The second beta of iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5 is now seeding to developers and 9to5Mac and the r/iOSBeta sub-Reddit have compiled a changelog. The biggest upgrades are to the Shortcuts and Music apps and there are a number of smaller tweaks as well.
The Shortcuts app gained three new actions – Take Screenshot, Orientation lock (on/off) and Voice & Data mode (5G, 5G Auto, 4G, 3G).
The Music app switched to pop-over menus, which don’t obscure the whole UI. A quicker way to tweak playlists was added as well – you can swipe left or right on a track.
Options on the left let you move the track up or down, the ones on the right add or removes a track. The users that tried it report that the software doesn’t confuse this with the Back gesture. You can also share part of a song’s lyrics.
Old Music app menu • New pop-over menu • Swiping on tracks to edit a playlist
iOS 14.5 Beta 2 also adds over 200 new emojis (mostly “couple with heart” variations).
New emoji in iOS 14.5 Beta 2
Also, an old emoji was changed – the headphones emoji now looks like the AirPods Max.
The headphones emoji was changed to look like the Apple AirPods Max
The Apple Watch software also proceeded to the Beta 2 stage, which slightly changes the screen used to unlock your iPhone with your watch when you’re wearing a mask. Also, you can now cast Apple Fitness+ workouts to AirPlay 2-compatible TVs and set-top boxes.
Slightly reworked screen for unlocking your iPhone using your Watch while wearing a mask
There are probably a few more changes lurking in there, if you’re curious you can keep an eye on on the sub-Reddit.
Haslinda has worked with some of the largest telcos in North America and Asia. She loves tech and doesn’t like iPhone
