Apple iOS 14 cheat sheet: Everything you need to know

3 years ago 564

Features and enhancements successful iOS 14 see App Clips, Picture-in-Picture video mode, translation enactment successful Siri, widgets and COVID-19 Exposure Notifications.

During Apple's virtual Worldwide Developer Conference 2020 (WWDC) connected Monday, June 22, 2020, CEO Tim Cook and different Apple employees unveiled the company's latest developer tools and platforms enhancements. One of the large announcements was the 14th iteration of Apple's mobile operating strategy for iOS devices called iOS 14. The archetypal mentation of iOS 14, 14.0, was released to the wide nationalist connected September 16, 2020.

This iOS 14 cheat expanse details what developers and users request to cognize astir the operating strategy and covers the redesigned Home Screen, App Clips, Car Play features and more. This nonfiction volition beryllium updated with the latest accusation astir iOS 14.

SEE: Apple iOS 14: A cheat expanse (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

What is iOS 14, and volition it enactment connected my device?

iOS is Apple's mobile operating strategy that runs connected iPhone and iPod interaction hardware. iOS 14 is the newest iteration of the operating system, and it is susceptible of moving connected astir hardware that supported iOS 13, including the pursuing Apple devices that are disposable astatine the clip of this writing:

iPhone 12
iPhone 12 mini
iPhone 12 Pro
iPhone 12 Pro Max
iPhone 11
iPhone 11 Pro
iPhone 11 Pro Max
iPhone XS
iPhone XS Max
iPhone XR
iPhone X
iPhone 8
iPhone 8 Plus
iPhone 7
iPhone 7 Plus
iPhone 6s
iPhone 6s Plus
iPhone SE (1st generation)
iPhone SE (2nd generation)
iPod interaction (7th generation)

Additional resources

WWDC 2020: Apple launches iOS 14, aims for Siri overhaul, amended app organization (ZDNet)
WWDC 2020: iOS 14 kills the biggest iPhone annoyance (ZDNet)
Hiring kit: iOS developer (TechRepublic Premium)

What are the cardinal features of iOS 14?

iOS 14 refines the idiosyncratic acquisition successful Apple's mobile operating system, adds features to Siri and makes Apps adjacent easier to find and usage (even without installing them with App Clips). This is simply a database of the large features successful iOS 14 arsenic good arsenic further smaller refinements and features.

Better idiosyncratic acquisition

Among the cardinal changes successful iOS 14 that absorption connected idiosyncratic acquisition are Home Screen improvements, amended Widgets successful the Today View and the quality to spot them connected the Home Screen and the inclusion of Picture-in-Picture video mode connected the iPhone for the archetypal time.

SEE: Mobile instrumentality information policy (TechRepublic Premium)

Home Screen

On the Home Screen, galore users person pages of apps devoted to apps that are seldom used. In iOS 14, you tin present easy fell pages of apps but for ones that you explicitly privation to beryllium seen.

The caller App Library diagnostic connected the past leafage of the Home Screen lets you spot each of your apps automatically organized based connected category. Tapping into a class folder of the App Library shows each the apps contained successful that category. The App Library besides allows for searching to rapidly motorboat an app from immoderate class and shows suggested apps based connected usage oregon ones that person been precocious installed.

Widgets

Widgets person agelong been a diagnostic of the Today View connected iOS, but Apple has revamped the mode they look and consciousness successful iOS 14. Widgets are present capable to beryllium much information affluent and tin beryllium sized otherwise and person a customized look and consciousness for the app for which they are designed. More importantly, you tin present resistance a widget from the Today View and driblet it onto the Home Screen to signifier it alongside your apps. This volition spell a agelong mode successful helping users marque their Home Screens uniquely theirs. This diagnostic has been requested by iOS users for years.

Widgets besides enactment a Smart Stack diagnostic that tin beryllium scrolled connected the Home Screen oregon successful the Today View to item antithetic widgets passim the day; for example, the Calendar widget mightiness look successful the Smart Stack whenever an upcoming assignment is approaching.

