One of Apple’s best finds that sets iOS apart from Android is the mid-term updates. Since the company releases several large-scale updates for its operating systems during the year, users do not have time to get bored, and the platform itself is kept up to date. Another thing is that very often the innovations offered by Apple look completely far-fetched, giving the impression that the developers have entirely run out of ideas. But iOS 14.5, which is about to be released, suggests otherwise.
In terms of the planned innovations’ value, iOS 14.5 can be safely put on a par with iOS 14 itself, iOS 15 and other annual updates. Apple never seems to have gone that far with mid-life updates. In addition to purely cosmetic changes that have been asking for a long time ago, the company’s developers have implemented several very incredible chips, reading about which, inevitably, you think: have they decided to throw out all the trump cards?
New features in iOS 14.5
Unlocking iPhone with Apple Watch. This is a feature that Apple has been asking for many years, but the company has not agreed to implement it in any way. However, the coronavirus pandemic forced the company to make concessions and give users the ability to unlock the mask while wearing a smartwatch.
In-app tracking request. Finally, Apple has decided to deliver its promise last summer to force app developers to ask users for permission to use their advertising IDs. Obviously, most of them will refuse this, which means that the very concept of advertising on iOS with the release of iOS 14.5 will turn upside down since ads will no longer be targeted.
No collection of click data. Few people know that almost all sites are good at collecting data about their visitors’ mouse movements, clicks, and the areas they are most in contact with. Based on this information, advertisements or other elements are usually placed on sites on which, in the view of the owner, the user should click. In iOS 14.5, you will have the option to prevent the collection of this data.
Safe Browsing in Safari is now truly safe. This feature has appeared in iOS for a long time and has served to identify fraudulent or malicious sites on the Internet. But since Apple did not have its own database of such sites, it used Google services, which collected information about iOS users. With the release of iOS 14.5, Apple will push user data through its servers to prevent Google from doing this.
Default music apps. Apple has always prevented users from changing their stock apps to third-party ones by installing them by default. Since last year, however, the company has gradually loosened this rule, allowing it to change browser and mail. In iOS 14.5, it was decided to continue this tradition and allow users to choose alternative music apps as their default application. For example, Spotify.
When iOS 14.5 comes out
Although there will be much more innovations that Apple has planned for iOS 14.5, the above are the most significant ones. As for me, some of them are quite capable of implementing them in an annual update, and not dumping them in the middle of the year. But this proves once again that Apple, firstly, cares about its users, providing them with a comfortable interaction with iOS, and, secondly, on iOS 15, it most likely saved even cooler innovations that we do not even know about yet.
iOS 14.5 will be released approximately closer to mid-March since now the update is only in the first stage of beta testing. And, given that the first 3-4 stages usually last 2 weeks, it should not be excluded that the update should be expected in general by April. However, it will not change much. After all, it is obvious that Apple has a clear plan for the development of iOS, which it adheres to. It allows its operating system to remain easy to use and, importantly, secure.