Apple today released iOS 14.6 and iPadOS 14.6 to the public. The iOS 14.6 update isn't quite as significant as the iOS 14.5 update that preceded it, but it still introduces a number of notable new features. We've highlighted everything that's new in iOS and iPadOS 14.6 below.
Apple Music Spatial Audio and Lossless Audio Support
Apple in May introduced two new Apple Music features, which Apple Music subscribers are getting for no additional cost. Apple Music Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos will offer up an immersive, multi-dimensional audio experience that lets artists mix music in a way that makes it sound like the notes are coming from all around you.
Neither of these two features are launching with iOS 14.6 and Apple plans to enable them in June through a server-side update, but iOS 14.6 does lay the groundwork.
More about these new features can be found in our Apple Music guide and our dedicated Apple Music Lossless guide.
Apple Card Family
Announced in April, Apple Card Family is designed to allow an Apple card to be shared among family members. Two adults in a family can share a single Apple Card account, with each person serving as a co-owner to build credit.
Apple Card Family also lets parents share an Apple Card with their children for making purchases, with optional spending limits and parental controls to help children learn smart financial habits. All spending by the family is tracked with a single monthly bill.
Up to five people can be added to an Apple Card account for sharing purposes, with sharing handled through the Wallet app. All users must be part of the same Family Sharing Group, and be 13 years of age or older.
Co-owners must be 18 years or older, and will have a combined spending limit and the ability to see each other's spending. Existing Apple Card customers will be able to merge their Apple Card accounts if they have two cards, resulting in a higher shared credit limit with the lower APR of the two accounts, but this feature won't be available until July. Adding new family members or adding a co-owner to an Apple Card can be done through the Wallet app, and Apple has provided tutorials.
Apple Podcasts Subscription Support
iOS 14.6 introduces support for subscriptions in the Apple Podcasts app, allowing podcast creators to collect subscription fees from their listeners.
Subscriptions can unlock additional content, with NPR, the Los Angeles Times, Sony Music Entertainment, Wondery, and more planning to introduce premium content. Podcast subscriptions are available in more than 170 countries.
AirTag and Find My
In the Find My app, if you put an AirTag or a Find My accessory into Lost Mode, you can now add an email address for contact purposes. Prior to iOS 14.6, the only option was to enter a phone number.