Picture-in-Picture

The Picture successful Picture (PIP) video mode that has been disposable connected iPad OS for years has present made its mode to iPhone successful iOS 14. Now you tin participate PIP mode connected iPhone and permission the video subordinate app and proceed watching the video. You tin resize the video subordinate PIP model oregon propulsion it to the broadside to proceed listening to the audio and not presumption the video. FaceTime supports Picture-in-Picture mode, truthful you tin permission the app and proceed to spot idiosyncratic successful a floating FaceTime PIP window.

SEE: Checklist: Managing and troubleshooting iOS devices (TechRepublic Premium)

Siri

Apple announced that Siri, the dependable adjunct connected iOS, present processes implicit 25 cardinal requests per month–that is simply a staggering number. Apple is moving to marque Siri smarter successful assorted ways.

Compact plan

A caller compact plan is disposable crossed each of the Apple platforms. Siri present launches successful a smaller bubble astatine the bottommost of the surface alternatively of taking up the afloat screen; this means you tin present proceed to presumption the surface portion interacting with Siri, alternatively of having Siri instrumentality up the full screen, blocking your view.

Smarter and with translation enactment

Apple announced that it is moving connected making Siri smarter and capable to process adjacent much types of requests. With iOS 14, Siri present has the quality to nonstop audio messages via iMessage and has besides been upgraded to let dictation processing connected the instrumentality for greater privateness and control.

Apple added a speech diagnostic to Siri done a caller Translate app that lets you construe aggregate languages arsenic you speech with idiosyncratic successful a antithetic language. This diagnostic besides works on-device and doesn't trust connected server-based relay, truthful you tin easy construe betwixt languages portion traveling without a information program connected your device.

SEE: How to usage the translation tools successful iOS 14 for easier connection and website translation (TechRepublic)

Messages

Messages, and peculiarly the iMessage service, is simply a immense payment of being an Apple user. Apple is moving to upgrade the Messages app crossed its platforms, and Messages gets a immense bump successful iOS 14.

Conversations

How galore times person you opened the Messages app and were incapable to find the speech with a person oregon coworker you were looking for? With the caller Pinning feature, you tin swipe close connected a peculiar speech to pin it to the apical of the Messages app. You tin usage this with your closest contacts to guarantee that you ever tin find them to rapidly make oregon reply to a message. You tin pin up to 9 conversations.

Memoji

Memoji has go highly fashionable amongst iOS users, and present successful iOS 14, you tin customize Memoji with implicit a trillion customization combinations. Apple added much property options, look covering options and caller Memoji sticker options.

Groups

Group messages successful the Messages app has been wholly rethought successful iOS 14 and present features in-line replies that lets you reply to a connection successful a thread benignant show truthful you tin support way of a circumstantial taxable without interrupting the full group's conversation.

Mentions fto you straight telephone retired a idiosyncratic successful a radical message; also, you tin beryllium notified lone erstwhile you're straight mentioned successful a speech truthful that you're not pinged for each connection connected the radical chat.

Groups tin beryllium customized utilizing a radical photograph oregon the radical logo with an emoji.

Maps

Apple has been utilizing its ain maps since iOS 6, and this year, the institution is adding much features to the Maps app to marque it 1 of the champion experiences for users connected the platform.

Finding large places

Apple started adding curation options for Maps successful iOS 13 with its Maps Collections feature, and the institution is taking it a measurement further successful iOS 14 by moving with assorted prestigious brands to make guides for cities oregon destinations that you tin travel to get recommendations for places to visit.

Features for cyclists and owners of electrical vehicles

Maps present provides environmentally-friendly proscription options similar the quality to get elaborate cycling directions to and from a destination successful prime cities. This caller cycling absorption diagnostic gives users entree to elaborate accusation astir motorcycle lane entree connected roads, paths with motorcycle access, and volition see incline information and if stairs oregon dense postulation mightiness beryllium encountered connected the trip. This volition beryllium initially disposable successful New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Shanghai and Beijing erstwhile iOS 14 launches.

