Last night Apple released the final public versions of iOS 13.5 and iPadOS 13.5, following a lengthy period of beta testing.
As discussed in our iOS 13 .5 preview, the update includes various improvements for Face ID and FaceTime, as well as support for COVID-19 contact tracking apps by health authorities. That’s in addition to the usual collection of bug and safety fixes.
Anyone with an iPhone 6s or later can install iOS 13.5 for free; likewise, anyone with an iPad Air 2 or iPad mini 4 or later can get iPadOS 13.5. Here’s how to update iOS on an iPhone, and how to update iPadOS on an iPad.
Here are the highlights of the update, according to its accompanying documentation:
About this Update
iOS 13.5 speeds up access to the passcode field on devices with Face ID when you are wearing a face mask and introduces the Exposure Notification API to support COVID-19 contact tracing apps from public health authorities. This update also introduces an option to control automatic prominence of video tiles on Group FaceTime calls and includes bug fixes and other improvements.
Face ID and Passcode
- Simplified unlock process for devices with Face ID when you are wearing a face mask
- Passcode field automatically presented after swiping up from the bottom of the Lock screen when you are wearing a face mask
- Also works when authenticating with the App Store, Apple Books, Apple Pay, iTunes and other apps that support signing in with Face ID
Exposure Notification
- Exposure Notification API to support COVID-19 contact tracing apps from public health authorities
FaceTime
- Option to control automatic prominence on Group FaceTime calls so video tiles do not change size when a participant speaks
This article originally appeared on MacWorld Sweden. Translation by David Price.