iOS 15.4 — the new features coming to your iPhone
iOS 15.4 is now in beta, with plenty of tweaks and enhancements to explore,
Apple may have released iOS 15 last fall, but work continues on the iPhone software. Updates since iOS 15’s launch have delivered new features like SharePlay for watching videos and listening to music with people on FaceTime calls and a new privacy report for all the apps installed on your iPhone.
The newest update — iOS 15.4 — arrived in beta form last week, and it’s already shaping up to be a noteworthy refresh for iOS 15. While there’s no individual feature as significant as SharePlay or a noticeably MIA feature like App Privacy Report finally arriving, iOS 15.4 does introduce a number of tweaks and fixes. And one in particular will be especially welcome by masking-wearing iPhone users who haven’t been able to unlock their phones with Face ID since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
Here’s a look at some of the more interesting additions coming to iOS 15.4 as well as instructions on how you can get the beta right now.
iOS 15.4 — how to try out the latest iOS 15 beta
The first developer beta for iOS 15.4 arrived last week, with the public beta following shortly thereafter. (That’s Apple’s m.o. — release a beta to developers, then follow up with a public beta a day or so later.) We’d expect additional versions of the iOS 15.4 beta as Apple irons out any issues that have cropped up before a final release.
If you’re already in the Apple Beta Software Program, iOS 15.4 is waiting for you to download. On your phone, just go to the Settings app and tap General followed by Software Updates. From there it’s a matter of tapping the link to download and install the beta. (If your experience is anything like ours, the iOS 15.4 beta will take a bit of time to download, so make sure your phone is plugged in.)
If you’re not already participating in the Apple Beta Software program, you can still enter and experience iOS 15.4 for yourself. Using the iPhone where you’re planning to run the beta, go to Apple’s Beta Software Program page, and sign in with your Apple ID to register that device. You can then follow the onscreen instructions for installing the beta software profile.
iOS 15.4 is pretty stable in our experience, though it’s still a beta, meaning problems could crop up. If you’re not comfortable troubleshooting, we’d advise against running the iOS 15.4 beta on anything other than a spare iOS device. If one’s not available, you’re probably better off waiting until the full version of iOS 15.4 is ready later in the coming weeks.
iOS 15.4 runs on the same devices as iOS 15 — an iPhone 6s or later.
Top iOS 15.4 features
Use Face ID with a mask
We first covered this when the initial developer beta of iOS 15.4 arrived, because it’s pretty big news: You can now turn on a Face ID setting that lets Apple’s unlocking technology recognize your face even if you’re wearing a mask. Enabling this feature means you’ll give up a degree of security, but it also saves you the hassle of having to tap in your passcode each time you need to unlock your phone.
To get the feature up and running, head to Face ID & Passcode where there’s now a toggle for using Face ID with a mask on. Turn that on, and you’ll be asked to scan your face again. After all that’s set up, Face ID should unlock anytime you glance at the phone, even if you’ve got a mask on.
The feature only works with iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models. I’ve got the setting on iPhone 13 running the iOS 15.4 beta, but my iPhone 11 Pro Max running the same beta doesn’t include a Use with Face Mask setting.
Live Text integration with Notes and Reminders
New Apple Pay authentication screen
One of my pet peeves with my iPhone is when I pull the device out of my pocket and find that I’ve inadvertently launched Apple Pay by double-clicking the side button twice. As a result, instead of my lock screen, I’m staring at all the credit and bank cards I’ve stored on my phone. It’s very disconcerting. I don’t know if other people have the same problem with their iPhone, but Apple is adding a small measure of security. Now when you double-click the side button, an authentication screen appears requiring either Face ID or passcode verification before your credit cards and passes appear. And yes, if you’ve set up your iPhone to allow Face ID to work with face masks, you can get past the authentication screen just as easily.