Another environmentally greenish diagnostic added to iOS 14 Maps is the quality to get directions routed for electrical vehicles. This volition automatically fig successful the scope utilizing weather, elevation, and existent complaint to program retired charging stops on the route. It volition besides instrumentality into relationship your peculiar conveyance to lone amusement stops that person compatible chargers.

CarPlay

CarPlay is an iOS diagnostic that's important to galore users, arsenic it brings the iOS acquisition into the conveyance successful a affirmative mode that allows for enactment with Siri and well-loved iOS features and apps.

Apple stated that CarPlay is disposable successful 80% of the vehicles presently sold. A caller diagnostic disposable successful CarPlay is the quality to delegate caller customized wallpapers to the Home Screen inheritance and caller app categories, including apps that enactment mobile ordering successful electrical vehicles.

One of the biggest diagnostic announced for iOS 14 and CarPlay is the quality to usage your iPhone arsenic a cardinal for the vehicle.

Car Keys

Apple unveiled its caller task for CarPlay called Car Keys. The 2021 BMW 5 bid volition beryllium the archetypal conveyance supported, but much vehicles volition beryllium coming aboriginal successful the twelvemonth and adjacent year.

Keys are stored successful the Secure Element connected your iPhone (the aforesaid spot that stores Apple Pay and biometric unlock data), and you tin remotely disable keys if you suffer your iPhone. You tin besides stock keys via iMessage and alteration features specified arsenic restricted driving profiles for teenagers.

Initially, this diagnostic volition enactment with the NFC spot connected the iPhone to let unlocking erstwhile tapping the iPhone connected the vehicle, but aboriginal conveyance enactment volition see the quality to automatically unlock the conveyance erstwhile approaching and fastener erstwhile walking distant utilizing the U1 low-powered wireless spot disposable connected astir caller iPhones.

The champion portion is that you tin inactive usage this diagnostic for up to 5 hours aft your iPhone's artillery has died acknowledgment to the Power Reserve diagnostic of iOS that was introduced successful iOS 13 for transit cards successful the Wallet app.

SEE: The astir adjuvant Apple products for concern professionals (TechRepublic)

App Store

The App Store is present 12 years aged and caller features introduced successful iOS 14 volition radically alteration the mode that apps are discovered, tally and installed with App Clips.

App Clips

App Clips are tiny apps that tin beryllium instantly downloaded and tally connected the instrumentality with small idiosyncratic interaction. Simply pat your instrumentality to an NFC pat constituent oregon scan a QR code, and the app volition motorboat successful a paper interface astatine the bottommost of the screen. The app volition fto you bash a circumstantial task, specified arsenic placing a mobile order; erstwhile you're done, it volition vanish and not instrumentality up immoderate abstraction connected your device. In the App Library, you tin easy download the afloat app from an App Clip if you determine you'd similar to support the afloat app connected your device.

App Clips tin usage Apple Pay for payments and instrumentality vantage of Sign In With Apple for relationship creation.

App Clips tin beryllium launched from a website, an iMessage, Maps, NFC tags and QR codes. There's besides a caller Apple-designed App Clip codification that has some NFC and camera-based scanning functionality that tin beryllium placed astatine retail locations oregon different areas to let speedy scanning to unfastened the App Clip.

Apps similar Yelp tin integrate its ain tags utilizing App Clip codes that tin beryllium placed astatine aggregate businesses oregon locations.

App Clips usage the autochthonal iOS SDK and see a tiny diagnostic of the afloat app. The App Clips request to beryllium 10MB oregon little successful bid to beryllium rapidly downloaded to the instrumentality and launched quickly.

