ios 14.5 beta | Mobiles365

The beta-testing of iOS 14.5 is in full swing right now. The latest beta build of iOS 14.5 brings a way to unlock your iPhone using the Apple Watch even if you’re wearing a mask. Additionally, beta testers have also spotted that they can now set a third-party app such as Spotify as the default music and podcast app on their phone. Now, it has been discovered that with iOS 14.5, Apple Maps is adding a way to report incidents, akin to what you’ll come across on Google Maps and Waze.

Incident reporting works via on-screen inputs as well as through Siri voice commands

As per a screenshot shared by Macrumors, the incident reporting feature in Apple Maps currently supports only three types of disruptive events – accidents, hazards, and speed checks. The crowdsourced incident reporting feature works with the Apple Maps app installed on your phone and your car’s dashboard as well via CarPlay.

Apple Maps now has a dedicated ‘Report’ button that will allow users to report incidents. However, users can also report an incident via voice commands by asking Siri to do so. As per a Reddit thread documenting the new feature in Apple Maps, it appears that the crowdsourced incident reporting feature is only live for users in the United States, and doesn’t appear to be working for beta testers in Canada or other regions. Also, Apple is likely testing it only among a small batch of testers right now, and not all users running the beta build of iOS 14.5 on their phone.

The new Apple Maps feature is similar to what Google Maps and Waze already offer

As mentioned above, the new Apple Maps features in iOS 14.5 beta only supports reporting three types of incidents – accidents, hazards, and speed check. Waze and Google Maps, on the other hand, offer a much wider range. Google Maps, for example, lets users report incidents like an accident, traffic slowdowns, speed traps, ongoing construction, hurdles such as debris on the road, closed lanes, and disabled vehicles.

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Even since the pandemic struck and wearing masks became the norm, folks who own an iPhone with Face ID hardware – such as the iPhone 12 – have been stuck with a biometric system that is of little to no use. Every time one has to unlock their iPhone while wearing a mask, the passcode must be manually entered. However, Apple is finally rolling out a way to unlock iPhones using the Apple Watch with iOS 14.5, a feature that has been available on Macs for a while now.

An iPhone and Apple Watch must be paired and nearby for the feature to work

The new feature has arrived as part of the iOS 14.5 developer beta that has now been released (via Macrumors), and will be rolled out via the stable channel in the coming weeks. Talking about the authentication feature, an Apple Watch and iPhone need to be paired for it to work. If you’re wearing an Apple Watch that is currently unlocked, Face ID will run a partial face scan while you’re wearing a mask and will unlock the iPhone.

And when Face ID unlocks an iPhone, the Apple Watch sends haptic feedback to let you know about it. And just like unlocking an iPhone with the Apple Watch, there is also an option to lock a paired phone with the smartwatch. However, an iPhone and Apple Watch need to be close to each for the unlocking and locking issue to get sorted. Plus, the ability to unlock an iPhone while wearing a face mask via the Apple Watch must be enabled manually.

iOS 14.5 beta also adds support for Siri emergency calling

However, the new trick works only when you’re simply trying to unlock your iPhone without having to take off your mask. And that too, when the Apple Watch is on your wrist or nearby. However, for payments and other such tasks, you’ll either have to enter the passcode or take off your mask for Face ID authentication.

In addition to a new method for unlocking iPhones with Face ID hardware, the iOS 14.5 beta update also adds support for the Sony PlayStation 5 DualSense and Xbox Series X controllers. Plus, it also enables support for dual-SIM 5G, emergency contact calling via Siri, and AirPlay 2 casting support for Apple Fitness+ content.

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