In iPadOS 14.5, closing the “lid” on your Smart Folio disables the microphone. This excellent privacy/security feature has been available on MacBooks for a while.

The release notes for the latest iOS 14.5 beta state that the iPad‌ (8th generation), ‌iPad Air‌ (4th generation), ‌iPad Pro‌ 11-inch (2nd generation), and ‌iPad Pro‌ 12.9-inch (4th generation) all mute the microphone when the folio case is closed.

This is Apple’s iPad keyboard case, and this new addition makes the iPad not only look like a MacBook, but act like one too. This is just the latest in a long line of excellent hardware security features from Apple.

“Despite some scandals and breaches in the past, I trust Apple to protect my privacy far better than the rest of the big tech companies,” Ali Qamar, founder of PrivacySavvy, told Lifewire via email.