Apple will reportedly ship iOS 14.5 today

Apple will release the much-tested iOS 14.5 to the public later today. That's according to a couple of reports, not least from the New York Times.

Mentioned almost in passing as part of a larger piece about Apple's App Tracking Transparency system that will go live alongside the update, the iOS 14.5 release date comes after the company had previously offered up a vague timeframe of this week.

On Monday, Apple plans to release iOS 14.5, one of its most anticipated software updates for iPhones and iPads in years. It includes a new privacy tool, called App Tracking Transparency, which could give us more control over how our data is shared.

That App Tracking Transparency (ATT) feature is one that has Facebook and other advertising companies concerned that their business models will be impacted. Apps will need to ask users' permission before they can be tracked across apps, something that companies like Facebook have been doing routinely for years. Now that users will be asked to opt-in, companies are worried that they won't.

A big motivator, of course, was that the privacy setting could hurt Facebook's own business. If we choose not to let Facebook track us, it will be harder for the company to see what we are shopping for or doing inside other apps, which will make it more difficult for brands to target us with ads.

ATT has been in the works for months and Apple continues to expand the scope of the iOS 14 update. This move is one of the biggest Apple has made in a while and it's certainly one that has companies all riled up. Which probably means it's a very good thing for us!

Apple's iOS 14.5 will be compatible with all devices that can also run iOS 14. That includes iPhone 12, currently the best iPhone for most people.