Apple has wasted no time in getting iOS 14.6 (and iPadOS 14.6) out to the public, commencing the era of paid podcasts on the iPhone and iPad.
The update, now rolling out to all users, is the first to support Apple Podcasts Subscriptions, which enables content creators to offer additional subscriber-only episodes and other benefits like early access. They’re also available for the watchOS 7.5 update also dropping for Apple Watch users today.
As well as the new podcasts ecosystem, iOS 14.6 brings the ability to add family members to an Apple Card account thanks to Family Sharing. It enables a parent to set limits on spending, while also tracking how much individual family members are spending. Kids as young as 13 can have access to the account.
For owners of the new Apple AirTag item trackers, an update enables users to enter their email address when in lost mode, rather than a phone number, which is handy if you want your item back without potentially putting your phone number out there for all and sundry. The “AirTag will show the partially masked phone number of the owner when tapped with an NFC-capable device,” Apple also says in the release notes.
There’s also a couple of the usual improvements and bug fixes to clean-up the odd issue, including one where Bluetooth audio devices would disconnect during phone calls. Apple has also nixed an issue that prevented the Unlock with Apple Watch feature that arrived with the recent iOS 14.5 release.
The update, which features the new tools unveiled at Apple’s Spring Forward event is likely to be the final update of any substance before Apple unveils iOS 15 at the forthcoming WWDC event. This year’s developer conference was just announced for June 7 and will start at 6pm UK time.
What are you hoping for from iOS 15? Let us know @trustedreviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
