Apple is set to push its new iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5 update next week to iPhone and iPad users worldwide. This was revealed during the announcement of Apple’s AirTag, which is a tracking device that uses UWB and Bluetooth.
The AirTag is available for pre-order in first wave countries starting tomorrow and it requires iOS 14.5 to work. In the official announcement, it was mentioned that the new software update will be available starting next week.
One of the reasons why iOS 14.5 is required is due its new privacy feature. To prevent illegal tracking, there’s an Item Safety Feature which will alert you if an AirTag which belongs to someone else is following you. In addition, iOS 14.5 will also provide more privacy controls to users which will restrict tracking by 3rd party advertisers including Facebook and Google.
Another interesting update is the ability for iPhone users to unlock their devices with their Apple Watch. This would be a huge convenience especially when we can’t really use Face ID while wearing a face mask. Do note that the Apple Watch must be running on watchOS 7.4.
In terms of compatibility, you should be able to get iOS 14.5 if you’re already on iOS 14. This include the iPhone 6s which is more than 5 years old.
