iOS 15.4 beta 5 is out: what has Apple changed?

The release of iOS 15.4 is approaching, as Apple has already released the fifth beta of the software update. It has a remarkable change, because Siri has been given a gender neutral voice.

iOS 15.4 beta 5

The iOS 15.4 release is probably this month: the software may be released as early as next week. It is a major interim update that brings several new features to the iPhone. Most of them were already discovered in the previous betas (test versions).

With iOS 15.4, for example, you can unlock your iPhone with Face ID if you wear a face mask. The facial recognition technology then only scans the top part of your face. There are also 37 new emojis, Apple adds Tap to Pay in the US and more.

Gender neutral Siri

In the fifth beta there is something new to discover: the Anglo-American Siri has been given a gender-neutral voice. Siri once started as a woman, later Apple added the male voice and now there is also a non-binary sound.

So the voice is not clearly male or female. The Dutch Siri does not yet have that gender-neutral voice. You can, however, activate the English and non-binary Siri on your iPhone. Open the Settings app and go to Siri & Search>Language. Check ‘English (United States)’. Go back to Siri and Search, tap Siri Voice and choose Voice 5.

More new features

iOS 15.4 is expected to be released in mid-March. Most of the innovations of iOS 15.4 were already known after the earlier betas.

• Face ID with mouth cap. In iOS 15.4, there is an option to unlock your iPhone while wearing a face mask.
• New emojis. Apple adds no less than 37 new emojis, including a pregnant man and sensual lips.
• Anti-stalking at AirTags. The Find My app lets you see if you have any AirTags nearby, which may be tracking your location.
• Turn off notifications in Assignments. By default, you will receive a notification when Commands takes action, but from iOS 15.4 this can be turned off.
• Password note. iCloud Keychain adds an option to add a note to a password.
• Apps with 120 Hz. The iPhone 13 Pro has a screen that refreshes faster. Due to a bug, third-party apps were not able to handle it properly yet, but this is being fixed.
• Activate SharePlay faster. For apps that support SharePlay, there will be an option to activate SharePlay from the Share menu.
• Universal Control. In iPadOS 15.4, Apple adds Universal Controls, which let you use your Mac’s cursor to control your iPad, and vice versa.