Apple to roll out iOS 14.5 next week

Apple first launched the 14.5 beta to the public earlier this year in February alongside watchOS 7.4 beta.

Apple (REUTERS)

Multinational technology company Apple recently revealed that it will be officially releasing iOS 14.5 from next week onwards.

The announcement was made in a press release for Apple's new Tile-like AirTag tracker.

According to The Verge, along with the release of iOS 14.5, Apple will also launch watchOS 7.4 and macOS 11 this week, as they support new Apple Podcast feature updates.

Apple first launched the 14.5 beta to the public earlier this year in February alongside watchOS 7.4 beta (no word on whether that's arriving soon, too).

Along with AirTag support, it will implement Apple's new App Tracking Transparency requirement, which mandates that developers ask for permission to track users for ad targeting.

The feature was announced last year and met with sharp resistance from Facebook in particular, which argues that the move will harm small businesses that benefit from ad tracking.

The news iOS 14.5 also introduces some welcome inclusivity features, like the ability to change Siri's voice and new skin tone options for some emoji.

As per The Verge, another feature that is widely appreciated thus far is Siri's ability to learn which audio-listening apps user prefers for certain activities.

This stops short of letting people select a new default app, like picking Spotify for all of their streaming music requests, but it is a helpful evolution in any case. Of course, this feature may or may not make it to the final release.

Apple has not said specifically which day to expect 14.5, but when it does, iPhone users will be able to download the update in their phone's settings as always.