Apple has been oscillating between Touch ID and Face ID on its devices for a while now, but with the new iOS update that’s about to roll out, it appears that the company has no further plans of adopting the Touch ID sensor on its flagship iPhones again. The possibility of Touch IDs being included in iPhones was considered as a possibility over the pandemic, since it was a problem unlocking the device with a mask on.
Apple has included new features, via updates, to tackle this issue, for example, if you are wearing your Apple Watch, you can unlock your phone with that. However, not all iPhone users own Apple Watches, so this wasn’t the best solution.
With iOS 15.4, which is set to roll out publicly in a few weeks, Apple has zoned in on their focus on Face ID again and has shown in a way that this is where its attention is going to be at.
As 9to5Mac points out, Touch ID was “a breakthrough feature” when it launched with the iPhone 5s, but once Apple introduced Face ID with the iPhone X, the narrative shifted. The company was “two years ahead of the competition” when it launched face ID and five years down the line, it is “at least half a decade ahead of its competitors”.
Simultaneously, Apple’s embedded fingerprint sensor has gotten better over time too, but, Face ID, remains the safest and the fastest way to unlock the device. And with its next iOS update, Apple is adding eye recognition to Face ID, making it easier to unlock iPhones with the mask on. And this also does away with the need to use the Apple Watch, or any other device, to unlock an iPhone when one has a mask on and cannot take it off.
As Apple explained, the True depth system will “recognize the unique features around the eye to authenticate” the face. Along with the Apple Watch’s unlock feature, the True depth system recognizes when someone has a mask on and that the Apple Watch is near, and then unlocks the device. Earlier, it was not possible to authenticate third-party apps or use Apple Pay on the iPhone with this tech, since it only recognized the mask and not the person. This has been fixed now with True depth.
This, along with the fact that Apple keeps pushing Face ID recognition on most devices, indicates that they are serious about it and intend to keep at it. Apple’s iOS 15.4 is set to release in a few weeks for the public, it is currently in beta, and that will bring in True depth to the iPhones.
Apple acknowledges security issues with AirTags announces new updates:
Apple had created its AirTags to help people keep a track of their items like keys, wallets, backpacks, etc., with the help of its Find My app. While Air Tags has seen its share of success stories, it has also become a significant security threat as well, with many people complaining that they have found unidentified AirTags on them which were being used to stalk them.
Air Tag’s security issues have been flagged by many, and Apple has also acknowledged the problem and has rolled out some updates to tackle the issue. However, that hasn’t been enough to deter bad actors from using the trackers to follow and stalk others.
The company has addressed the issue again and has announced new updates that will be rolling out soon.
Older updates that Apple has already rolled out to deal with the stalking issue include a notification that users will get if an unknown AirTags is on them. All iPhones running iOS 14.5 and up will receive notifications as an AirTag's is detected travelling with someone who does not own it. The notifications will pop up once the user returns home. Apple also launched an app for Android users in December that will let them know about mystery AirTags following them.
Additionally, Air tags were also updated to make a noise, at random times between eight and 24 hours, when they are separated from their owners. Users can also use their phones to make the AirTag emit noise to help find it more quickly. Apple also added detailed instructions about how to disable an unwanted AirTag from the phone and also by taking it apart. All Air tags have serial numbers that can be traced back to the owner, but this feature is of not much help if the Air tag cannot be found in the first place.
“AirTag was designed to help people locate their personal belongings, not to track people or another person’s property, and we condemn in the strongest possible terms any malicious use of our products. Unwanted tracking has long been a societal problem, and we took this concern seriously in the design of AirTag,” Apple said.
The company pointed out that while people do receive unwanted tracking alerts for reasons like borrowing someone’s car keys or being in a car with a friend/family member’s AirPods, they are also aware that the AirTags are being misused.
“We also have seen reports of bad actors attempting to misuse AirTag for malicious or criminal purposes. Apple has been working closely with various safety groups and law enforcement agencies. Through our evaluations and these discussions, we have identified even more ways we can update AirTag safety warnings and help guard against further unwanted tracking,” Apple added.
“We have been actively working with law enforcement on all AirTag-related requests we’ve received. Based on our knowledge and discussions with law enforcement, incidents of AirTag misuse are rare; however, each instance is one too many,” the company said.
“Every AirTag has a unique serial number, and paired AirTags are associated with an Apple ID. Apple can provide the paired account details in response to a subpoena or valid request from law enforcement. We have successfully partnered with them on cases where the information we provided has been used to trace an AirTag back to the perpetrator, who was then apprehended and charged,” Apple explained.
Besides this, Apple’s new updates include privacy warnings while setting up AirTags, AirPods’ alert issues, Precision Finding, Display Alert with sound, refining unwanted tracking alerts, and the ability to tune the AirTags’ sounds.
From the time a person sets up an AirTag, they will see a message that states that AirTags are meant to track their belongings only and using an AirTag to track people without their consent "is" a crime.
The message adds that an “AirTag is designed to be detected by victims, and that law enforcement can request identifying information about the owner of the airbag”.
For users who have been receiving “Unknown Accessory Detected” alerts for AirPods, Apple has updated this issue and the alert will not display if an AirTag is detected near the user, “only AirPods (3rd generation), AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, or a third-party Find My network accessory”. We will be updating the alert users receive to indicate that AirPods have been travelling with them instead of an "Unknown Accessories", Apple added.
Features like Precision Finding that will help those receiving unwanted tracking alerts to detect to locate an unknown AirTag better will be rolling out later this year. “iPhone 11, iPhone 12, and iPhone 13 users will be able to use Precision Finding to see the distance and direction to an unknown AirTag when it is in range. As an iPhone user moves, Precision Finding fuses input from the camera, AR Kit, accelerometer, and gyroscope to guide them to the AirTag through a combination of sound, haptics, and visual feedback,” Apple explained.
The sounds that AirTags emit to alert people about its presence is often not loud enough to be heard. Thus, Apple is going to add a display alert on your device so that quick action can be taken, like playing the sound again, to use Precision Finding to locate the unwanted AirTag faster. “This will help in cases where the Air tag may be in a location where it is hard to hear, or if the AirTag speaker has been tampered with,” Apple said.
Apple also plans to update its unwanted tracking alert system to notify users sooner about an unwanted and unidentified AirTag or Find My network accessory travelling with them. Air tag's users will also be able to adjust the tone sequence on the AirTag to make it louder so that it can be more easily found, particularly in the case of unwanted tracking alerts.
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