Apple recently released the iOS 14.5 along with iPadOS 14.5, macOS Big Sur 11.3, watchOS 7.4, and tvOS 14.5. Among all these OS updates for Apple devices, iOS 14.5 is the most important and it brings three new actions to Shortcuts. These include setting Orientation Lock, Take Screenshot, and changing cellular settings for 5G and options for Dual SIM users. The new actions in the iOS 14.5 update aim to extend apps’ functionality. Here’s what these three new actions are and how you can use them.
Set Orientation Lock
The new Orientation Lock in iOS 14.5 allows Shortcuts users to programmatically turn On/Off or toggle the device setting for Orientation Lock. Disabling it allows the screen to rotate when the device is turned and enabling it keeps the screen locked in a single orientation. The Orientation Lock can be combined with other Shortcuts features like personal Automations. For example, using this feature, iOS 14.5 users can set per-app settings for Orientation Lock by activating/disabling it when the app is opened/closed respectively. You can set this up by going to the Automations tab in Shortcuts and add a new Automation. Just click the + button and then tap on the Create Personal Automations. Next, select App automation and choose an app from the App Menu. Now add in Orientation Lock in the action editor and change it to Turn Off. Make sure you toggle off the Ask Before Running button. This will let you keep the Orientation Lock on by default and disable it only when the selected apps are opened.
Easily Set Voice & Data Mode
Another new action that has come to Shortcuts is the Set Voice & Data Mode. This feature lets you toggle your data settings between 4G and 5G, which is mainly useful to control your data usage. For example, you can select the 4G option when you don’t want to over-utilize your data plan and select 5G when you need high speeds. Additionally, dual SIM users can switch between SIM cards and select Primary or Secondary from the menu in the shortcut.
Take Screenshot Feature
The third and the last new action in iOS 14.5 is the Take Screenshot feature. This is a useful tool that lets you capture the screenshot at runtime, especially helpful for designing a new screenshot-based workflow. This new Take Screenshot action captures a screenshot immediately, so you may need to include a Wait action that can delay the process to let you get to the right spot.
These three new actions that iOS 14.5 brings for users can be very useful to automate various actions on ios devices. If the iOS 14.5 update has already been rolled for you then you can try out these new features by yourself.
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