www.makeuseof.com The 8 Biggest Changes With iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4

Apple's iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4 software updates bring a ton of new features and changes to improve your experience.

Apple has made some minor tweaks to iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 with minor point releases since the initial build dropped last September. With its latest iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4 update, the company has added several new features to enhance the user experience further and fix some pain points with its operating systems. This includes Face ID now working with a mask, new emojis, etc.

Here, we'll look at the biggest changes and features coming to your iPhone and iPad with iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4.

1. Face ID With a Mask

Using an iPhone with Face ID has become quite annoying during the pandemic as the authentication system does not work with a mask. Apple introduced Unlock with Apple Watch in iOS 14.5 last year as a workaround, but that only worked if you had an Apple Watch.

In iOS 15.4, the company has updated Face ID to work with a mask, though the feature is only available for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 series. You need to set up Face ID again while wearing a mask to get the feature to work—it will scan the area around your eyes for authentication purposes.

2. Tap to Pay on iPhone

In February 2022, Apple announced Tap to Pay, allowing small businesses to turn their iPhones into payment terminals and receive money using Apple Pay, contactless credit/debit cards, and other digital wallets with just a simple tap on the back. The feature would eliminate the need for a payment terminal like Stripe.

Tap to Pay is now available to the public on iPhone XS and newer models in the US running iOS 15.4. Do note that third-party providers will also need to add support for the feature.

3. New Emoji

Apple's latest software update has added support for Unicode 14.0, which contains 112 new characters: 37 new emoji and 75 new skin tones. This includes melting face, face with open eyes, heart hands, palm down hand, biting lip, and more.

4. Universal Control

iPadOS 15.4 and macOS Monterey 12.3 bring the long-awaited Universal Control feature to the iPad and Mac, allowing you to magically control both devices from the same keyboard and mouse and seamlessly drag and drop files between them.

Check out our guide on how to use Universal Control to get started with the feature.

5. Deeper SharePlay Integration

Apple first debuted SharePlay with iOS 15.1. In iOS 15.4, the integration is getting even deeper, with SharePlay now showing up in the share sheet of compatible apps so that you can easily trigger it.

6. iCloud Keychain Improvements

iCloud Keychain in iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4 lets you add notes to any password you save, making it more like a password manager. You can store important information related to the site or login credentials in the notes section.

Additionally, iCloud Keychain will prompt you to enter a username if it does not automatically detect one while saving a new password.

7. AirTags Anti-Stalking Measures

Apple is debuting several new anti-stalking measures for AirTags in iOS 15.4. This includes showing a warning when setting up a new AirTag or Find My accessory that tracking someone using the accessory without their permission is a crime.

You can read about the new AirTags anti-stalking measures in iOS 15.4 here.

8. Better ProMotion Support on iPhone 13 Pro

As you may know, the iPhone 13 Pro series features 120Hz ProMotion displays, but iOS locked animations in several third-party apps to 60Hz. This was due to a bug with Core Animation that Apple has resolved in iOS 15.4. You should now notice smoother animations across third-party apps, especially while scrolling through lists.

iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4 Pack Several More Changes

If you're excited to try these new features out, you can grab the update on your iPhone or iPad by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Fortunately, the new additions don't end there.

Despite being point updates, both iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4 pack several new features and changes that we haven't listed above, including a new Siri voice, support for custom email domains in iCloud Mail, a new Apple Card widget, the ability to turn off notifications for personal automation in Shortcuts, and more.

Rajesh Pandey started following the tech field right around the time Android devices were going mainstream. He closely follows the latest development in the world of smartphones and what the tech giants are up to. He loves to tinker around with the latest gadgets to see what they are capable of.

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