Apple's latest update to iOS 14 brings a number of excellent tweaks and features, notably lossless audio playback and Apple Family Sharing.
iOS 14.6 brings Apple Podcast subscriptions back to life, along with the aforementioned high-quality audio formats. In addition, Apple Card payment information can now be shared with multiple users. Additionally, if you have an Apple AirTag Key Finder, you now have access to an email address recovery option.
With iOS 14.5, Apple's native Podcasts app received its biggest redesign in years. In addition to a modernized show page and library management, users can now pay for an Apple Podcast subscription. Subscriptions include benefits such as ad-free listening, exclusive content, and early access to podcast episodes.
Because these benefits are determined by the podcast creators, there is no flat subscription fee. Instead, the creators can decide how much to charge, and users can subscribe on a per-show basis.
Apple Music subscribers (who pay $9.99/month) will be able to listen to certain songs in hi-fi format at no additional charge after upgrading to iOS 14.6. According to Apple, "thousands" of songs will be mastered for Dolby Atmos and will also support spatial audio, the 3D surround sound format of the Apple AirPods Pro and Apple AirPods Max.
However, these audio upgrades are not yet available. However, users with iOS 14.6 will be among the first to be ready to take advantage of spatial audio and lossless listening.
Besides audio improvements, the debut of Apple Card family sharing is perhaps the most notable upgrade in iOS 14.6. Previously, only you could pay with your Apple credit card through Apple Pay. Family Sharing allows you to share card information with your spouse or children, supporting joint spending on a single credit account.
The Apple Card family feature allows children to pay with your digital Apple Card through Apple Pay rather than having their own credit card or physical Apple Card. You can also monitor spending and assign user preferences. You can even make your spouse a co-owner of your Apple Card.
If the lack of sharing features is a deciding factor in your choice of Apple Card, be sure to check out our guide on how to apply for an Apple Card after upgrading to iOS 14.6.
Also, if you are unsure how to upgrade your iPhone software to the latest version, simply go to Settings, select General, and then Software Update. For more detailed instructions, see How to Upgrade to iOS 14.6.
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