iPadOS 14.5 Beta 2 Mutes Built-In Microphone on iPad When Smart Folio is Closed

According to Apple's release notes for the second betas of iOS and iPadOS 14.5 that were released this morning, the update introduces a new privacy feature that's aimed at limiting microphone access on the iPad with a Smart Folio.

On the ‌iPad‌ (8th generation), iPad Air (4th generation), iPad Pro 11-inch (2nd generation), and ‌iPad Pro‌ 12.9-inch (4th generation), when the Smart Folio is closed, the built-in microphone will mute, but developers have an option to build their apps to opt out.

iPad (8th generation), iPad Air (4th generation), iPad Pro 11-inch (2nd generation), and iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation) now mute the built-in microphone when its Smart Folio is closed. To avoid unnecessarily recording the muted signal, the default behavior is to interrupt an audio session that is using the built-in microphone when the Smart Folio is closed. You can opt out of the interruption using the new AVAudioSession.CategoryOptions overrideMutedMicrophoneInterruption, allowing the audio session to continue playing uninterrupted while microphone input is muted. For more information, see Responding to Audio Session Interruptions.

The release notes suggest that several bugs that were in the prior beta have also been addressed. Siri can share ETAs again in CarPlay, and vehicles can start ‌CarPlay‌ if the iPhone is set to share contacts. Locations from Maps can be shared to Notes and Reminders, plus there are several other smaller fixes and tweaks.

There are also a few known issues in the betas. The 11-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ and the 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ are unable to connect to external displays using the USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter.

Today's betas may also have outward-facing changes that are not mentioned in the release notes, and if we find new features, we'll highlight them in a separate article.