SEE: All of TechRepublic's cheat sheets and astute person's guides

COVID-19 Exposure Notifications

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Apple added an further diagnostic acceptable to iOS 14 during the beta signifier called Exposure Notifications. This diagnostic was besides released and made backwards compatible with iOS 13 devices with the iOS 13.5 update.

This diagnostic generates a random Bluetooth identifier that's not tied to your instrumentality and gets shared with in-range devices erstwhile retired successful nationalist (it tin beryllium shared with iOS and compatible Android devices done a concern with Apple and Google). For a 14-day period, your device's Bluetooth identifier volition beryllium stored and associated with those devices you were adjacent earlier being deleted and your identifier renewed. If 1 idiosyncratic is recovered to beryllium affirmative for COVID-19, they could spell done the process of submitting their investigating documentation done their section oregon nationalist wellness department's iOS app. When this happens, instrumentality identifiers the idiosyncratic was successful adjacent proximity with would beryllium notified done iOS that they were successful interaction with idiosyncratic who tested affirmative and alert those users to the precautions that request to beryllium taken specified arsenic getting tested and quarantining.

All of this is handled with the privateness and information protections that Apple is known for and is disabled by default until a idiosyncratic enables it. This diagnostic tin lone beryllium enabled if the state, region oregon locale has approved Apple to alteration this feature. Learn much by opening Settings | Exposure Notifications | How Exposure Notifications Work. You tin besides alteration Exposure Notifications successful this conception if the authorities wellness enactment allows it to beryllium enabled for your location.

SEE: COVID Vaccination Policy (TechRepublic Premium)

More iOS 14 features and changes

The Compact UI of Siri has made its mode to the incoming telephone telephone UI and FaceTime UI. Incoming calls volition usage a caller banner UI alternatively of taking up the afloat surface and interrupting your workflow.
You tin delegate default apps for your web browser and email client. If you usage an app different than Safari and Mail for web browsing and email, your favourite apps tin beryllium launched successful their spot erstwhile tapping a nexus oregon email address.
Search has a speedy launcher that tin much rapidly unfastened apps by typing conscionable the archetypal fewer characters of an app's name.
Siri tin reply questions that necessitate a web search.
Safari tin construe full webpages that are successful a antithetic connection than the iOS user's default language.
Safari volition automatically show your passwords and alert you if a password for a peculiar website is progressive successful a information breach.
AirPods tin beryllium much seamlessly transitioned from 1 instrumentality to different by automatically switching to the instrumentality presently being used.
AirPods volition automatically notify you whenever the artillery is getting debased done audio and propulsion notifications connected your connected device.
iOS 14 features a dot successful the presumption barroom of your instrumentality whenever the microphone oregon camera is successful usage by an app.
You tin take to lone stock an approximate determination with an app alternatively of your circumstantial location. This volition let your instrumentality to supply a larger GPS country than your precise pinpoint determination with apps that you don't spot with your data.
Photo entree tin beryllium constricted with apps, and you tin take to stock a circumstantial photo, album, oregon the full library.
When downloading an app, the App Store listing volition amusement which permissions the app volition request.
App Store subscriptions tin beryllium utilized with the Family Sharing diagnostic if the developer allows 1 IAP Subscription acquisition to beryllium shared amongst each household members.
The Files app supports APFS-encrypted thrust enactment for connected drives oregon web retention drives.
Notes features signifier designation for drafting lines, arcs, and shapes, including hearts, stars and arrows. Pause somewhat astatine the end, and your imperfect signifier snaps into a cleanable one.
The Weather app features next-hour precipitation, terrible upwind alerts for supported areas and multi-day precipitation forecasts.

Main features of iOS 14.5

iOS 14.5: App Tracking Transparency

Starting with iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5 and tvOS 14.5, Apple has added a caller user-facing diagnostic called App Tracking Transparency. This diagnostic prompts users to hold to being tracked by apps that utilize a token connected iOS devices called the Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA). This is simply a randomized token that Apple generates connected the instrumentality and allows app developers and websites to way you for the purposes of advertising. It's however you tin hunt for an point connected an online retailer, and past get served ads for that aforesaid point successful Instagram oregon Twitter. This token is what allows for idiosyncratic ads.

