Apple Seeds First Public Betas of iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4 With Universal Control, Face ID With Mask Support and More - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple Seeds First Public Betas of iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4 With Universal Control, Face ID With Mask Support and More

Apple today seeded the first betas of upcoming iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4 updates to public beta testers, with the software coming just a day after the launch of the developer betas.

iOS 15
iOS and iPadOS 15.4 can be downloaded over the air after the proper profile from Apple's public beta testing website has been installed on an iPhone or iPad.

iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4 are major updates. iOS 15.4 brings a new feature for unlocking your iPhone with Face ID even when wearing a mask, and iPadOS 15.4 introduces Universal Control. When paired with a Mac running macOS Monterey 12.3, ‌Universal Control‌ allows multiple Macs and iPads to be controlled with a single cursor and keyboard, and it's super simple and intuitive to use. ‌Universal Control‌ requires macOS Monterey 12.3, which does not yet appear to be available for public beta testers.


The betas also bring new Emoji 14 characters, an Apple Card widget, a keyboard brightness Control Center option on ‌iPad‌, support for on-device custom email domain setup, easier access to SharePlay, and tons more.

We have a full list of everything new in iOS 15.4 available in our iOS 15.4 features guide. Apple has also released the first tvOS 15.4 public beta.

Related Forum: iOS 15

Popular Stories

iOS 28 AI

Apple Taking New Approach to Developing iOS 28 and macOS 28

Sunday November 8, 2026 7:42 am PST by
Apple has made a change to its development process for iOS 28, macOS 28, and corresponding software updates, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, he said Apple separates development of each year's new operating systems into three major stages. Typically, he said each stage consists of four weeks of coding followed by a four-week "convergence" period where...
duo aquarium

More Fun iPhone Duo Apps: 30 New Picks to Try

Friday November 6, 2026 3:27 pm PST by
When the iPhone Duo launched, we shared a list of some of the fun apps developers created for the new form factor. Two weeks out, developers are continuing to come up with fresh ideas, so we thought we'd share some of our favorites. Games Marbles Unhinged ($2.99) - Marbles Unhinged is a marble maze designed for the Duo. When you fold it, the floor turns into a ramp. If you stand the top...
apple pro tell logo

Apple Launching Five New Products Today

Thursday November 5, 2026 12:59 am PST by
Apple is launching five new products on Friday, November 6, following pre-orders that opened last week, including its first touchscreen MacBook Pro models. The following new products will be available from today: iPad mini with OLED display and A20 Pro chip iMac with M6 chip 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 chip 14-inch MacBook Pro with OLED touchscreen 16-inch MacBook Pro with OLED...

Top Rated Comments

krspkbl Avatar
62 months ago
looks like i'm joining the beta program again. i need dat face mask unlock.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fwmireault Avatar
62 months ago

if you see the differences of face id hardware between iPhone 12 & 11, then you will see its almost identical. Besides A13 & A14 bionic chip both are very powerful. so Apple is intentionally doing this to compel customers to upgrade their iPhone just like when they added night mode on iPhone 11 but not on iPhone X & XS though they were capable of having night mode.
You are talking about cosmetic differences, we don’t know if there were any changes under the hood. If Apple wanted to intentionally limit this feature, why would they allow it on iPhone 12? They could only allow it on the latest iPhone series. It doesn’t make sens to limit the feature specifically to last year models without an hardware limitation
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vertsix Avatar
62 months ago

How’s stability so far, anyone?
its pretty gewd. i normally avoid all betas, but i jumped ship on this one because there was a lot of features i wanted to try.

no issues with stability so far
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fwmireault Avatar
62 months ago

this update is nothing for me as I am currently using iPhone 11. its very sad that how greedy Apple have become.
There is only one feature that is not avaible on iPhone 11, and it’s probably because of hardware limitation or greater security risks on iPhone X/XS/XR/11. The rest of iOS 15.4 is still a good upgrade for everyone
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BWhaler Avatar
62 months ago
Really looking forward to this release.

These releases are a reminder that even though fans, media, tech pundits obsess over hardware, it’s software that really moves the dial year-to-year. Even Apple has lost the right balance, which is understandable since they make their money on hardware. But to be great at hardware, you need great software. And to make a ton of money at services, you have to be great at software.

I used to buy tons of music and books from Apple. But iTunes was so buggy for so many years with confusing, half-baked interface, I just moved to Spotify. Same with movies many years later. I used to buy a ton of movies, but the library tab doesn’t work with large libraries, so I rent movies through Verizon or Xbox now.

