Should I install the new iOS 14.4 directly?
- 0
- 0
- 0
- 0
- 0
- 0
After iOS 14.3 brought a number of new functions, iOS 14.4 mainly serves to eliminate bugs. TECHNOLOGY BUTTON reveals what is in the update and whether the installation is worthwhile.
iOS 14.4 is now available as a Release Candidate (RC). The final version of the new iOS version is expected to be available for download for all owners of compatible iPhones from next week.
Contents
iPhone camera recognizes smaller QR codes
As some may know, you can use the iPhone camera directly as a scanner for QR codes. Simply hold the camera on it and the iPhone will automatically recognize the link hidden behind it. At least that’s the case with most codes – but with some it doesn’t work. Until now, the iPhone has had problems reliably scanning particularly small QR codes. Even if these were prominently placed, the iPhone did not recognize anything. And going closer to the code with the camera didn’t help either, because it couldn’t focus.
Apple has fixed this with the update to iOS 14.4. The iPhone camera now also recognizes small QR codes without any problems.
New option to set the bluetooth device type
So far it has been the case that iOS has only recognized Apple’s own products such as AirPods and Beats that they are Bluetooth headphones. If, on the other hand, you connect products from other manufacturers, such as Bluetooth boxes, a hearing aid or the system in the car, the iPhone does not know which device type it is dealing with.
In iOS 14.4, users can help the iPhone on the jumps and specify for each Bluetooth audio device what type of device it is. This means that a Bluetooth box is a “loudspeaker”, the system in the car is a “car stereo”, etc. This distinction helps iOS to accurately measure the headphone noise level. In short, it allows iOS to detect when the volume is too loud and harmful to the ears. For their own health, iPhone owners should therefore make sure that everything is set correctly. The setting can be found under Bluetooth > Name of the device > Device type .
Warning if a replacement camera is not original
Apple has always been at war with repairs that come from independent workshops or from their own hands. The company wants to prevent non-original replacement parts from being installed that may not meet Apple requirements for good reason. With the iPhone 12, Apple therefore installed a lock that prevents third-party camera replacement parts from working. If you start the camera app in an iPhone 12 with a replaced camera, it simply crashes.
With iOS 14.4, the manufacturer even goes one step further. Instead of just crashing the app, the iPhone now shows a warning message. This indicates that the installed camera replacement part is not genuine and not certified by Apple. This means that buyers can be sure that they will only get original spare parts if they have the iPhone repaired in an independent workshop. Hobbyists who repair their iPhone themselves at least know that they have been sold a non-original replacement part.
Also interesting: iPhone 12 can be life-threatening for heart patients
Bugs that Apple fixes with iOS 14.4
While iOS 14.3 was a relatively large feature update, iOS 14.4 primarily addressed a number of bugs. In some cases, these have existed for a long time, such as the problems with the iPhone keyboard. Other bugs have only appeared since the iPhone 12. These include the fitness widget not showing current data and artifacts in HDR photos. Here is the full list of bug fixes:
- Image artifacts could appear in HDR photos on the iPhone 12 Pro.
- The fitness widget did not show any current activity data in some cases.
- Typing on the keyboard could be delayed and suggestions not appearing.
- Text read aloud from the News app in CarPlay did not resume after paused for directions or Siri.
- The switch control in Accessibility could prevent answering calls from the lock screen.
Conclusion: If you have iOS problems, you should update
While iOS 14.3 came up with many smaller but new features, iOS 14.4 is practically just a bug fix update. Of course, anyone who is affected by one of the errors listed above should not wait to update. Even those who need to bring their iPhone for repair or who have already repaired it should play it safe with iOS 14.4. We did not notice any errors when testing the new iOS version, so there are no warnings from our side.
The iOS 14.4 release candidate is currently only available to beta testers and developers. The update should be distributed to all compatible iPhones (from iPhone 6s) shortly.
GO TO COMMENTS (0)