SEE: iOS 14 app tracking opt-ins whitethorn beryllium higher than expected (TechRepublic)

Apple has agelong protected this token and ensured that lone apps that should beryllium utilizing the token for the purposes of advertizing are really utilizing it; however, this each changes successful iOS 14.5. With this update, Apple is allowing the idiosyncratic to determine whether they privation to let apps to person entree to the token astatine all. When you motorboat an app that requests the IDFA token from iOS, you volition person a privateness punctual akin to erstwhile you're prompted for camera oregon microphone access.

When you prime Allow, the IDFA token volition beryllium handed implicit to the app, and the app volition relation arsenic before, letting apps and services way your IDFA token and stock it for the purposes of people advertising. If you prime Ask App Not To Track, the IDFA volition not beryllium handed implicit to the app, and it volition nary longer person the quality to specifically people you for ads. For astir apps, this means you volition nary longer spot targeted advertisements and alternatively spot generalized ads.

apple-ios-14.5-apptrackingtransparency.jpg

iOS 14.5: Siri Voice Changes

iOS 14.5 introduces caller Siri voices that are nary longer automatically selected oregon named by their gender. Instead, voices tin beryllium chosen by Variety (which is the dialect determination based connected supported countries) and past by the Voice.

For the American assortment of voices, determination are present 4 voices that tin beryllium chosen: voices 1 done 4. When mounting up an iOS instrumentality for the archetypal time, you volition beryllium prompted to prime 1 of these voices for Siri to use. In addition, you tin re-select a dependable astatine immoderate clip by pursuing these steps.

Open Settings.
Tap Siri & Search and past Siri Voice.
Select the Variety and past prime the Voice you privation to use.

SEE: How to customize Siri's dependable successful iOS 14.5 (TechRepublic)

iOS 14.5: Mask Unlocking

With iOS 14.5 and watchOS 7.4, Apple has introduced a caller mode to unlock your iPhone erstwhile wearing a disguise and besides your Apple Watch. With the Unlock With Apple Watch feature, iOS volition observe if you're wearing a mask; if you are, it volition spot if your Apple Watch is paired and unlocked, and past let your iPhone to beryllium unlocked without the request to participate a passcode. This convenience diagnostic was calved retired of the COVID-era due to the fact that Face ID could not beryllium utilized to unlock your instrumentality successful nationalist erstwhile wearing a mask.

iOS 14.5: AirTag

At its April 20, 2021 event, Apple introduced AirTag, which integrates with the Find My app connected iOS devices to fto you easy way mislaid items. AirTag is simply a small, battery-powered instrumentality that implements a U1 spot to fto the Find My app way the determination of the tag utilizing a backstage web that allows passerby's iPhones to study the determination anonymously. AirTag volition necessitate iOS 14.5 arsenic the basal mentation of iOS to work.

iOS 14.5: Podcasts

iOS 14.5 introduces a new, redesigned mentation of Podcasts that includes the quality to subscribe to paid podcasts. The app besides adds a caller interface that features large artwork and the quality to presumption akin podcasts erstwhile successful a playlist benignant view.

Main features of iOS 14.7

The caller features that Apple released successful this iOS 14 update are:

MagSafe Battery Pack enactment for Apple's precocious released MagSafe accessory.
Apple Card present supports combined recognition limits for a co-owned relationship and the quality to usage Apple Card with household and let others entree to the enactment of recognition done a shared virtual Apple Pay card.
HomePod update with iOS 14.7 includes the quality to acceptable and usage aggregate timers and negociate those timers wrong of the Home app connected iOS.
iOS 14.5 brought astir the redesigned Podcast app, but with iOS 14.7, Apple is bringing much tweaks astir followed shows and users.

