Apple releases iOS 11.2.5 update; adds the ability for Siri to read news

Initially, this feature is exclusively available in the US, Australia and the UK, but a wider rollout is expected to follow in coming future.

By Chandrika
|

Apple has just rolled out the iOS 11.2.5 update to all compatible iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices. Unlike some recent releases, the latest update doesn't bring many features. Having said that, it does enable Siri with the ability to read news. Initially, exclusively available in the US, Australia and the UK, a wider rollout is expected to follow in coming future.

 
Apple releases iOS 11.2.5; adds the ability for Siri to read news

The iOS update also adds HomePod support ahead of its official launch that is slated for February 9. Other than that, Apple has also released watchOS 4.2.2 and tvOS 11.2.5. To start with the latest iOS version 11.2.5 update, it turns Siri into a newsreader. This feature will definitely give Apple's voice assistant an edge over its competitors Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

 

Currently, only users in the US, Australia and the UK can utilize this feature. All they need to say is "Hey Siri, read the news," and they will stay updated with what's happening around them. Users can also ask Siri to read a specific news story.

As reported by 9to5Mac, Siri by default reads out a daily news feed from The Washington Post, but users can switch sources to Fox News, CNN, or NPR. Hopefully, Apple will soon make this feature available to other regions as well.

Apart from the news reading ability for Siri, the iOS 11.2.5 brings in the support for HomePod. With this feature, users can set up and automatically transfer their Apple ID, Apple Music, Siri, and Wi-Fi settings directly to their HomePod smart speaker.

In addition to all these, the iOS 11.2.5 update addresses an issue that was causing the Phone app to display incomplete information in the call list. It also fixes the issue that disabled Mail notifications on the Lock screen, specifically from some Exchange accounts when unlocking the iPhone X using Face ID.

Moreover, the update also carries general bug fixes for issues like the one that could cause Messages conversations to temporarily be listed out of order and CarPlay making Now Playing controls unresponsive if multiple tracks are changed while playing music.

Thanks to this new update, Voice Over now has the ability to announce playback destinations and AirPod battery level. Lastly, the iOS 11.2.5 version is expected to bring a fix for the chaiOS message bug that was discovered recently. You can see the security update contents of the iOS 11.2.5 here.

Apple iPhone 5s and higher models, iPad Air and higher models, iPad mini 2 and above models, and the sixth generation iPod touch are eligible to receive the iOS 11.2.5 update. To download the latest version of iOS, users can go to the Settings>General>Software Update and then follow the on-screen instructions.

Generally, users should use a Wi-Fi connection to download the over-the-air update. Downloading via the mobile network may cause additional data charges. Users should back up their data, and ensure that their device has over 50 percent of charge before installing the new update.

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