Apple has released iOS 14.7. It's a small update, but one with a few interesting features. Here's what you need to know.

What is iOS 14.7?

Apple's latest so-called "dot" update to the iPhone operating system is iOS 14.7. Rolling out from 19 July 2021, it's an incremental update, so it's not one of the major releases usually launched in the autumn alongside the newest iPhone. However, it's a notable update nonetheless, as it doesn't just bring bug fixes. 

How to get iOS 14.7 on your iPhone

The iOS 14.7 update can be downloaded over the air for free on all eligible devices. To access the new software, go to Settings > General > Software Update.

Every new feature in iOS 14.7 explained

Here's a look at the main features included in iOS 14.7...

MagSafe Battery Pack

Apple recently introduced the MagSafe Battery Pack, which works with the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max.

The iOS 14.7 update adds support for the ‌MagSafe Battery Pack so that the latest iPhone series can use it. As part of this added support, you can view the charge level of the ‌MagSafe Battery Pack‌ through the Batteries widget either on the Home Screen or through the Today View on your iPhone.

Apple Card

Apple announced Apple Card Family sharing in April and added support for the feature in an iOS 14.6 update. The iOS 14.7 update expands on that functionality, by adding support for merging two Apple Cards. That means two current Apple Card owners who want to share a single ‌Apple Card‌ account can now merge their accounts together. This results in a higher shared credit limit, plus the owners can share the lower APR of the two accounts.

To initiate the account merging process, go to the Wallet app.

HomePod

With iOS 14.7, there's now a HomePod Timer Management feature. This option lets you manage timers on the HomePod through the Home app.

Air Quality

Apple has expanded Air Quality information in the Weather and Maps apps to Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Spain.

Podcasts

The Podcasts library in the Podcasts app now lets users see all shows or only followed shows.

Is that it?

There are, of course, several bug fixes in the iOS 14.7 update. Here are Apple's release notes:

  • An issue that could cause Dolby Atmos and Apple Music lossless audio playback to unexpectedly stop has been fixed.
  • The battery service message that may have disappeared after reboot on some iPhone 11 models is restored.
  • A bug that caused Braille displays to show invalid information when composing Mail messages has been fixed.
  • A bug that could cause the share playlist menu option to go missing in ‌Apple Music‌ has been addressed.