Among the bug fixes that Apple released successful iOS 14.7 are:

A bug successful Dolby Atmos and Apple Music lossless audio tracks that could origin audio to abruptly halt playing.
The artillery work connection that whitethorn person disappeared aft reboot connected immoderate iPhone 11 models is restored.
A bug that caused Braille displays to amusement invalid accusation erstwhile composing Mail messages has been fixed.
A bug that could origin the stock playlist paper enactment to spell missing successful ‌Apple Music‌ has been addressed.

Apple is not stating whether this iOS 14.7 update besides fixes a serious information flaw that was identified by Amnesty International a fewer days anterior that elaborate a spyware cognition that could permission iOS and Android users susceptible to an attack.

Additional resources

WWDC 2020: Top caller iOS 14 features designed with concern professionals successful mind (TechRepublic)
New privateness and information features announced astatine Apple's WWDC 2020 (ZDNet)
WWDC 2020: What's iOS 14's concealed sauce? (ZDNet)

What is the merchandise past of iOS 14?

June 2020: Apple releases iOS 14.0 beta to developers and has a staggered beta merchandise docket done September 2020 for beta releases.
July 2020: Apple releases iOS 14.0 beta to Apple Seed beta users.
September 15, 2020: Apple releases iOS 14.0 GM to developers and announces it volition present judge iOS 14 app updates from developers.
September 16, 2020: Apple releases iOS 14.0 to the wide nationalist and announces that it volition beryllium pre-installed connected each caller devices going forward.
October 20, 2020: Apple releases iOS 14.1, which was the archetypal merchandise for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro. It was updated to see pinned conversations successful Messages, Memoji improvements, cycling directions and App Clip updates.
November 5, 2020: Apple releases iOS 14.2, which added Shazam integration successful Control Center, revamped media controls, look detection successful the accessibility Magnifier app, 100 caller emoji and 8 caller wallpapers that featured dynamic acheronian and airy mode support.
December 14, 2020: Apple introduced iOS 14.3, which added Apple Fitness+ to the Fitness app, a caller UI for the Apple TV app and enactment for Apple ProRAW photograph format for the iPhone 12 Pro models.
January 26, 2021: Apple released iOS 14.4, which brought the quality for tiny QR codes to beryllium recognized by the Camera app, and the enactment to classify Bluetooth devices successful the Settings for close recognition for headphones and audio notifications.
March 8, 2021: Apple introduced 14.4.1, which was an important information update that fixed an contented that could origin arbitrary codification execution oregon representation corruption.
March 26, 2021: Apple released iOS 14.4.2, which included further information patches for the mobile operating system.
April 22, 2021: Apple released iOS 14.6 beta for developers and nationalist beta testers.
April 26, 2021: Apple released iOS 14.5, which added galore caller features, including UI changes for the Podcasts app, a caller interface for typing and sending messages with Siri, enactment for Xbox Series S/X and PlayStation 5 controllers, enactment for mask unlock with Apple Watch, caller Software Update UI successful Settings, App Tracking Transparency Privacy, caller Siri Voices and Dual-SIM 5G support.
May 24, 2021: Apple released iOS 14.6 connected May 24, 2021 with enactment for AirTag, accessibility options aft restarting devices to beryllium capable to unlock with voice, Podcast subscriptions, bug fixes for built-in apps and much than 30 information patches.
July 18, 2021: Apple released iOS 14.7 to the wide public, adding a fewer caller features and pushing retired bug fixes for each iOS 14 users.

SEE: iOS 15: The apical 3 features Apple should include (TechRepublic)

How tin I download and instal iOS 14?

To download iOS 14 connected immoderate compatible device, execute the pursuing steps.

Open Settings.
Select General | Software Update.
Tap Download And Install and hold to the Terms & Conditions

Your instrumentality indispensable person astatine slightest 50% complaint successful bid to instal connected battery; however, it is ever champion to instal the update portion connected to a charger to guarantee that the artillery complaint is maintained passim the installation process.

Additional resources