Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max is seen in this photo. The latest iOS 15.4 update now supports masks on Face ID. (Image credit: Express Photo) Apple’s iOS 15.4 is available for download and the Face ID feature will now work with a mask. Users will now be able to unlock their iPhone, autofill passwords using Face ID with a face mask on. Apple says the feature scans unique features around the eye area to authenticate, though it does warn that Face ID works best when the entire face is visible. However, users do not need to wear a mask while setting up Face ID.
Apple iPhone users can go to Settings> General> Software update to download and install iOS 15.4. The update is around 1.25GB so make sure you have access to WiFi when installing. The file size could be more if you have not updated your iPhone for a while now. You can also set a reminder for the update to be installed overnight while the phone is charging.
Here’s a look at everything that the new iOS 15.4 update brings.
Face ID
First, Face ID will work while wearing a mask. The option for this can be accessed from the settings after you install the new update. Users will be able to access Apple Pay and password autofill in Safari with Face ID while wearing a mask. Users will have the option of not using Face ID with a mask as well from the settings.
The capability is limited to iPhone 12 and newer devices, which includes the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, Pro Max and the latest iPhone 13 lineup. Apple iPhone 11 series, iPhone XS series, and iPhone X users will not be able to take advantage of the same. So they will still have to remove their mask in order to unlock the device.
Apple iOS 15.4 update is now available for download. Emoji
Apple’s iOS 15.4 update also brings new emojis including faces, hand gestures and household objects to the emoji keyboard. The handshake emoji now allows users to choose separate skin tones for each hand.
FaceTime, Siri, Vaccination Cards
The new update will allow SharePlay sessions to be initiated directly from supported apps. Meanwhile, Siri can now provide time and date information while offline on iPhone XS, iPhone XR, iPhone 11 or newer. Finally, the Vaccination Cards feature applies for EU residents, where the EU Digital Covid Certificate support in Health app enables them to download and store verifiable versions of their Covid-19 vaccination, test results and recovery records. The Covid-19 vaccination cards in Apple Wallet now support the EU Digital Covid Certificate format.
Other features
Other features with the update include support for Italian and Chinese on Safari web page translation. The Podcasts app now adds an episode filters for seasons, as well as played, unplayed, saved or downloaded episodes. Apple iCloud custom email domains can be managed from Settings, while the News app will offer enhanced discovery of audio content in the Today feed and Audio tab. Users will also be able to use the camera in keyboard to add text to Notes and Reminders. Further, Shortcuts now supports adding, removing or querying tags with Reminders.
Apple has also changed Emergency SOS settings. Now users can Call with Hold to access this. Further, Call with 5 Presses is still available as an option in Emergency SOS settings
The close-up in Magnifier now uses the Ultra Wide camera on iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max to help users see small objects. Apple will also let users include saved passwords in their own notes in Settings.
This update also comes with some bug fixes. These include an issue where the keyboard was inserting a full stop between typed numbers, News widgets in Today View not opening articles when tapped and photos and videos not syncing to iCloud Photo Library.
Another problem which the update fixes is the Speak Screen Accessibility feature quitting unexpectedly within the Books app. It also fixes an issue where the Live Listen did not turn off when switched off in the Control Centre.
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