Apple has released the fourth sub-update of iOS 15 for its iPhone users, with a bunch of new additions and features, in addition to fixing several bugs and security issues that were present in previous versions of iOS.
First of all, iOS 15.4 comes with a feature that users have been waiting for for two years now: the ability to use Face ID when they are wearing a mask. The Covid-19 pandemic swept the world in 2020, forcing everyone to wear a protective mask, but this made the use of facial recognition features such as Face ID on the iPhones not possible.
Apple previously provided a solution to this problem, by allowing users to unlock their iPhone with the help of the Apple Watch, but this was not a practical solution as not everyone has an Apple Watch. Now with iOS 15.4, you can unlock your iPhone and use Face ID to fill in your passwords and make online purchases even if you wear a mask, but only on iPhone 12 and later versions.
Speaking of COVID-19, you can now add your EU digital COVID certificate to the Wallet app on iOS 15.4 for easy access. You can also add an EU digital COVID certificate in the Health app, allowing you to download and store verifiable versions of the COVID-19 vaccination, lab results, and recovery records.
iOS 15.4 also comes with 112 new emojis that were released with Unicode 14.0 last September. These new emojis include Lotus Flower, Melting Face, Hand with Index Finger and Thumb Crossed, Pregnant Person, Person with Crown, ID Card, Bubbles, Lip Biting, and more.
Siri has got a new voice when using the American accent, the web pages translation in Safari browser supports Chinese (traditional) and Italian language, you can add notes to the saved passwords in the Apple keychain. You can also set up custom iCloud domains in the settings, and Emergency SOS settings have changed to use Call with Hold for all users.
On the other hand, iOS 15.4 adds to the Podcasts app the ability to filter episodes by played, unplayed, saved, or downloaded, and shows can as well be filtered by seasons. The News app offers enhanced discovery of audio content in the Today feed and Audio tab, the share menu contains the SharePlay option on apps that support it, and close-up in Magnifier uses the ultra-wide camera on iPhone 13 Pro models to help you see small objects.
iOS 15.4 also includes fixes for the following bugs:
- The keyboard may insert a period between typed numbers.
- News widgets in Today View may not open articles when tapped.
- Photos and videos may not sync to iCloud Photo Library.
- Speak Screen Accessibility feature may quit unexpectedly within the Books app.
- Live Listen may not turn off when switched off in Control Center.
Lastly but not least, iOS 15.4 includes dozens of fixes for security issues (which you can find at this link) for the kernel, Software Updater, Wi-Fi, Cellular, FaceTime, iTunes, and other system components, so it is highly recommended to upgrade to this version by heading to Settings > General > Software Update and press the Download and Install button.
