After releasing the Release Candidate version last week, iOS 14.2 is now available to all iPhone users. Apple has also released iPadOS 14.2 as well as iOS 12.4.9 for older devices.

iOS 14.2 includes a variety of changes and new features, including over 100 new emoji as well as new wallpapers. There is also support for the iPhone 12 Leather Sleeve with MagSafe, although we still don’t have a release date for that accessory.

iOS 14.2 and iOS 12.4.9 also include notable security patches:

  • iOS 14.2 security release notes
  • iOS 12.4.9 security release notes

Elsewhere, iOS 14.2 brings revamped now playing controls to the lock screen alongside redesigned AirPlay 2 controls in Control Center. Another one of the new changes in iOS 14.2 is a brand new Shazam toggle that can be added to Control Center.

To add the new Shazam music recognition toggle to Control Center, first make sure you’re running the developer beta of iOS 14.2, which is rolling out today. Then, open the Settings app, choose “Control Center,” then look for Shazam beneath the “More Controls” header. You can then add the Shazam toggle and rearrange it as you see fit.

iOS 14.2 video walkthrough

Subscribe to 9to5mac on YouTube for more videos

iOS 14.2 also brings an optimized battery charging feature to AirPods and AirPods Pro. This feature is designed to reduce battery aging and extend the overall lifespan of your AirPods’ battery. What this means is that iOS 14.2 will learn how and when you charge your AirPods and wait until it thinks you’re about to take them off the charger to charge all the way to 100% capacity.

Here are the new features included in iOS 14.2:

  • Over 100 new emoji, including animals, food, faces, household objects, musical instruments, gender-inclusive emoji, and more
  • Eight new wallpapers in both light and dark mode versions
  • Magnifier can detect people nearby and report their distance using the LiDAR sensor included in iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max
  • Support for iPhone 12 Leather Sleeve with MagSafe
  • Optimized battery charging for AirPods to slow the rate of battery aging by reducing the time your AirPods spends fully charged
  • Headphone audio level notifications to alert you when audio level could impact your hearing
  • New AirPlay controls to stream entertainment throughout your home
  • Intercom support with HomePod and HomePod mini using iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods, and CarPlay
  • Ability to connect HomePod to Apple TV 4K for stereo, surround sound, and Dolby Atmos audio
  • Option to provide statistics about Exposure Notifications, without identifying you, to participating Public Health Authorities

iOS 14.2 also resolves the following bugs and performance issues. There are fixes for the Camera application, Voice Memos, Apple Cash, and much more. Here are those improvements and bug fixes:

  • Apps could be out of order on the Home Screen dock
  • Camera viewfinder may appear black when launched
  • The keyboard on the Lock Screen could miss touches when trying to enter the passcode
  • Reminders could default to times in the past
  • Photos widget may not display content
  • Weather widget could display the high temperature in Celsius when set to Fahrenheit
  • Next-hour precipitation chart description in Weather could incorrectly indicate when precipitation stops
  • Voice Memos recordings are interrupted by incoming calls
  • The screen could be black during Netflix video playback
  • Apple Cash could fail to send or receive money when asked via Siri
  • Apple Watch app may unexpectedly close when opened
  • Workout GPS routes or Health data are prevented from syncing between Apple Watch and iPhone for some users
  • Audio is incorrectly labeled as “Not Playing” in the CarPlay Dashboard
  • Devices could be prevented from charging wirelessly
  • Exposure Notifications is disabled when restoring iPhone from iCloud Backup or transferring data to a new iPhone using iPhone Migration

iPadOS 14.2 release notes

iPadOS 14.2 includes the following improvements for your iPad:

  • Over 100 new emoji, including animals, food, faces, household objects, musical instruments, gender-inclusive emoji, and more
  • Eight new wallpapers in both light and dark mode versions
  • Magnifier can detect people nearby, and report their distance using the LiDAR sensor included in iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation) and iPad Pro 11-inch (2nd generation)
  • Scene Detection in Camera uses intelligent image recognition to identify objects within a scene and automatically improves the photo on iPad Air (4th generation)
  • Auto FPS in Camera automatically reduces the frame rate when recording video to improve low light capture and to optimize file size on iPad Air (4th generation)
  • Optimized battery charging for AirPods to slow the rate of battery aging by reducing the time your AirPods spends fully charged
  • New AirPlay controls to stream entertainment throughout your home
  • Intercom support with HomePod and HomePod mini using iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods, and CarPlay
  • Ability to connect HomePod to Apple TV 4K for stereo, surround sound, and Dolby Atmos audio

This release also fixes the following issues:

  • Camera viewfinder may appear black when launched
  • The keyboard on the Lock Screen could miss touches when trying to enter the passcode
  • Reminders could default to times in the past
  • Photos widget may not display content
  • Weather widget could display the high temperature in Celsius when set to Fahrenheit
  • Voice Memos recordings are interrupted by incoming calls
  • The screen could be black during Netflix video playback
  • Apple Cash could fail to send or receive money when asked via Siri