Apple unveils iOS14's new customisation, privacy features

Apple unveils iOS14's new customisation features, allowing widget control on the home screen.
iOS 14 will allow greater widget control on the home screen. Photo credit: Apple

iPhone users will be given more customisation and privacy options for the devices with a new operating system being released later this year.

Apple's iOS 14 offers a new translation app to compete with Google Translate and will also allow BMW Series 5 owners to start their cars using their phones.

The new iPhone software boasts multiple privacy improvements, allowing users to turn off app tracking to stop companies recording everything they do online and everywhere they go in real life.

Users will also have the option to share only an approximate location with app developers rather than an exact location, and will be alerted any time an app is using the phone's microphone or camera.

Apple says it will require app developers to self-report the kinds of permissions that their apps request, which should increase transparency and let customers know what data on them the developers will be recording. 

Android users have been able to see app permissions for years on the Google Play store.

Apple further restricting advertisers' ability to track of your every move with iOS14.
A preview of the privacy and translation features of iOS14. Photo credit: Apple

Beyond the privacy upgrades, Apple says iOS 14 is "the biggest update ever to [the home screen] with beautifully redesigned widgets and the App Library, a new way to tap into the App Store with App Clips, powerful updates to messages, and more".

Users will be able to resize and rearrange widgets for the first time ever and pin them to their home screen.

Further details on these iOS 14 features and more is available on the Apple website.