Apple rolled out iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4 at the beginning of March 2022. The new update is packed with some meager tweaks but a few notable features. The tech giant has decided to come up with a new feature – Face ID with mask or recognition with covered face, a new set of emojis, and more. Surefire! There are those usual bug fixes and performance improvements too.
The latest update is available for users of iPhone 12 and above. To download the Apple iOS 15.4 update, iPhone and iPad users can head over to Settings > General > Software Update > Download & Install.
Here we have rounded up all tits and bits. So let’s read on together!
What’s New in iOS 15.4
Face ID with a Mask
Apple finally added the option to unlock iPhone 12 and above with Face ID even while wearing a mask or covering your face. Apple claims this unique feature scans the area around the eyes to verify the actual user. However, it warns that the best results are obtained when the entire face is visible. Users do not have to wear masks while setting up the Face ID feature. Apple users can use Apple Pay and autofill passwords using iPhone apps while wearing a mask. Once you have installed the new update, you can access the Face ID feature through the settings. You can also select the option of not using Face ID with a mask.
A Modified Set of Emoji
Apple iOS 15.4 introduces a new collection of 100 emojis with various skin tones. Handshake emoji, melting face emoji, household objects emoji, and pregnant man emojis are available now.
Additional Features on Siri
There is now a new voice available on Siri for English-speaking users. In addition, apple users of iPhone XS, iPhone XR, iPhone 11, or newer can watch time and date information while offline.
SharePlay Sessions
iOS 15.4 allows users to start SharePlay sessions directly from the app, compatible with FaceTime sharing feature.
Vaccination Certificates
Apple users, who are residents of the EU, can easily download COVID-19 vaccination cards from the Health application. Moreover, the Apple Wallet application acknowledges the EU’s Digital COVID certificate, making it simple to store and show your vaccination card.
More Notable Features
- Another updated feature in iOS 15.4 is the addition of Chinese and Italian languages in Safari Web page translation.
- Apple has also updated Emergency SOS settings. Users can now Call with Hold to initiate this.
- The Podcast app on iPhone now has episode filters for seasons and saved, played, unplayed, and downloaded episodes.
- Users can use the camera on the keyboard to add text to the Reminder or Notes app.
- iOS 15.4 comes up with another notable feature, “Tap to Pay for iPhone,” for Apple users. This feature allows users to accept contactless payments on iPhones. But this is yet to be adequately launched once the Shopify Point-of-Sale app is updated with the support of this feature.
- For iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro Max, Apple’s close-up in Magnifier has a more advanced ultra-wide camera. Users can now quickly locate a small object with the help of it.
Bug Fixes
There are a couple of bug fixes too. In the previous versions, the iPhone’s keyboard inserted full stops between typed numbers. As a result, the News Widgets in Today’s View were not opening up photos and videos and were not syncing to the iCloud Photo Library.
The recent update has also fixed another problem: the Speak Screen Accessibility feature. It used to quit unexpectedly within the Books app. The new update also caters this issue when the Live Listen did not turn off upon switching in the Control Center.
Bottom Line
iOS 15.4 update is now out and is accessible to Apple users of iPhone 12 and newer models. Users can download iOS 15.4 from the Settings app. Of course, you will already be using the latest iOS 15.4 if you have turned on the Automatic update option on your iPhones. So far, the response has been stellar, and users are pretty happy with new performance improvements, bug fixes, and additional features.
