iOS

For the first time since iOS 15 was released to the public last September, Apple has updated the official installation and adoption numbers via its Developer website. According to Apple, iOS 15 is currently installed on 72% of iPhones released in the last four years. This is lower than previous iOS updates, but there are multiple factors to keep in mind…

First introduced with iOS 14, Home Screen widgets have proven to be one of the most popular features ever added to iPhone. Over a year later, developers continue to find innovative ways to take advantage of this feature. Currently sitting atop the App Store charts is a new app called Locket, which “shows you live pictures from your friends, right on your Home Screen.”

Almost one month after rolling out iOS 15.2 to the public, Apple has a new bug fix update for iPhone users today. The company is now rolling out iOS 15.2.1 to the general public. Apple says today’s update to iOS 15.2.1 includes fixes for CarPlay as well as sharing photos via Messages.

Just a few days after the release of iOS 15.2 to the public, Apple is once again restarting the beta testing process. The company is now rolling out the first betas of iOS 15.3 and iPadOS 15.3 to developers and public beta testers, but we don’t expect any major changes with iOS 15.3.

Read more: iOS 15.3 mysteriously leaked via Apple Developer website, here’s what happened

Yesterday Apple released another feature-filled update for iPhone and iPads in the form of iOS 15.2 and iPadOS 15.2. In beta since the later part of October, iOS 15.2 comes bundled with numerous enhancements, headlined by features like App Privacy Report, which first came on the radar back at WWDC 2021.

In addition to App Privacy Report, there and many more changes and features to be found in iOS 15.2. Users can look forward to an updated Mail app with integrated Hide My Email, the implementation of Digital Legacy Contacts, Apple Music Voice Plan, and a whole lot more. Watch our hands-on video walkthrough of iOS 15.2 for the details.

After hearing rumblings about Netlifx working on its gaming service this past summer, the media giant is officially jumping into the space with its first five mobile games. Netflix launched its gaming service exclusively for Android but the company says iOS compatibility is “on the way.”

Mozilla launched a major Firefox update for Mac, iOS, Android, and more this past summer and now the popular browser gets another useful overhaul today. For iOS and Android, Firefox now has a new homepage with a focus on recently viewed tabs and searches, one-tap private mode, and more.

Last month security researcher Denis Tokarev, aka illusionofchaos, shared his experience of reporting three zero-day iOS vulnerabilities to Apple with specific criticism around how the company is slow to respond, act, and didn’t give him credit for one of the three flaws that were patched. Now it appears Apple has fixed another zero-day flaw, this one in iOS 15 that Tokarev found earlier this year, without giving him credit.

Amid growing pressure from private companies and governments to allow sideloading on iOS, Apple is out today with a new security paper diving into real-world data on how malware is impacting mobile devices. Along with statistics like Android having between 15 and 47 times more malware than iPhone, Apple is making its latest case against sideloading with data and recommendations from the US Department of Homeland Security, European Agency for Cybersecurity, NIST, Norton, and more.

An Apple Japanese antitrust investigation was closed last month, when the Cupertino company made a major concession. But just six weeks later, a new antitrust investigation has been opened in Japan, into the market dominance of iOS and Android.

The news comes on the same day that the Dutch antitrust authority found Apple’s in-app payment arrangements to be anti-competitive …

Apple is rolling out iOS 12.5.5 to older iPhone and iPad models today. The company says the update includes notable security fixes and improvements, and is recommended for all users.

Apple has published a full support document detailing what’s new in iOS 14.8, watchOS 7.6.2, iPadOS 14.8, and macOS Big Sur 11.6. Apple says that the updates address security vulnerabilities that “may have been actively exploited in the wild.”

Update: Citizen Lab has published a new report today with more details on the vulnerabilities. The gist of it? Update all of your devices ASAP.

In a statement, Ivan Krstić, head of Apple Security Engineering and Architecture, said:

“After identifying the vulnerability used by this exploit for iMessage, Apple rapidly developed and deployed a fix in iOS 14.8 to protect our users. We’d like to commend Citizen Lab for successfully completing the very difficult work of obtaining a sample of this exploit so we could develop this fix quickly. Attacks like the ones described are highly sophisticated, cost millions of dollars to develop, often have a short shelf life, and are used to target specific individuals. While that means they are not a threat to the overwhelming majority of our users, we continue to work tirelessly to defend all our customers, and we are constantly adding new protections for their devices and data.”

Apple is releasing iOS 14.8 to the public today for iPhone users, just days before we expect iOS 15 to also be released to the public. Analytics and Xcode data had previously suggested that iOS 14.8 was in development, and sure enough, it is rolling out now alongside iPadOS 14.8.

Update: More details on the security fixes here.