When Apple announced new versions of iOS, macOS, iPadOS and WatchOS at WWDC this week, they highlighted what they believe the most important changes and additions were to the software. Early beta versions of the software is now available, and some other interesting features of iOS 14 have been uncovered by users that Apple didn’t discuss at the event.
Read: iOS 14 update highlights its greatest strength over Android
There is a new “Back Tap” feature that allows you to interact with your iPhone and perform various different actions by double- or triple-tapping the back. It is an accessibility feature to help those with limited motor function, but many are finding it extremely useful for everyday use.
Interestingly, you can actually set a Siri shortcut to run on the double tap function and then set that shortcut to anything you would like. This gets around the limitation Apple has set on what it can do. I’ll let Marques Brownlee explain:
Another new feature not mentioned by Apple is how it will get more battery life out of your AirPods over time. iOS 14 extends optimized battery charging to the wireless earbuds, so basically like what you see with iPhones and Macs. It feature will recharge your AirPods’ batteries to 80 percent but wait until you’re more likely to use them before pushing for a 100 percent charge. This will help with the longevity of your AirPods battery, no doubt.
There’s also an accessibility feature that will send a notification to your iPhone when the device is hearing a sound that may require your attention. This could include a fire alarm, a baby crying or when you’ve left the water running.
As the beta gets into the hands of more people we are sure to see some other nifty features we haven’t heard of. Expect the full version to launch within the next several months to all iPhones listed here.