I hope Apple really gets the balance back. Great software will feed the revenue ecosystem if you let it.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
midkay Avatar
62 months ago
How’s stability so far, anyone?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
Apple Releases macOS Golden Gate 27.2.1
Apple Releases macOS Golden Gate 27.2.1
4 minutes ago
Apple Releases iOS 27.2.1 With Bug Fixes
Apple Releases iOS 27.2.1 With Bug Fixes
8 minutes ago
Apple Releases watchOS 27.2.1 and visionOS 27.2.1 With Security Fixes
Apple Releases watchOS 27.2.1 and visionOS 27.2.1 With Security Fixes
10 minutes ago
Apple Watch Ultra 4 Gets $99 Amazon Discounts, Starting at $699.99
Apple Watch Ultra 4 Gets $99 Amazon Discounts, Starting at $699.99
19 minutes ago
Apple Pay Ad Features Martial Arts Convenience Store Food Fight
Apple Pay Ad Features Martial Arts Convenience Store Food Fight
26 minutes ago
Apple Continues to Say Some AI Features Will Have Fees for Extra Usage
Apple Continues to Say Some AI Features Will Have Fees for Extra Usage
33 minutes ago
Apple Announces Türkiye Expansion Plans as Tim Cook Visits
Apple Announces Türkiye Expansion Plans as Tim Cook Visits
2 hours ago
Singapore Saved Apple $2.7 Billion in Taxes This Year
Singapore Saved Apple $2.7 Billion in Taxes This Year
2 hours ago
Apple Music's 2026 Artist of the Year is Olivia Dean
Apple Music's 2026 Artist of the Year is Olivia Dean
2 hours ago
This Could Be Your Last Chance to Pre-Order the HomeView at a Discount
This Could Be Your Last Chance to Pre-Order the HomeView at a Discount
2 hours ago
Some HomePod Mini 2 Buyers Returning Units Over Mac Speaker Issues
Some HomePod Mini 2 Buyers Returning Units Over Mac Speaker Issues
3 hours ago
MacBook Pro With PROLED XDR Display: Details You Might Have Missed
MacBook Pro With PROLED XDR Display: Details You Might Have Missed
3 hours ago
Satechi Offers MacRumors Readers 30% Off Select Accessories in Early Black Friday Sale
Satechi Offers MacRumors Readers 30% Off Select Accessories in Early Black Friday Sale
3 hours ago
Leaker Envisions a Shorter iPhone With a New iOS Layout
Leaker Envisions a Shorter iPhone With a New iOS Layout
4 hours ago
Apple to Give You More Control Over When Your Mac Passwords Lock
Apple to Give You More Control Over When Your Mac Passwords Lock
5 hours ago
Siri Is Getting a Better Memory
Siri Is Getting a Better Memory
5 hours ago
iPhone 18e Could Feature Bigger Display and Battery
iPhone 18e Could Feature Bigger Display and Battery
6 hours ago
Apple's Siri Boss May Leave - Here's Who Could Take Over
Apple's Siri Boss May Leave - Here's Who Could Take Over
6 hours ago
Apple Launching Two More New Products This Friday
Apple Launching Two More New Products This Friday
6 hours ago
Apple Store Subscription Sign-Up Controversy Exposed
Apple Store Subscription Sign-Up Controversy Exposed
15 hours ago
Siri AI Rumored to Become 'More Like an Agent' as Early as Next Year
Siri AI Rumored to Become 'More Like an Agent' as Early as Next Year
1 day ago
Apple Taking New Approach to Developing iOS 28 and macOS 28
Apple Taking New Approach to Developing iOS 28 and macOS 28
1 day ago
Early Apple Black Friday Deals on Apple Watch, MacBook Air, and More
Early Apple Black Friday Deals on Apple Watch, MacBook Air, and More
2 days ago
'Backglow' Lets You Customize New MacBook Pro's Glowing Apple Logo
'Backglow' Lets You Customize New MacBook Pro's Glowing Apple Logo
2 days ago
Top Stories: Apple Product Launches, iOS 27.3 Beta, and More
Top Stories: Apple Product Launches, iOS 27.3 Beta, and More
2 days ago
More Fun iPhone Duo Apps: 30 New Picks to Try
More Fun iPhone Duo Apps: 30 New Picks to Try
3 days ago
Hands-On With Apple's New OLED Touchscreen MacBook Pro
Hands-On With Apple's New OLED Touchscreen MacBook Pro
3 days ago
Apple Store With All-New Design Opening Soon in Southern California
Apple Store With All-New Design Opening Soon in Southern California
3 days ago
Control the Glowing Apple Logo on Your New MacBook Pro
Control the Glowing Apple Logo on Your New MacBook Pro
3 days ago
Apple Shares New 'Apple Card: Apply and Use in Minutes' Ad
Apple Shares New 'Apple Card: Apply and Use in Minutes' Ad
3 days ago