Although the full release will not arrive for some time, Apple has just released the first beta of the iOS 14.5 developer today, and a change may be more useful immediately than all the others. Once installed, the update will allow users to unlock their iPhones via facial ID, even using a mask.
Unfortunately, there is an important caveat: the feature only works if the iPhone owner is also using an Apple Watch. As long as the watch itself is already unlocked, you just need to look at your iPhone as usual; after that, you will hear a tactile buzzing on your wrist, informing you that the unlock was successful. As we understand, the feature – which must be enabled manually before use – allows Face ID to proceed with an unlock, despite the much lower accuracy of facial recognition, because the next clock has already been authenticated. You will also be able to lock your phone on the Apple Watch, although it is important to note that all other actions that may depend on a facial unlock – such as, say, approving a purchase on the App Store – cannot be treated in this way.
Given the need for frequent mask use, Apple tried to resolve this issue last May with an update that asks Face ID to kick users to the password entry screen more quickly when their faces are obscured. While it is a good idea in theory, the change was not particularly elegant in practice – users often waited while iOS apparently decided what to do. With all this in mind, it’s no surprise that Apple is testing optical fingerprint sensors on display that could debut on iPhones later this year.
In addition to improving Face ID, iOS 14.5 also supports Xbox Series S / X and PlayStation 5 controllers for iPhones and iPads, along with expanded compatibility for Apple’s relatively new on-demand Fitness + exercises. Once the update is installed, the Fitness app will gain the ability to stream audio and video from these exercises – without the exercise metrics collected from the Apple Watch – to third-party smart TVs that support AirPlay 2. Perhaps most importantly, this beta will be the first to fully implement Apple’s application tracking transparency measures, which require application developers to explicitly seek consent before collecting a user ID for advertisers, a code that allows companies to anonymously monitor their data online and app behavior to show targeted ads.