Apple today is officially releasing iOS 13.4 and iPadOS 13.4 to the public. This comes after an extended beta testing period for developer and public beta users over the last month and a half. What’s new in iOS 13.4? Read on to find out.
Apple is also releasing iOS 12.4.6 for older iPhones and iPads today as well. tvOS 13.4 is also being released today.
As promised, iPadOS 13.4 has introduced mouse and trackpad support that lets you treat your tablet more like a laptop, including multi-touch gestures for navigation. Apple clearly built this with the iPad Pro’s Magic Keyboard in mind, but you can use it with other iPads if you have the right peripherals.
There are other substantial improvements. You can finally share iCloud Drive folders, complete with real-time file updates. You can buy iOS and Mac apps in bundles. Third-party navigation apps now work with the CarPlay Dashboard if you’d prefer not to use Apple Maps. Mail has an updated button layout to prevent you from accidentally deleting messages. The TV app now has data saving features to save bandwidth and storage. And yes, there are new Memoji stickers in case you need to add a personal touch to your eyerolls or celebrations.
There are corresponding updates for Apple TV, Mac and Apple Watch users, although the Apple Watch update may be the highlight. It now allows in-app purchases for watch apps, and introduces both ECG support as well as irregular heart rhythm alerts in Chile, New Zealand and Turkey.
There’s no mention of CarKey and other hinted-at iOS 13.4 features, but some of those may depend on partners and hardware announcements, assuming Apple doesn’t wait until a later release. Even so, there’s plenty of substance here to justify an upgrade.
