Everything new in iOS 14.5 Beta 2: new AirPods Max emoji, Green Tint Fix, iPad Security and more

Apple today introduced the second beta of iOS and iPadOS 14.5, based on the extended feature set that was introduced in the first beta.

The changes in the second beta are smaller in scale than what we saw in the first beta, but there are still new additions that are worth highlighting. Below, we’ve completed the changes we saw in the second beta.

New Emoji characters

As Emojipedia pointed out, iOS 14.5 introduces several new emoji characters, including a burning heart, a repaired heart, an expired face, a spiral-eyed face, a clouded face, along with various gender options for bearded people. There are also new couple emojis that have new blends of skin tones.

Apple has he bled from emoji syringe to give it a more neutral look, which also works for vaccinations. The headphone emoji has been updated to look more like AirPods Max than a generic headset, and the climbing emoji now includes a headset.

Remedy the shade of green?

Reports suggest that the second beta of iOS 14.5 could fix the green hue that some iPhone owners have faced. Some iPhone 12 models have a gray or green glow, an issue that Apple said it is investigating in November. For some users, there are improvements, but for others, the problem still seems to exist, so it’s not entirely clear if the beta will finally address the nuance.

Mention of the battery

There is a vague mention of charging an iPhone with a “battery” in the iOS 14.5 code in the optimized charging section. It is not clear what Apple means by “battery pack”, because the existing battery options produced by Apple are Smart Battery Case. It is either an unusual wording for the case or an indication of a future ‌iphone 12P battery. “To improve charging efficiency and maximize battery life, the battery will keep the phone charged at about 90%,” the text reads.

iPad Smart Folio Security

On the 8th generation iPad, the 4th generation iPad, the 11-inch 2nd generation iPad and the 4th generation ‌iPad Pro‌, Apple has added a new feature privacy designed to turn off the microphone device whenever Smart Folio is turned off.

This will prevent applications from accessing the microphone when the tablet is not in use, and the function works with other MFi smart cases. Apple first introduced this feature in the 2020 iPad Pro models and is expanding it to additional models.

Shortcuts

There is a new shortcut to take a screenshot that can be incorporated into various shortcuts, plus new actions to lock the “iPhone” orientation and switch between cellular data modes. With the action in Voice & Data mode, there are options to select 5G, 5G Auto and 4G network options.

Apple Music

There are new slide shows in Apple Music to add a song to the Now Playing queue or to add to the “Apple Music” library. When you long press a song, there are new options for “Last Play” and “Show Album”. In the library, the download button has been replaced with three touchable points to access a full range of options for a song. The actions are the same as the actions available when you long press a song title anywhere in the Music app.

Updated text software

The first iOS 14.5 beta changed the text of the software update to say “Your iPhone is up to date with all the latest bug fixes and security improvements,” but iOS 14.5 beta 2 is back. Now it only reads “iOS is updated”, which can be a substitute text for a future change.

App Store privacy tags

Apple has changed the look of privacy labels in the App Store to make them easier to distinguish in the dark.

Code changes and minor feature changes

There are a handful of underlying code changes that do not necessarily reflect new feature implementations at this time, but could serve as an indication of what is to come in the future. There are also some minor changes and modifications that we have included below.

• For the Find Me app, there’s a new form for AirTags or the next third-party article tracker. “These are items that are not yours, but have been seen with you for a continuous period of time.”
• There is a mention of web applications that access voice recognition.
• There is an Apple Watch accessibility option for headset notifications, which allows you to turn off the feature.
• Apps may ask you to connect with your friends in the Game Center for enhanced multiplayer.

Are you missing iOS 14.5 Beta 2 features?

Do you see anything we missed? Tell us in the comments below and we’ll add it.

More iOS 14.5 features

We have a complete list of all the features that are new for iOS 14.5 in guide dedicated to iOS 14.5 features, which is worth checking out if you want to know what to expect when the software is released to the public in early spring.