iOS 13.5 Major Health Update Available Now (4 New Features)

Apple has just rolled out the much expected iOS 13.5 update that packs the Exposure Notifications API as the main new feature. However this important update includes many other health related changes, like the iPhone’s ability to detect if the user wears a mask. In this case the OS will skip Face ID authentication and ask directly for the Passcode to make unlocking as streamlined as possible in the given circumstances.

The Exposure Notifications API is an impressive health project developed by Apple and Google in an attempt to help health authorities to be more efficient in the fight with the COVID-19 pandemic. The API combined by a third-party app developed by local health authorities allows smartphone users to anonymously collect data, on their devices, from other users that they get in touch with. As soon as one of these anonymous contacts marks himself/herself as positive with the SARS-COV-2 infection, all the cell phones that he interacted with in the past 14 days will flash an alert, prompting the owners that they might’ve been exposed to the virus. This will prevent them from being silent carriers and spread out the disease without knowing.

How To Update To iOS 13.5 / iPadOS 13.5
This update is available over-the-air. You can grab it right now by following these steps:
1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap General.
3. Select Software Update.
4. Tap Download and Install.
5. Provide your Passcode and be patient until the new software is downloaded, prepared and installed on your device.
Fact: iPhone reboots at the end of the install process. Provide your Passcode the first time you unlock it and you’re good to go.

iOS 13.5 New Features
Here you can find a list with the most important changes available with this software update:
1. Exposure Notifications API – we presented this important new feature in a dedicated article available here.
2. Face ID & Face Mask – Your iPhone is now aware when you wear a mask and prompts you directly for the Passcode instead of attempting to authenticate with Face ID. This change is available for unlocking your iOS device as well as with authentications used in App Store, Apple Pay, Apple Books, iTunes and other third-party apps that support the Face ID sign in.
Tip: If you want to make authentications even more streamlined, while wearing a mask, use the tips detailed here.
3. FaceTime Tiles – Starting with iOS 13.5 you can set the tiles of a group FaceTime conference to have the same size, instead of enlarging when someone speaks. We’ve provided an in depth article about how to disable automatic prominence.
4. Share Medical ID During SOS Call – Now you can allow your iPhone to share your Medical ID during an Emergency call and provide useful details to first responders in case you;re unconscious by the time they arrive.

iOS 13.5 Full Update Log
You can read the complete update log in the nearby screenshots. On top of the new features presented above, iOS 13.5 also brings two bug fixes:

• Black screen while streaming – A bug that was causing a black screen when trying to play a stream from some websites has been fixed.
• Share Sheet Issue – A problem that was causing the share sheet suggestions from loading properly has been solved.

Have you updated to iOS 13.5? Are you planning to use the COVID-19 Exposure Notifications? Let us know in the comments section available below.

Related: If unlocking an iPhone while wearing a mask is still too annoying for you, here is how to temporarily disable Face ID & Passcode on your iOS device.