Apple is back with another game changer that might end the Apple versus Android debate once and for all. Today, Apple rolled out the iOS 14.5 update which includes a feature that will allow iPhone and iPad users to refuse tracking apps access to data monitoring or sharing. The kicker? The move has received pushback from the likes of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg for months.
Once you turn on Apple’s App Tracking Transparency tool in the new iOS, it requires companies to request user authorization before getting access to app-related data. It’s no secret that advertisers rely on data collection for targeted ads, so this move is expected to result in big revenue losses for companies like Facebook. But you may recall that in the Cambridge Analytica scandal, millions of Facebook users’ profiles were harvested without their permission through a third-party app, and that the data could be used for voter targeting and profiling. Ahead of the 2022 Philippine presidential elections, this update feels like a gift. It’s not the end to all tracking but it’s definitely a win for user privacy.
Another interesting feature in the update is how you can now use your Apple Watch to unlock your iPhone. It’s a neat trick if you’re wearing a mask and can’t use Face ID in public. Though, y’know, it’s basically just an incentive to buy another Apple product.
The new emojis are also stirring a bit of excitement online. We can already imagine how the heart on fire emoji will be all the craze in the e-girl community. The face in clouds emoji seems to be made specifically for vape nation. Users now have the option to choose couples with different skin tones for the couples with heart and kiss emojis for more accurate emoji representation.
Apart from those, Siri is now more functional (it can play songs from music services like Spotify now!) and Apple now offers more diverse options other than the default Siri voice we’re familiar with. Do what you will with that info.
What’s your favorite feature from the update?
Photo by Sung Jin Cho on Unsplash
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