iOS 13.5 is imminent – here's why its the iPhone update you've been waiting for

[Karlston]

iOS 13.5 is imminent – here's why its the iPhone update you've been waiting for

Apple's iOS 13.5 update includes features for unlocking your phone while wearing a face mask

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

 

Apple's iOS 13.5 update is about to make your face mask-wearing life a little easier, with the clearest sign that its next major iPhone software update is imminent.

 

The GM (golden master) version of iOS 13.5 is now out for developers, and that's always the last update Apple issues before its software updates go public.

 

iOS 13.5 features are headlined by a simplified unlock process for Face ID-equipped iPhones if you're wearing a face mask, according to the release notes via 9to5Mac.

 

That's good news for those struggling with Face ID, as you'll be able to unlock your phone right away with a passcode instead of waiting for the Face ID menu to fail twice, which is how it currently works.

 

Apple's face-mask-detection feature will work on any iPhone without a home button – so from iPhone 11 to iPhone X, but not the iPhone SE 2 – when you swipe up from the bottom of the lock screen, or need to authenticate with the App Store, Apple Books, Apple Pay or iTunes.

iOS 13.5 supports Covid-19 contact tracing apps

Contact tracing apps have been heralded as an essential step to reopening countries and avoiding the further spread of Covid-19. Apple and Google are leading contract tracing efforts, developing functionality into their smartphone operating systems.

 

 

iOS 13.5 includes an 'Exposure Notification API' to support Covid-19 contact tracing apps from public health authorities. No, those critical apps aren't here yet – that's up to individual governments to create or enable – but the framework is ready.

 

 

 

The Exposure Notification API uses Bluetooth Low Energy to determine if, in the last 14 days, you've passed someone and they later test positive for Covid-19 then log it into a centralized database. All of this happens anonymously.

 

 

Contract tracing apps will be tech's most important contribution to helping life get back to normal, and iOS 13.5 is the first step toward making that happen.

 

For the immediate future, however, the ability to unlock your phone faster is the main reason to download the iOS 13.5 update as soon as it launches.

 

 

Source: iOS 13.5 is imminent – here's why its the iPhone update you've been waiting for (TechRadar)

[Karlston]

Apple releases iOS and iPadOS 13.5 GM seeds, watchOS 6.2.5 to everyone

Today, Apple is releasing GM seeds for iOS 13.5, iPadOS 13.5, and tvOS 13.4.5, meaning that these builds are likely going to be the same ones that go out to the general public. Also, watchOS 6.2.5 has skipped right over the GM phase and is now available to everyone.

 

iOS and iPadOS 13.5 were originally called version 13.4.5, just like tvOS (they usually all have the same version number), but then a pandemic happened. Originally, the only new features were going to be the ability to share songs, albums, and playlists from Apple Music to Facebook and Instagram.

 

One new feature that's been added since is Apple's Exposure Notification API, which is meant for contact tracing of people that have been infected with the COVID-19 coronavirus. You can opt into it, and public health applications can access if you've been in contact with anyone else that's opted in. Google is doing the same thing with Android. This feature required a new SDK, which is why the version number changed.

 

Another new feature is a key Face ID improvement. No, it still won't work with a mask on. It's just slightly better than it was before. Previously, your iPhone would spend a couple of seconds trying to recognize you before allowing you to enter a PIN. Now, it will go directly to the PIN screen. The other COVID-related feature is that FaceTime will no longer enlarge tiles in group calls when someone is speaking.

 

These updates should all be out really soon, and if you're an Apple Developer, the bits are available. Public beta testers should get the GM seed soon as well.

 

 

Source: Apple releases iOS and iPadOS 13.5 GM seeds, watchOS 6.2.5 to everyone (Neowin)