Today, Apple is releasing the second developer betas of iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5, watchOS 7.4, and tvOS 14.5. The first one was released 15 days ago, with a minor new build being released a few days later.
The big new feature is that you can now unlock your iPhone with an Apple Watch. Given the reality around the COVID-19 pandemic, wearing masks in public has become commonplace, and Apple is still the only company that makes a premium phone without a fingerprint sensor. So now, there"s finally a way to unlock your device while wearing a face mask, without having to type a PIN.
Also included is a new way of selecting music apps through Siri. Based on how the first beta works, if you ask Siri to play a song through, say, Spotify, the digital assistant will remember your playback preference for next time you want to play a song, even if you don"t specify which service to use.
According to 9to5Mac, the updates also include a Maps feature that lets you report speed traps and traffic hazards, and there are updates to Podcasts and News. Also included is support for Xbox Series X|S and PS5 controllers.
As for what"s new in today"s build, there isn"t likely to be much, just bug fixes and refining the new features that we"ve already soon. It should roll out to public beta testers soon.