iOS 15.4 — the new features coming to your iPhone

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Apple tree may have released iOS 15 terminal fall, merely piece of 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 fifteen.iv — arrived in beta form last week, and it'south already shaping up to be a noteworthy refresh for iOS 15. While there's no individual characteristic as significant every bit SharePlay or a noticeably MIA feature similar App Privacy Written report finally arriving, iOS 15.4 does innovate a number of tweaks and fixes. And i in particular volition be especially welcome by masking-wearing iPhone users who haven't been able to unlock their phones with Confront ID since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

Here'southward a wait at some of the more interesting additions coming to iOS 15.4 as well every bit instructions on how yous can get the beta right at present.

iOS 15.4 — how to try out the latest iOS xv beta

iOS 15.4 developer beta downloading — (Prototype credit: Tom's Guide)

The get-go developer beta for iOS 15.4 arrived last week, with the public beta following shortly thereafter. (That'south Apple tree's thou.o. — release a beta to developers, then follow up with a public beta a day or so later on.) We'd expect additional versions of the iOS xv.4 beta every bit Apple tree irons out whatsoever issues that have cropped up earlier a final release.

If y'all're already in the Apple Beta Software Program, iOS 15.4 is waiting for you to download. On your phone, only go to the Settings app and tap General followed by Software Updates. From in that location it's a matter of tapping the link to download and install the beta. (If your experience is annihilation similar ours, the iOS 15.four beta will have a flake of time to download, and then make sure your telephone is plugged in.)

If you're not already participating in the Apple Beta Software program, y'all tin nevertheless enter and experience iOS 15.4 for yourself. Using the iPhone where you're planning to run the beta, get 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'southward still a beta, significant problems could crop up. If y'all're not comfortable troubleshooting, nosotros'd advise against running the iOS 15.four beta on anything other than a spare iOS device. If one's not available, you're probably improve off waiting until the total version of iOS fifteen.4 is ready later in the coming weeks.

iOS 15.4 runs on the same devices as iOS 15 — an iPhone 6s or afterward.

Top iOS 15.four features

iOS 15.4 update adds face mask support to face id unlocking — (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Utilise Face ID with a mask

We get-go covered this when the initial developer beta of iOS 15.4 arrived, because it's pretty large news: You lot can now turn on a Face ID setting that lets Apple'southward unlocking technology recognize your face up fifty-fifty if you're wearing a mask. Enabling this feature means you'll surrender a degree of security, but it also saves you the hassle of having to tap in your passcode each time you demand to unlock your phone.

To get the characteristic upwardly 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 once more. After all that'south gear up, Face ID should unlock anytime you glance at the phone, even if yous've got a mask on.

The characteristic 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 Confront Mask setting.

Live Text integration with Notes and Reminders

If you've used iOS xv, you probably already know nearly the Live Text feature that allows your telephone'south camera to capture text and paste it into other apps. You could already employ Live Text with Notes and Reminders, only iOS 15.four improves the integration of this text-scanning feature.

Using live text in ios 15.4 Notes — (Image credit: Tom'southward Guide)

Specifically, in that location'south now a Scan Text command in the pop-up carte du jour that appears in either app. Select that and a camera window appears where you can capture text from a book, note or photo. That text instantly appears in your Note or Reminder, and yous can tap insert when you've captured all the text yous want.

New Apple Pay authentication screen

One of my pet peeves with my iPhone is when I pull the device out of my pocket and observe that I've inadvertently launched Apple Pay by double-clicking the side push button twice. As a result, instead of my lock screen, I'm staring at all the credit and depository financial institution cards I've stored on my telephone. It's very disconcerting.

iOS 15.4 Wallet Authentication screen — (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

I don't know if other people have the aforementioned problem with their iPhone, but Apple is adding a small mensurate of security. Now when y'all double-click the side button, an hallmark screen appears requiring either Face ID or passcode verification before your credit cards and passes appear. And yes, if you've prepare upwards your iPhone to permit Face ID to piece of work with face masks, you can become past the hallmark screen just as easily.

Lots of new emoji in iOS 15.iv

It'due south not an iOS update until there are new emoji to add together to your text, tweets and emails, and iOS 15.4 obliges with more than than 3 dozen new options.

iOS 15.4 emoji pregnant man heart hands — (Image credit: Apple)

Included among the 37 emoji are melting face, heart hands and disco ball. There's a pregnant person emoji, along with one showing a meaning human. You'll likewise find symbols for biting lip, beans, a troll, and a jar. All the emoji coming to iOS 15.4 were canonical by the Unicode Consortium final September.

iOS 15.4 emoji biting lip covered face — (Image credit: Apple tree)

New photographic camera options in the Magnifier app

I've gear up the side button on my iPhone to launch the Magnifier app, since information technology tin can help me zoom in on hard-to-read text and fine print on labels. Now it seems I'll be able to toggle between the different cameras on my iPhone, thanks to new camera modes added in iOS xv.4.

iOS 154. Magnifier camera apps — (Image credit: Tom'southward Guide)

Y'all'll need to dig into the Magnifier app'south settings, but you can add a Cameras command to the app for switching lenses. Which cameras are supported depends on what phone you have. On the iPhone xi Pro Max, for example, I can now switch betwixt Machine, Telephoto, Macro and Selfie options. The dual-camera iPhone thirteen only offers wide and selfie choices.

Notes in Keychain Passwords

You tin can store passwords on your iPhone, keeping them on the keychain for easy logins. That's not new in iOS 15.four, but a notes field is. Head to the Passwords section of the Settings app and y'all can type in notes about important passwords.

iOS 15.4 notes in password keychain — (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Why exercise that? Considering those notes are also searchable within the Passwords section. And sometimes information technology's easier to blazon in the name of what you're using the countersign for then remembering the name of the app or website y'all desire to log into.

AirTag anti-stalking improvements

The showtime wave of Apple's upgrades to the AirTag and the associated Detect My app features has arrived in this update. You at present get a new popular-up when setting upwardly an AirTag to warn you that tracking someone without consent is a crime, and that victims and law enforcement can find your details via the tag when discovered.

The anti-stalking warning that iPhone users will see during the AirTag setup process. — (Image credit: Apple)

In addition, yous can now no longer disable all warning notifications for unexpected AirTags in your vicinity, and other Find My items will now be properly identified in these warnings, rather than coming upwards with an unhelpful generic alert.

Other iOS 15.4 additions and enhancements

There are a few other iOS fifteen.iv changes of notation, even if they're essentially minor tweaks.

SharePlay in share sheets and Apple Card widget introduced in iOS 15.4 — (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

The Television app'due south Upwardly Side by side section now lets you option between Still Frame and Poster Art for listing the shows in your queue. (You make this aligning in the Settings App for TV.)
There's now a SharePlay option in the Share canvass for albums and songs within Apple Music.
An Apple Carte widget now lets you lot see your balance, spending power and spending activeness if you accept Apple's credit menu.
You're able to run personal automations from Shortcuts in the background without banner notifications if you lot soo cull.
The App Shop has new notifications console that lets yous manage alerts for New Features & Updates and Recommendations & Offers.

Philip Michaels is a senior editor at Tom's Guide. He has potent opinions nearly Apple, the Oakland Athletics and one-time movies. Follow him at @PhilipMichaels.