Apple’s upcoming iOS 14.5 update offers a number of high-profile changes that occurred during the beta process several months ago. And while features like the ability to unlock your phone with the Apple Watch and new voices for Siri are getting the most attention, some of the familiar built-in apps are also getting some improvements.
The maps are probably receiving the most significant overhaul, gaining the ability to report traffic accidents, speed traps and other incidents. But less announced changes come to apps like Podcasts, Reminders and News – and are already present in the current iOS 14.5 beta.
Here’s a closer look at the improvements Apple is making to built-in iOS 14 apps.
Podcasts in iOS 14.5
The built-in Podcast app has the biggest changes with iOS 14.5, as Apple has introduced redesigned podcast show pages. From the show page – think of it as a home screen for each of your podcasts – you can control playback. A list of episodes is available as you scroll down and you can swipe left to automatically save individual episodes to your library.
The Up Next screen also receives a refresh, with several menu commands to manage and share downloads, as well as to move on to other episodes.
Personally speaking, the Podcasts app for iOS is not one of my favorite built-in tools; instead, I use a third-party podcast application to manage the shows I subscribe to. But the changes that appear in the full version of iOS 14.5 should make Apple Podcasts more competitive with some of the best podcast apps out there.
Reminders in iOS 14.5
The memoirs saw some of its biggest changes when iOS 14 debuted last fall. Then the task manager gained the ability to share a to-do list with other people – a real bonus when sharing things in a household.
The reminders changes in iOS 14.5 are more of a household variety, but should make it easier to manage tasks in the app. Tap the More button in the iOS 14.5 version of the reminders – it’s the circle with three horizontal dots in the middle – and you’ll get a new Sort option that lets you rearrange the reminders according to anything, from due date to priority to title. Previously, if you wanted to order tasks again, you had to pull them manually.
If you prefer paper lists to things on the screen, the updated version of Reminders gives you the ability to print to-do lists. Again, this is a new option added to the More menu.
News in iOS 14.5
The search will be much better in the News app, once Apple launches iOS 14.5 to a wider audience. For starters, there is now a dedicated search tab in the app. In iOS 14.4 and earlier, to search, you first had to tap the Next tab – not exactly an intuitive place to search.
And search results are cleared, with News now displaying stories, topics, and channels. The top result that appears in the current version of News searches has disappeared.
If you subscribe to News Plus – Apple’s $ 9.99 monthly subscription news service – you’ll also notice changes to the appearance of that tab in the News app. The tabs at the top of the page are renamed and reorganized to make navigating and discovering a process easier.
iOS 14.5 Outlook
We are currently in beta 8 of iOS 14.5, with just a simple spring release promise for the full release. This could come immediately this week, when Apple hosts a special press event to introduce new products. Updated iPad pros and long-awaited AirTags key searches should be the focus of the Apple Spring Loaded event on April 20, but the company could use this opportunity to finally give us a firm hold on the launch of iOS 14.5 .
Otherwise, Apple’s next regularly scheduled event won’t take place until June, when Apple hosts the annual World Developers Conference. The event starts on June 7 and is expected to include a preview of iOS 15, so we would expect iOS 14.5 to arrive earlier.