Apple rolls out iOS 13.5 with COVID-19 features
One of the enhancements makes it easier to unlock your iPhone while wearing a mask.
The latest version of Apple's mobile operating system, iOS 13.5, is now available to download. The update brings several new features, including the COVID-19 exposure notification the company has been working on with Google.
Technology can help health officials rapidly tell someone they may have been exposed to COVID-19. Today the Exposure Notification API we created with @Google is available to help public health agencies make their COVID-19 apps effective while protecting user privacy.
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) May 20, 2020
Keeping with the COVID-19 theme, the update's main user-facing enhancement is a simplified Face ID flow when you want to unlock your iPhone or iPad while wearing a face mask. In those situations, iOS will go straight to the passcode screen so you can unlock your phone without delay. If you need to authenticate a purchase through the App Store, Apple Books, Apple Pay or iTunes while wearing a mask, those apps will do the same, as will any third-party apps that support Face ID.
Medical ID, a feature that allows you to list some of your medical information for emergency use, has also received a timely tweak. You can now set up your device to automatically share your Medical ID with 911 call operators. If you're calling from an area with Enhanced Emergency Data, your information will be shared securely with the call center. At the moment, this functionality is only available in the US.
The update also includes a quality-of-life enhancement when you're using FaceTime to chat with several different people. You now have the option to stop the app from automatically resizing video tiles whenever the conversation shifts to a different main speaker. As always, the new software also features a variety of bug fixes, the most notable of which address an issue with the share sheet not properly loading suggestions.
Rare circumstances aside, it’s always worthwhile updating to the latest version of iOS in a timely fashion. Still, given that Apple designed so many of the features of iOS 13.5 to help users through the COVID-19 crisis, you’ll probably want to get this one as soon as possible.
