Apple released the second beta of iOS 15.4 on Tuesday evening. And while there aren’t as many new features as in the first beta, there are again a few notable additions.
iOS 15.4 beta 2
A week and a half ago, the first beta of iOS 15.4 appeared, with plenty of new features. For example, the interim update makes it possible to unlock your iPhone with Face ID if you have a mouth cap. The second test version of iOS 15.4 has now appeared, with some changes again.
1. Tap to Pay
It is the most remarkable innovation in the second beta: Tap to Pay. This makes it possible to use your iPhone as an ATM, without the need for additional hardware.
With the technology, retailers simply enter the amount on the iPhone, after which customers can pay with Apple Pay, or a suitable debit or credit card. The payment is made by holding the iPhone, Apple Watch or card near the other iPhone.
Apple has only announced the feature in the United States for now, and Tap to Pay will be available later this year. It is not yet clear when it will come to the Netherlands. By the way, for Tap to Pay you need a fairly recent iPhone: an iPhone XS from 2018 or newer.
2. Face ID with mouth cap
From iOS 15.4 it will therefore be possible to wear your mouth cap. That feature works fine, except when you hold your iPhone lower than eye level. The device just needs the top part of your face for Face ID to work. To point this out to people, you may be asked to look down upon unlocking.
3. Digital ID and Driver’s License
There is a chance that as of iOS 15.4, people from the United States will be able to add their driver’s license or ID card to the iPhone’s Wallet app. This is because a reference is made to this in the PassKit code (the framework for Wallet).
More new features
Most of the innovations of iOS 15.4 were already known after the first beta:
- Face ID with mouth cap. In iOS 15.4, there is an option to unlock your iPhone while wearing a face mask.
- New emojis. Apple adds no less than 37 new emojis, including a pregnant man and sensual lips.
- Turn off notifications in Assignments. By default, you will receive a notification when Commands takes action, but from iOS 15.4 this can be turned off.
- Password note. iCloud Keychain adds an option to add a note to a password.
- Apps with 120 Hz. The iPhone 13 Pro has a screen that refreshes faster. Due to a bug, third-party apps were not able to handle it properly yet, but this is being fixed.
- Activate SharePlay faster. For apps that support SharePlay, there will be an option to activate SharePlay from the Share menu.
- Universal Control. In iPadOS 15.4, Apple adds Universal Controls, which let you use your Mac’s cursor to control your iPad, and vice versa.
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