| Cult of Mac

How to save battery life when using 5G on iPhone

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save battery life when using 5G on iPhone 12
Are you using the right data mode?
Photo: Apple

If you’re using one of Apple’s newest iPhone models, you should be enjoying spectacular battery life — the best you can get from a modern smartphone. But if you’re not, the likely culprit is its super-speedy 5G connectivity.

5G consumes significantly more power than 4G, but there are some things you can do to minimize its impact on iPhone 12 and iPhone 13. We’ll show you how.

iOS 15 fixes security flaw that exposes Apple ID info to third-party apps

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iOS and iPadOS 15
It's time to update if you haven't already.
Image: Apple

iOS and iPadOS 15 fix a pretty serious security flaw that allowed third-party applications to access Apple ID information and recent search terms.

Apple this week confirmed the fix in an update to its security content guide for iOS 15. It does not look like the issue has been eliminated in iOS 14, which is no longer receiving standalone security updates.

Apple: Ability to skip iOS 15 updates was never meant to be permanent

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iOS 15
It's iOS 15 or it's nothing now.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Apple has confirmed that giving users the option to skip iOS 15 updates and stick with iOS 14 was always intended to be temporary.

Its clarification comes after it last week stopped delivering security updates to those who have chosen not to update their devices since iOS 15 made its debut last September. iOS 15.2.1 is now the only upgrade option.

Spotify acknowledges battery drain complaints on iOS 15 and iOS 14.8

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Spotify iPhone
A fix should be on its way.
Photo: Cezar Sampaio/Unsplash CC

Spotify says it is looking into complaints regarding increased battery usage under iOS 15 and iOS 14.8. A growing list of users are reporting that the Spotify app has been draining their battery life since they updated their devices.

“We’ve passed your info on to the relevant team and we can confirm they are currently looking into it,” the music streaming giant told one customer.

iOS 12.5.5 update blocks Pegasus spyware from older iPhones

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iOS update blocks Pegasus spyware from iPhones
Install iOS 12.5.5 on your older iPhone to protect it from the Pegasus spyware.
Photo: Андрей Сидоренко/Pixabay/Cult of Mac

iPhone models that can’t install iOS 14 or iOS 15 can still get protection from the infamous Pegasus spyware thanks to iOS 12.5.5. Apple released this update Thursday for devices as old as the iPhone 5s to close a security hole in active use by hackers.

The same update can also be installed on older iPad and iPod touch models.

No way back from iOS 14.8 as Apple stops signing earlier firmware

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Apple stops signing iOS 14.7.1
You're stuck with iOS 14.8 or iOS 15.
Image: Cult of Mac

It’s no longer possible to downgrade to iOS or iPadOS 14.7.1 if you’ve already updated your iPhone or iPad to a newer version of Apple’s firmware.

Cupertino stopped signing the update, first rolled out in July, after releasing iOS and iPadOS 15 to everyone on Monday. The move prevents users from reverting to the earlier build, but it won’t affect devices still running iOS 14.7.1.

Apple issues surprise iOS 14.8 update to fix severe security threats

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Surprise! Apple releases iOS 14.8
Just when you thought Apple’s next software release would be iOS 15…
Graphic: Ed Hardy/Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac

Apple rushed out updates for iPhones, iPads, Macs and Apple Watches on Monday to patch a pair of critical security vulnerabilities. The updates protect users from arbitrary code execution that can be triggered by maliciously crafted PDFs or web content, Apple said in its release notes.

In both cases, “Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited,” the company said.

The updates include iOS 14.8, iPadOS 14.8, macOS Big Sur 11.6, watchOS 7.6.2 and security patches for Safari and macOS Catalina.

Apple Maps crowd-sourced business ratings reach the US

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Apple Maps crowd-sourced business ratings reach the US
You can help out others by rating businesses in Apple Maps. And post pictures to.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple Maps now lets users in the United States give a thumbs up to businesses. They can also submit a photo. The Ratings and Photo feature has been around for a while, but is just now expanding to the U.S.