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iOS 14 facts for kids
| Version of the iOS operating system | |
 |
|
iOS 14 home screen running on an iPhone 12
|
|
| Developer | Apple |
|---|---|
| Source model | Closed, with open-source components |
| General availability |
September 16, 2020 |
| Latest release | 14.8.1 (October 26, 2021) |
| Repository |
|
| Update method | Software Update |
| Package manager | App Store |
| Platforms | |
| Kernel type | Hybrid (XNU) |
| Default user interface |
Cocoa Touch (multi-touch, GUI) |
| License | Proprietary software with open-source components |
| Preceded by | iOS 13 |
| Succeeded by | iOS 15 |
| Tagline | Looks brand new. Feels like home. |
| Support status | |
| Obsolete, no longer receiving security updates, because all iPhones and iPod Touches that supported iOS 14 support iOS 15 as well. Widespread third party app support. | |
| Articles in the series | |
| iPadOS 14 (iPadOS version derived from iOS 14) | |
iOS 14 is a big update for the iOS mobile operating system. It was made by Apple for their iPhone and iPod touch devices. Apple first showed iOS 14 on June 22, 2020. It became available to everyone on September 16, 2020. Later, iOS 15 took its place on September 20, 2021.
Contents
Cool New Features in iOS 14
iOS 14 brought many exciting changes to iPhones and iPod Touches. These updates made devices easier to use and more personal.
App Clips: Mini Apps for Quick Tasks
App Clips are like tiny parts of apps that you don't need to install fully. They let you do quick things, like paying for parking or ordering food. You can find them by scanning QR codes or using NFC tags. They can also be shared through Messages or found on websites.
CarPlay Updates
CarPlay helps you use your iPhone safely in the car. In iOS 14, you could set a custom background picture. Apple Maps in CarPlay also got better. It could show you stops like parking or places to eat. If you had an electric car, it even helped find charging stations.
Car Keys on Your iPhone
Imagine using your iPhone to unlock and start your car! With iOS 14, this became possible for some cars. It uses NFC technology. You could even share your car key with friends or family through the Wallet app. If your iPhone battery died, you could still use the car key for a few hours.
Home Screen Makeover
The home screen in iOS 14 looked very different. Before, all your app icons were just lined up. Now, you could add special Widgets and arrange your apps more freely. You could even hide pages of apps you didn't use often.
Widgets: Info at a Glance
Widgets are like small windows that show you information from apps. You could place them right on your home screen next to your app icons. They came in different sizes. You could also stack widgets on top of each other. A "Smart Stack" could even show you the most helpful widget based on the time of day.
App Library: Your Organized Apps
The App Library is a new screen that automatically sorts all your apps. It puts them into categories like "Social" or "Games." The apps you use most often appear at the top of each category. There's also a "Recent" section for newly installed apps. You can easily search for any app or browse them in alphabetical order.
Compact Design for Calls and Siri
In older iOS versions, a phone call or Siri would take over your whole screen. In iOS 14, these became much smaller. They would appear as a small banner or bubble. This meant you could still see and interact with the app you were using.
Picture-in-Picture Video
This cool feature lets you watch videos or make FaceTime calls in a small window. This window floats over other apps. You can move it around, change its size, or even hide it off-screen. This is great for multitasking, like watching a show while checking messages.
Smarter Search and Siri
The search bar on your home screen got better. It was easier to find apps, search the web, and get suggestions as you typed. Siri also became more helpful. It could answer more questions and translate more languages.
Privacy and Security Updates
iOS 14 added important features to protect your privacy.
- App Store Privacy Labels: Before you download an app, the App Store now shows you what information the app wants to use. This helps you decide if you want to give it permission.
- Privacy Indicators: If an app uses your microphone or camera, a small colored dot appears at the top of your screen. An orange dot means the microphone is active, and a green dot means the camera is on. You also get a notification if an app tries to access your clipboard.
- Asking for Tracking Permission: Apps now have to ask your permission before they can track your activity across different apps and websites. This gives you more control over your data.
- Private Wi-Fi Address: To make it harder for companies to track your location, your iPhone can now use a different MAC address for each Wi-Fi network you join.
Other Cool Changes
- Emoji Search: The Emoji keyboard now has a search bar, making it easier to find the perfect emoji.
- Memoji and Animoji: More hairstyles, headwear, and even face mask options were added for your personalized Memoji.
- Default Apps: You could finally change your default email and web browser apps from Apple's own Mail and Safari.
- Back Tap: On newer iPhones, you could double-tap or triple-tap the back of your phone to do things like open Control Center or take a screenshot.
- 4K YouTube: iOS 14 added support for the VP9 video format. This meant you could watch YouTube videos in super clear 4K resolution in Safari.
- Sound Recognition: This accessibility feature helps people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Your iPhone can listen for specific sounds, like a fire alarm or a baby crying, and then alert you.
- New Wallpapers: Eight new wallpapers were added to personalize your device.
- Face ID with Mask: Later in iOS 14, you could unlock your iPhone with Face ID while wearing a mask if you also had a paired Apple Watch.
App Features: What's New in Your Favorite Apps?
Many built-in Apple apps also got updates in iOS 14.
Calendar
The Calendar app icon now uses shorter names for the days of the week.
Camera
The Camera app got several improvements:
- You could mirror photos taken with the front camera on newer iPhones.
- QR code reading was improved.
- It was faster to take photos, especially in burst mode and portrait mode.
- You could quickly change video resolution and frame rate right in the Camera app.
FaceTime
FaceTime calls got better:
- On newer iPhones, FaceTime could make it look like you were making direct eye contact, even if you weren't looking straight at the camera.
- If someone was using sign language in a group call, their video would be highlighted.
- FaceTime supported clearer 1080p video quality over Wi-Fi and 5G.
- It also worked with the new Picture-in-picture mode.
Home App
The Home app helps you control smart devices in your house. It got a new design and better ways to set up automatic actions. For example, smart cameras could alert you only if movement happened in a certain area. Smart lights could also change their color temperature throughout the day to match natural light.
Messages
The Messages app became more powerful:
- You could pin up to nine important conversations to the top of your list.
- Group chats could have custom pictures.
- You could mention specific people in a group chat, and only they would get a notification.
- You could reply directly to specific messages, creating separate conversation threads.
Maps
Apple Maps added new ways to get around:
- Cycling Directions: You could get directions for bike rides, showing things like hills and stairs.
- EV Routing: If you had an electric vehicle, Maps could plan routes that included charging stops.
- Guides: Curated guides helped you find cool places to eat, shop, and explore in different cities.
Safari
Safari, Apple's web browser, became more secure and faster:
- It could check if your saved passwords had been part of a data breach.
- A new Privacy Report showed you which trackers websites were trying to use.
- Safari also got a built-in tool to translate web pages into different languages.
Translate App
iOS 14 introduced a brand new Translate app. It lets you translate voice and text between 11 languages. You can use it for conversations, where it automatically detects which language is being spoken. It also works with Siri and can translate web pages in Safari.
Supported Devices
If your iPhone or iPod Touch could run iOS 13, it could also run iOS 14. This included many older models.
iPhones |
iPod Touches
|
Release Timeline
Apple first released a test version of iOS 14 for developers on June 22, 2020. A public test version came out on July 9, 2020. The final version, iOS 14, was officially released to everyone on September 16, 2020.
Images for kids
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A robot friend.
See also
- iPadOS 14
- macOS Big Sur
- tvOS 14
- watchOS 7