Coming to iOS 15.4: Face ID with a Mask, Biting Lip Emojis and MORE

iOS 15.4 is currently in beta, but when it rolls out, it should include a lot of fun (and useful) new features.  First, there will be a whopping 37 new emoji introduced, according to MacRumors. Some of the new emoji coming are a melting face, someone saluting, beans, and a slightly uncomfortable biting lip icon. As usual, the new emoji and variations of existing emoji are coming thanks to a new version of the Unicode standard that dictates the standard set of pictographs that get added to our devices.Emojipedia put together a first look at Apple’s renditions. The specific way emoji look will vary from platform to platform, but you can get a feel for what to expect from the Unicode Consortium, which is the body in charge of creating new emoji.

Next, in the new world of never ending pandemics, Apple appears to be testing a really useful new feature that will let you use Face ID to unlock the phone even when wearing a mask. The first developer beta for iOS 15.4 has a screen that asks if you want to be able to use Face ID while wearing a mask, at the cost of reduced security, according to photos from Brandon Butch on Twitter and MacRumors. Unfortunately, the feature will only be available if you’ve got a newer device according to 9to5Mac.

According to pictures of the screen, Apple says that “iPhone can recognize the unique features around the eye area to authenticate” but warns that Face ID is going to be more accurate if you have it set to not work with a mask. Not everyone will be able to take advantage of this particular feature, though. 9to5Mac reports that it only works on the iPhone 12 and 13 lines. They also weren’t able to use it on a 2018 iPad Pro, at least so far.

As the pandemic drags on, people (and organizations like the New York City MTA) have been clamoring for Apple to add a way to let people unlock iPhones while still wearing masks. The Verge reports that Apple has introduced various updates to help — iOS 13.5 would detect that you’re wearing a mask and quickly ask you for your passcode instead of trying to authenticate your face, and 14.5 let people with Apple Watches use Face ID while wearing a mask. (It seems to unlock for anyone wearing a mask, as long as your Apple Watch is close enough to the phone.) For people without an Apple Watch, however, it seems like this functionality may finally be on the horizon, assuming it proves to be secure enough.

The coming weeks will reveal what other new facets will be launched with iOS 15.4.  Stay tuned….

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