The latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system, iOS 13.5, is now available to download. The update brings several new features, including the COVID-19 exposure notification the company has been working on with Google.
Technology can help health officials rapidly tell someone they may have been exposed to COVID-19. Today the Exposure Notification API we created with @Google is available to help public health agencies make their COVID-19 apps effective while protecting user privacy.
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) May 20, 2020
Keeping with the COVID-19 theme, the update’s main user-facing enhancement is a simplified Face ID flow when you want to unlock your iPhone or iPad while wearing a face mask. In those situations, iOS will go straight to the passcode screen so you can unlock your phone without delay. If you need to authenticate a purchase through the App Store, Apple Books, Apple Pay or iTunes while wearing a mask, those apps will do the same, as will any third-party apps that support Face ID.