All new in iOS 14.5 Beta 2: new AirPods Max Emoji, Green Tint Fix, iPad Security and more

Apple today introduced the second betas of iOS and iPadOS 14.5, based on the extensive set of features that was introduced in the first betas.

The changes in the second beta are smaller in scale than what we saw in the first beta, but there are still new additions that are worth highlighting. Below, we rounded up the changes we saw in the second beta.

New emoji characters

As highlighted by Emojipedia, iOS 14.5 features several new emoji characters, including heart on fire, heart mending, face exhaling, face with spiral eyes, face in the clouds, along with different gender options for people with beards. There are also new double emojis with new combinations of skin tones.

Apple has removed the blood of the syringe emoji to give a more neutral appearance that also works for vaccines. The headphone emoji has been updated to look like the AirPods Max, rather than a generic set of headphones, and the climbing emoji now includes a helmet.

Green hue correction?

Reports suggest that the second beta of iOS 14.5 may correct the green hue issue that some iPhone owners have experienced. Some models of the iPhone 12 have a gray or green glow, a problem that Apple said it 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 whether the beta definitely resolves the tone.

Battery mention

There is a vague mention of charging a ‌iPhone‌ with a “battery” in the iOS 14.5 code in the optimized charging section. It is not clear what Apple is referring to as “battery”, since Apple’s existing battery options are Smart Battery Case. It is an unusual formulation for the case or a suggestion for a future ‌iPhone 12‌ battery. “To improve charging efficiency and maximize the available battery life, the battery will keep your phone charged by about 90%,” says the text.

Smart folio security for iPad

On the 8th generation iPad, the 4th generation iPad Air, the 2nd generation 11-inch iPad Pro and the 12.9-inch 4th generation ‌iPad Pro um, Apple added a new privacy feature designed to silence the integrated microphone system whenever Smart Folio is closed.

This will prevent applications from accessing the microphone when the tablet is not in use, with the feature also working with other MFi smart covers. Apple first introduced this feature in 2020 ‌iPad Pro‌ models and is expanding it to additional models.

Shortcuts

There is a new shortcut action to take a screenshot that can be incorporated into several shortcuts, as well as new actions to block the orientation of the PiPhone‌ and switch between the data modes of the phone. With the action of Voice & Data mode, there are options to select 5G, 5G Auto and 4G network options.

Apple Music

There are new slide gestures in Apple Music to add a song to the Now Playing queue or to add it to the ‌Apple Music‌ Library. When pressing a song for a long time, there are also new options for “Play last” and “Show album”. In the Library, the download button has been replaced by three points that can be touched to access a wide range of options for a song. The actions are the same as the actions that are available when pressing and holding a song title anywhere in the Music application.

Updated software text

The first iOS 14.5 beta adjusted the software update text to say “Your ‌iPhone‌ is up to date with all the latest bug fixes and security improvements”, but iOS 14.5 beta 2 goes back. Now it just reads “iOS is up to date”, which can be a placeholder text for a future change.

App Store Privacy Labels

Apple has adjusted the appearance of App Store privacy labels to make them easier to distinguish in dark mode.

Code changes and minor resource adjustments

There are several changes to the underlying code that do not necessarily reflect new feature implementations at the moment, but can serve as an indication of what is to come in the future. There are also some minor changes and adjustments that we’ve included below.

• For the Find My app, there’s new text for AirTags or future third-party item trackers. “These are items that are not yours, but have been seen with you for a continuous period of time.”
• There is a mention of web applications that access speech recognition.
• There is an Apple Watch accessibility option for headset notifications, which allows the feature to be disabled.
• Applications may ask to connect with their Game Center friends for an enhanced multiplayer.

Missing iOS 14.5 Beta 2 features?

Did you see something we missed? Let us know in the comments below and we will add.

More iOS 14.5 Features

We have a complete list of all the features that are new to iOS 14.5 in our dedicated iOS 14.5 resource 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.