off Notifications for Personal Automations in Shortcuts
Heart hands, rightwards hand, leftwards hand, palm down hand, palm up a hand, the hand with index finger and thumb crossed, index pointing at the viewer, and an upgrade to the handshake emoji are among the new hand emojis.
There’s a new “Notify When Run” option for Personal Automations set up in the Shortcuts app that lets you toggle notifications for Shortcuts that are enabled on or off. This option allows you to choose whether or not to be alerted when a Shortcut is activated, which was not allowed in earlier versions of iOS 15.
Apple Card Widget
In the Today view, there’s now an Apple Card widget that can be added to the Home screen. The Apple Card widget displays your current balance as well as your daily expenditures by category.
iCloud Keychain Notes
Users of iCloud Keychain may now add notes to each password entry, bringing it closer to alternative password storage services such as 1Password.
Hiding Password Alerts in iCloud Keychain
Apple gives security suggestions for iCloud Keychain passwords that are weak or compromised, but you may not be able to change those passwords in some cases.
If this is the case, you can dismiss the alerts in iOS 15.4 by tapping the “x” button next to the alert. The action will hide the security advice so that it does not appear in the Settings app’s main Passwords section.
If you need to see the alert again, go to Password settings and look under Hidden Security Recommendations.
120Hz Animations in Third-Party Apps on iPhone 13 Pro
Users noticed that third-party apps were not displaying all animations at the full 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate after the iPhone 13 Pro models were released. Apple previously stated that a Core Animation problem would be rectified in a future version, and iOS 15.4 appears to be that update.
With iOS 15.4, all app animations will run at 120Hz, resulting in a considerably smoother and more streamlined app experience.
Custom Email Domains
iOS 15.4 adds the ability to set up a custom domain with iCloud Mail directly on the iPhone, expanding support for the custom email domain capability available for paying iCloud Plus subscriptions.
TV App Customization
You can now choose “Still Frame” or “Poster Art” for the Up Next Display in the app in the TV section of the Settings app under “Preferences.” Poster Art displays the major title images for shows or movies, whereas Still Frame displays still frame from what you’re seeing.
Emergency SOS
To place an emergency call, Emergency SOS now employs the Call with Hold feature by default. Press and hold the side and volume buttons until a countdown begins to initiate an emergency call. Following that, the iPhone will contact emergency services.
The previous press five times to make a call option is still available, but it must be enabled in the Settings app’s Emergency SOS section.
New Siri Voice
For American users, iOS 15.4 introduces a new Siri voice, which can be selected from the Settings app by navigating to Siri & Search and then selecting Siri Voice.
Anti-Stalking AirTags Update
Apple has added anti-stalking AirTag modifications to iOS 15.4, which were first revealed in February. There is now a warning when setting up an AirTag or a Find My Accessories that the device is tied to an Apple ID and that using it to track someone without their authorization is illegal.
“You can locate this item using the Find My network,” reads the setup screen. “Using this item to track people without their consent is a crime in many regions around the world. This item is designed to be detected by victims and to enable law enforcement to request identifying information about the owner.”
With this warning, Apple wants to make it obvious to individuals who would utilise third-party AirTags and Find My-compatible devices as stalking tools that doing so is prohibited and will result in criminal charges.
Bug Fixes
There are also several bug fixes included in this update, as outlined below.
- Keyboard may insert period between typed numbers
- News widgets in Today View may not open articles when tapped
- Photos and videos may not sync to iCloud Photo Library
- Speak Screen Accessibility feature may quit unexpectedly within the Books app
- Live Listen may not turn off when switched off in Control Center
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