PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S/X controllers can finally be used to play games on iPhone and iPad in Apple’s newest iOS and iPadOS 14.5 betas, seeded to developers on Monday.
We’ll show you how to set them up so that you’re ready to go as soon as iOS 14.5 rolls out to everyone.
Apple’s new iOS 14.4 update, which rolled out to everyone Tuesday, gives us the ability to classify Bluetooth devices and accessories for the first time. Doing so helps make them work even better with iPhone and iPad.
We’ll explain why, and show you how to classify your connected Bluetooth devices in no time at all.
Apple released iOS 14.4 to the general public on Tuesday, along with the iPad equivalent. According to their developer, these allow users to scan smaller QR codes, and to classify their various Bluetooth devices so audio notifications can be routed correctly.
It also closes a security hole that hackers might have actually used to break into iPhones.
Apple seeded to developers the release candidates for iOS 14.4 and the iPad equivalent on Thursday. It’s probably the last step before a public release. Among other changes, these new versions will apparently give iPhone and iPad users the option to block third-party applications from tracking them.
Devs can also install watchOS 7.3 RC and tvOS 14.4 RC, which became available Thursday too. But macOS Big Sur 11.2 is still on Beta 2.
Never one to rest on its laurels, Apple already seeded the first betas of iOS 14.4 and iPadOS 14.4. And that’s not all. watchOS 7.3 beta 1 and tvOS 14.4 beta 1 are also up for testing.
If that wasn’t enough, macOS Big Sur 11.2 is included in this rush of fresh pre-release versions, too.
It’s a big day for Apple fans — there are software updates for iPhone, Mac, iPad, Apple Watch and Apple TV.
With an update, iPhone 12 Pro gets support for Apple’s new ProRAW image format. And all iPhone and iPads display new privacy info about third-party apps.
But primarily, the new versions are about adding support for AirPods Max and Apple Fitness+ to a range of operating systems. And bug fixes too.
Apple’s new Intercom feature lets you use HomePods to send short audio messages to almost anyone with an Apple device. While Apple showcased Intercom when unveiling the upcoming HomePod mini smart speaker, the feature also works with the regular HomePod as well as iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and more.
If you a HomePod, and you’ve updated it (and your other Apple devices) with the latest software, you can use Intercom to communicate with your family or housemates in new ways.
Apple released iOS 14.2 to everyone on Thursday. It offers iPhone users plenty of fun new emoji, as well as Shazam music recognition integrated into the Control Center. Tablet users can install iPadOS 14.2 with the same features.
At the same time came the debut of watchOS 7.1 and tvOS 14.2. And users of older devices will find security fixes in iOS 12.4.9 and iPadOS 12.4.9.
Apple on Friday gave developers access to iOS 14.2 golden master, along with the iPadOS equivalent. This is the last step before releasing these new versions to the public.
When available to all, iOS 14.2 will offer plenty of fun new emoji, as well as Shazam music recognition integrated into the Control Center.
Apple gave developers access to the final pre-release versions of iOS 14.1 and iPadOS 14.1 on Tuesday. This is an important last step before releasing these upgrades to the public.
However, we don’t yet know when they’ll be available for iPhone and iPad.
Most people’s drawing skills peaked in first grade. Which means the diagrams we include in handwritten notes often look like they were drawn by a moderately skilled raccoon. Fortunately, iPadOS 14 offers shape recognition, turning our scrawls into the neat geometric shapes we envisioned.
Using this feature in Apple Notes or Email is easy. But there’s a trick to it. Here’s how to use shape recognition with an iPad and any stylus.
Smart Selection in iPadOS 14 can be amazingly useful for anyone who takes notes with their iPad. This new feature lets you handwrite some words, then turn them into text at any point later on.
Here’s how it works.
iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 put Apple’s brand-new Translate app on your iPhone and iPad. If you plan to use it the next time you’re in a foreign country, you’ll want to download some languages for offline access.
