Apple Releasing iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4 to all users Next Week
Following weeks of developer and public beta testing, Apple announced today that iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4 will be available to all users next week. Major new capabilities for iPhone users are included in iOS 15.4, the most significant of which being the ability to unlock an iPhone using Face ID while wearing a mask.
Apple claims to have updated its Face ID system to be able to uniquely recognize the area around a user’s eye and use that information to unlock the device even when wearing a mask. Only iPhones with iOS 12 and later support the feature.
Universal Control is the most prominent new feature in iPadOS 15.4 and macOS Monterey 12.3. Universal Control was first shown at WWDC 2021, and despite Apple’s pledge to provide the feature before the end of the year, it was pushed back until Spring 2022. Universal Control allows users to have a consistent user experience across many Macs and iPads by using the same mouse and keyboard. macOS Monterey 12.3 will also be released next week, according to Apple.
Other changes and features in iOS and iPadOS 15.4 include 37 new emojis and setting the groundwork for “Tap to Pay on iPhone.” AirTags have been improved, and you can now add custom domains to iCloud Mail directly from your device, among other things. When the upgrades go live next week, the release notes for all of them will be available.