iOS 15.4 & iPadOS 15.4: 3 Reasons to Upgrade Now

If you’ve been using your iPhone or iPad for a while, you’re used to making frequent iOS or iPadOS updates. Some users update right away, but many people take a “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach and wait months for it to happen Download and install button. release iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4 It is one of those occasions when you should not wait.

This is the most significant iOS 15 update to date and it comes with a number of bug fixes, new features, and welcome improvements. There are new emojis, a new siri voiceAdditional web page translation options and more. But these are the three big features that will make you want to rush into the settings now.

universal control

This is just an iPadOS feature and nothing to do with iPhones, but it’s pretty cool and it still tops the list. We’ve been waiting for Universal Control since Apple showed it at WWDC last summer. It’s a software feature that feels like “magic” and can change the way you use your Mac and iPad.

Yes, it’s only for those with a Mac (with macOS 12.3 or later), but it’s absolute genius. Once you set it up (it’s easy, We’ll show you how), you can simply bring your iPad within range of your Mac’s Bluetooth, move your mouse pointer past the edge of the screen, and “push” it on your iPad. Your Mac mouse or trackpad and keyboard will then take control of your iPad. Simply move your cursor back past the edge of your iPad to bring it back to your Mac.

You can also drag and drop files between your Mac and the apps on your iPad. Charm.

Face ID with mask

This may be a year later than we would have liked, but iOS 15.4 introduces a new version Face ID with mask Feature. This essentially requires a new face scan that uses more data points on the top half of your face while ignoring the bottom, so you can use Face ID for everything you do now (unlock your iPhone, enter passwords and autofill, sign in to applications, websites, etc.) while wearing the mask.

It’s a bit less reliable than regular Face ID, and if you wear glasses, you’ll need to make new scans with every pair of glasses you own, but if you wear a mask often completely Deserves all the effort.

Even as the COVID mask requirements start to be relaxed, this feature will be really useful for anyone who lives in a cold climate and may cover the lower part of their face with a cap or similar garment.

iCloud Keychain Password Improvements

There are many ways people manage their passwords, but on iPhone, the default iCloud Keychain is the most used. Assumptions are powerful, after all. In iOS 15.4, Apple addressed two of the worst pain points with managing the password on your iPhone.

First, Safari will no longer save passwords if you don’t type in a username, but rather it will prompt you to enter a username first. This seems obvious, but it often happened that the username and password are on separate pages or get stuck by the one-time password prompt, which will then be saved in the iCloud keychain without the associated login. Now you will be able to fill in the username or just discard the entire saved login.

Moreover, a simple login / password combination for some sites is not always enough. Some of them ask for other identification numbers, or have password challenge questions that need to be answered periodically. With iOS 15.4, you can Add notes for your saved passwords. Simply open Settings, then tap passwordschoose one of your saved logins, then tap Add notes To store a secure piece of text using your iCloud Keychain entry. When you need to access that additional information, just head over to the same information passwords tab, Authenticate with Face ID or Touch ID, and find the entry in the list. Of course, the passwords are also synced to your Mac, so you can access your note there as well.