The iOS and ‌‌‌iPadOS‌‌‌ 13.5 updates are available on all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the updates, go to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple has also released iOS 12.4.7 for older devices, with the update bringing security fixes.

Apple released iOS 13.5 today with two new features that are a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic: changes to Face ID to make it easier to unlock your phone if you’re wearing a face mask and support for the first phase of Apple and Google’s jointly-developed exposure notification system.

On previous versions of iOS, if you were wearing a face mask and tried to use Face ID to access your phone, you’d have to wait for a couple seconds while your iPhone attempted to identify your face before it would let you enter a passcode. In iOS 13.5, though, if you swipe up once from the bottom of the screen while you’re wearing a mask, you’ll see the option to enter your passcode right away.

iOS 13.5 also supports Apple and Google’s exposure notification API, meaning you’ll be able to use apps developed by public health agencies that send you a notification if you may have been in contact with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19. The system is inactive until you have an app installed that uses the API, however.

iOS 13.5 lays the groundwork for Exposure Notifications, and now that the update has been released to the public, health apps from governments and health authorities will be able to be released. So far, more than 22 countries have signed up to participate, and apps that use the API should be coming in the near future.

Apps that take advantage of the ‌Exposure Notification‌ API will use Bluetooth to communicate with the smartphones of the people around you, and you will be provided with notifications should you come into contact with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 that chooses to share that information. Google and Apple have focused heavily on privacy with the ‌Exposure Notification‌ API, and full details on how ‌Exposure Notification‌ works can be found in our guide.

In addition to creating a foundation for apps to use the ‌Exposure Notification‌ API, iOS (and ‌iPadOS‌) 13.5 make it easier to unlock an iPhone or iPad with a passcode when wearing a mask, due to the large number of people that are regularly wearing face coverings.

The update patches two security vulnerabilities that affect the Mail app on the ‌iPhone‌ and the ‌iPad‌. One of the vulnerabilities allowed an attacker to remotely infect an iOS device by sending emails that consume a significant amount of memory, while another allowed remote code executions.

iOS 13.5 could be one of the last updates to the iOS 13 operating system as Apple prepares to shift its focus to iOS 14. Apple will unveil ‌iOS 14‌ on June 22, when its virtual WWDC event kicks off.