We’ll show you how.
Apple recently gave AirPods and AirPods Pro the ability to automatically switch between different devices depending on what you’re doing. Sometimes the feature is useful, but other times it’s really frustrating.
You may have noticed it after updating to iOS 14 on your iPhone or iPadOS 14 on your iPad. The good news is, it’s possible to disable the feature and take care of switching yourself.
We’ll show you how.
App Clips, a signature feature of iOS 14, lets you quickly run a lightweight version of an application without actually installing it. If that capability leaves you scratching your head about what, exactly, App Clips would be good for, a hot new game demo shows the appeal of this powerful feature.
Simply visit the webpage for Phoenix 2 using Safari on a device running iOS 14 or iPadOS 14. Then tap on the big Play button, and start gaming. The process takes less than 10 seconds, and you’re in the game. (Note: It does not work if you are running Safari in Private Browsing mode.)
If you decide you’re not interested, just close the demo and it’s gone. There’s nothing to uninstall because Phoenix 2 was never on your iPhone or iPad. It was just an App Clip.
Scribble handwriting recognition in iPadOS 14 is a more complex system than many might realize. Identifying letters and words goes beyond simply examining what someone has written. The iPad uses machine learning to recognize the writer’s intent through how they write, according to Craig Federighi, Apple’s SVP of software engineering.
Fortnite developer Epic Games has warned iPhone and iPad users that they could lose access to its hit battle royale game when updating to iOS 14. But there is a way to ensure that doesn’t happen.
We’ll show you how before you start installing the latest update.
iPadOS 14 brings handwriting recognition to Apple tablets, at long last. The new system is called Scribble, and it’s easy to use, fast and flexible.
Here’s how to enter text on your iPad with Scribble.
Apple just removed one of the biggest remaining restrictions from the iPhone and iPad. It’s finally possible to change the default email application in iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 to something other than Apple Mail.
Making the change is easy. However, a current limitation will delay many people from taking immediate advantage of it.
If you’ve already updated to iOS 14 and iPadOS 14, you might be wondering why green or orange dots sometimes appear in the corner of your screen on iPhone and iPad. It’s not the result of a strange bug.
Instead, those dots are there to help protect your privacy. When they appear, it means certain features on your device are in use, and it’s important to look out for them. Here’s why.
Apple released the full version of iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 on Wednesday. iPhone owners get Home screen widgets and a new way to organize their devices. And iPad owners get handwriting recognition and new drawing tools.
While reports indicate not everyone has access to the new versions yet, Apple says it released them at 1 p.m. Pacific time. The Golden Master versions of these upgrades went out to beta testers Tuesday.
With iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 on its way to all, you no longer need to be enrolled in Apple’s beta program to get your hands on them. In fact, it’s a good idea to leave the program now that it’s not necessary.
While you have a beta profile still installed on your device, you will miss out on public releases that could include important fixes and security patches. We’ll show you how to easily remove it.
You don’t want to miss out on Apple’s big iPadOS 14 upgrade, and you don’t have to splash out on a brand-new iPad to enjoy it, either. Pick up a refurbished iPad Air 2 today for as little as $219.99.
This post contains affiliate links. Cult of Mac may earn a commission when you use our links to buy items.
Apple unveiled iOS 14 back in June, and it’s chock-full of new features. The long wait for the software’s release must be wearing on many iPhone users. But Apple is almost finished development, to the point where the latest iOS 14 beta is almost as stable as the final version will be. Anyone tired of waiting would be relatively safe installing it.
The same goes for iPadOS 14.
If you’re looking to pick up a used iPhone and you want to be sure that it’s unlocked before handing over your cash, you’ll be pleased to know that there’s a quick and easy way to find out in iOS 14.
There’s no need to call any carriers or swap out any SIM cards. Just take a quick dive into the Settings app and you’ll find all the information you need. We’ll show you how.