Apple releases the fifth beta of iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5 for developers [Update: Public Beta Available]

Apple today seeded the fifth betas of the upcoming iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5 updates for developers for testing purposes, with the new beta updates coming a week after Apple released the fourth iOS and iPadOS 14.5 beta.

iOS and iPadOS 14.5 can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center or over the air after the appropriate profile has been installed on an iPhone or iPad.

IOS 14.5 is the biggest update to iOS 14 to date, featuring several significant new features. First, Apple is making it easier to unlock an iPhone when you wear a face mask with a new “Unlock with Apple Watch” feature.

This option allows you to use an unlocked and authenticated Apple Watch as a secondary authentication method to unlock a ‌iPhone‌ together with Face ID. With this feature, you no longer need to enter a password or remove your mask to unlock your PiPhone‌. Both a PiPhone‌ running iOS 14.5 and an Apple Watch are required to use this, and the Apple Watch cannot authenticate Apple Pay purchases, purchases on the App Store or unlock third party applications that use facial ID.

The update also brings worldwide support for 5G in Dual-SIM mode on iPhone 12 models, so if you use multiple lines, both lines can now connect at 5G speeds. Until now, Dual-SIM mode was limited to LTE networks.

With watchOS 7.4, iOS and iPadOS 14.5 include support for AirPlay 2 for Apple Fitness +, so Apple Fitness + subscribers can start a workout on a PiPhone‌ or iPAd and then AirPlay for a compatible smart TV or set-top box. ‌AirPlay‌ 2 supports audio and video, but does not display training metrics on the screen.

PlayStation 5 DualSense and Xbox Series X controllers are supported on the ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌ with iOS 14.5, and the code suggests that Apple will add joint account support for the Apple Card in the near future.

IOS 14.5 includes a Waze-like crowdsourcing feature for reporting accidents, hazards and speed checks along a route on Maps when getting directions.

There is a new “Report” button available on the Apple Maps app that allows you to tap to report an accident, danger or speed camera at your location on the ‌Apple Maps‌ app, which is a feature that the Waze mapping app offers. Available directly on the iPhone and CarPlay.

There are several new emoji characters in iOS 14.5 beta, with Apple introducing flaming heart, mending heart, exhaling face, 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 removed the emoji’s blood from the syringe, updated the emoji on the headset to look like the AirPods Max instead of a generic set of headphones, and added a helmet to the climbing emoji.

In the Find My app, there is a new “Items” tab that has been added, which will work with non-Apple products, such as Beats headphones and Belkin wireless headphones that are designed to integrate with the ‌Find My‌ app. Any item tracking function that uses Apple’s ‌Find My‌ API will be shown here next to your Apple devices, and the Items tab will also work with AirTags when they are finally released.

The iOS 14.5 beta addresses the green tone issue that some PiPhone‌ owners have faced, with Apple confirming that the beta has “optimizations” to help with the problem.

“iOS and iPadOS 14.5 beta 2 include an optimization to reduce the appearance of a weak glow that can appear at reduced levels of brightness with black backgrounds,” says Apple’s iOS 14.5 beta. For some users, there are improvements thanks to the optimizations, but for others, the problem still seems to exist, so Apple may have more work to do.

iOS and iPadOS 14.5 add a new feature to choose a preferred music streaming service to use with Siri. So, if you prefer Spotify over Apple Music, for example, you can now choose Spotify as the app you want to use with ‌Siri‌ and all pedidosSiri‌ music orders will go through Spotify without the need to add “to Spotify “at the end of ‌Siri‌ orders. This is a new ‌Siri‌ intelligence feature that works with music apps, podcast apps and audiobook apps.

iOS 14.5 is the update in which Apple will begin to require developers to comply with its application tracking transparency rules. In the future, developers will need to request and receive their permission to access their random advertising identifier and track their activity on apps and websites.

Apple made design adjustments to the Apple News and Podcasts apps, as well as new printing and sorting options in the Reminders. There are new settings for emergency alerts, a horizontal loading screen on the ‌iPad‌ and tons of other minor feature adjustments that are described in our complete iOS 14.5 feature guide, which we have kept up to date throughout the testing process. Apple says iOS and iPadOS 14.5 will be released in the spring.