iOS 13.4 is here: Top 5 new features for your iPhone and iPad

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Apple's just pushed out a new iOS 13.4 software update for its iPhones and iPads, and there's some handy new features that will make working and sharing on your chosen device much simpler.

The update, which has begun rolling out to users, is available on any device which can run iOS 13 (iPhone 6S and later, iPod Touch 7th gen or iPadOS 13 (iPad Air 2 and later, iPad 5th gen and later, iPad Mini 4 and later, and all iPad Pro models). We've rounded up the best five features below

Mouse cursor support for iPad

Just like Apple showed on the new iPad Pro 2020, all iPads that can download iPadOS 13.4 can make the most of the new mouse support features. By connecting a USB or Bluetooth mouse, you will now be able to navigate your iPad with a cursor, making more precise tasks like selecting text far easier than they were before. The iPad Pro is also getting an optional Magic Keyboard with trackpad in May to support this new feature.

iCloud folder sharing

Within the Files app of both iPhones and iPads, and also on MacOS, you can now share iCloud folders with other people in iOS 13.4 and iPadOS 13.4. These come with the settings you'd expect; you can invite specific users or create a sharable link, and permit or deny edits to files within the folder. 

Universal Purchase for apps

The App Stores for iOS/iPadOS, macOS and tvOS were previously entirely separate, with the apps you bought from one not allowing you to use it on a different device. Now though, Apple is allowing app makers to create "Universal Purchase" bundles, so you pay a single time for the same app on all your Apple devices.

This iOS 13.4 and iPad OS 13.4 perk is up to developers to implement, but this will hopefully mean buying apps for multiple Apple operating systems and transferring files between them is much simpler than before.

CarPlay support for third-party navigation apps

If you're a driver that isn't an Apple Maps adherent, you might have noticed that connecting your iPhone to your vehicle through CarPlay means you can't use your navigation app of choice. Now, however, you can use any mapping app you like in iOS 13.4, whether that's Google Maps, Waze, Citymapper or others, when your phone's plugged into your car.

New Memoji stickers

You may have forgotten about Apple's cartoony digital avatars, or perhaps you've recently rediscovered them since we're all FaceTiming a lot more these days due to various circumstances. Either way, Apple has added nine new stickers for you to use in iOS 13.4 and iPadOS 13.4 with your custom Memoji, including "Smiling Face with Hearts", "Hands Pressed Together", and "Party Face".

Richard Priday
Assistant Phones Editor

Richard is based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, tablets, gaming, and whatever else people need advice on. Following on from his MA in Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he's also written for WIRED U.K., The Register and Creative Bloq. When not at work, he's likely thinking about how to brew the perfect cup of specialty coffee.

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