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 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.
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 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.
Three of Apple’s biggest products received security patches Monday — and another got its version on Thursday. You should probably install them as soon as possible.
The company started with macOS Big Sur 11.5.1, iOS 14.7.1, and iPadOS 14.7.1 to fix a security hole reportedly used by at least one hacker already. That’s why they are “recommended for all users,” according to Apple.
Apple followed up Thursday by releasing watchOS 7.6.1 to patch the same bug on Apple Watch. It’s also recommended.
Both macOS Big Sur 11.5 and iPadOS 14.7 made the jump from beta to full release on Wednesday. They bring only a handful of new features, though, as well as bug fixes.
The updates follow several days after the debut of iOS 14.7 for iPhone.
The release candidate for iOS 14.7 was seeded to developers on Tuesday. It includes some promised improvements to the Apple Card, and it enables users to use a just-announced MagSafe Battery Pack. In addition, it allows users to manage timers on a HomePod.
Plus, the macOS Big Sur 11.5 release candidate, iPadOS 14.7 RC, watchOS 7.6 RC and tvOS 14.7 RC were also made available for developers.
So, you’ve already installed the iPadOS 15 beta beta on your iPad and now some of your favorite apps and features are broken. Don’t worry — it’s really easy (if a little time-consuming) to revert back to iPadOS 14.
We’ll show you how.
Apple hasn’t yet given regular users access to the most recent iPhone and Mac updates but is already testing their replacements. The first betas of iOS 14.7 and macOS 11.5 were seeded to developers on Wednesday.
The same goes for iPadOS 14.7, watchOS 7.6 and tvOS 14.7.
Apple seeded to developers the first release candidates for iOS 14.6 and iPadOS 14.6 on Monday. These are only small updates for these operating systems, and their timing may be controlled by the 2021 iPad Pro, which will reach customers on Friday.
Not to be left out, devs also got access to the initial release candidates for watchOS 7.5 and tvOS 14.6 on Monday.
Update: Shortly thereafter, Apple also seeded macOS Big Sur 11.4 RC to developers.
