The new Apple iOS 15.4 update has been released earlier this month, but did you know about some of the cool new features?
You can download and install the update manually via Settings -> General -> Software Update or you can wait for it to update automatically at night if you have set it up.
Still not sure? Here are some of the new features you are missing on!
- Over 100 new emojis to choose from
The latest big iPhone emoji update was nearly 11 months ago in iOS 14.5, but the new emojis have been available in the Unicode 14.0 standard since before Apple released iOS 15.0.
Apple finally brings those missing emojis to life in iOS 15.4. In all, there are 37 new characters to play with, 112 if you count all the skin tone variations, and they also appear in iPadOS 15.4 and macOS 12.3.
Highlights include Melting Face, Saluting Face, Face Holding Back Tears, Lip Biting, Pregnant Man, Pregnant Person, Person with Crown, Troll, Coral, Lotus, Empty Nest, Nest with Eggs, Low Battery, Bubbles and various hand gestures, including a mix-and-match emoji picker for handshake choose different skin tone combinations.
- Use Face ID without taking off your mask
Apple previously added mask-related updates in iOS 13.5 and iOS 14.5 to make it easier to unlock your iPhone when wearing a face cover, but they lack in comparison to the new iOS 15.4 ″Use Face ID with a Feature” for iPhone 12 and later. This means you don’t have to enter passcodes or have an Apple Watch.
The new Face ID mode focuses on the unique features around the eyes as the mask hides the rest of your facial features. It’s less secure than full-face scans but about a thousand times cheaper, especially since it also works with Apple Pay, autofill passwords, and third-party app logins.
- Scan text and memos in words more easily
It is now easier to work with Live Text in the Notes and Reminders apps.
Before, you had to long-press on the area you wanted to scan and insert text from a physical document, then select the Dynamic Text icon to get started. Now place the cursor where you want, tap the camera icon in the toolbar and choose “Scan text”.
- Improved magnifier camera selector
When you have added the “Camera” control to the Magnifier app interface, by tapping it you can choose between “Front” and “Rear” cameras. Now, tapping it will automatically turn on the camera on iPhone models without telephoto or macro lenses.
On an iPhone 13 or 13 Pro model, tapping it gives you “Auto”, “Foreground” and “Front” choices. Auto works with wide-angle and telephoto lenses, Close-up uses the macro capabilities of the ultra-wide camera, and Front uses the selfie camera. The Auto icon is a normal camera, the Close-up icon is a flower (it used to be a leaf) and the Front icon is a camera with arrows chasing each other in a circle (it was once the icon of a profile).
- Improved Apple Wallet security
Previously, when you opened the Apple Pay and Apple Wallet interface using the double-click gesture on the side or home button, all of your payment cards and loyalty cards were displayed right away. To improve security, Apple now requires you to use Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode before showing you your cards.
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