Apple released iOS 15.3 and iPadOS 15.3 to the public this week, but the release is unusual in that it doesn’t contain any new features. Instead, its sole purpose seems to be to crush a worrying Safari bug that can reportedly leak your Google account info and recent browsing history if exploited correctly.
Whenever Apple has to move fast to combat a newly-discovered vulnerability, it usually settles for a smaller point release – like when iOS 15.1.1 was rushed out to fix an annoying bug before iOS 15.2 was ready.
But what we’ve seen this week is not iOS 15.2.1 but rather a full step up to iOS 15.3, something typically reserved for heftier updates. That seems to signal that Apple is taking this latest vulnerability very seriously and wants to encourage users to upgrade as quickly as possible.
We would echo that sentiment and suggest you grab this update ASAP to protect yourself from nefarious websites looking to cash in on this nasty Safari exploit. The update also contains other miscellaneous bug fixes and security updates, though nothing else that we know explicit details of. Apple likes to keep these things close to its chest.
As ever, you can update to iOS 15.3 or iPadOS 15.3 from Settings > General > Software Update. Simply follow the instructions to download and install the update. If you have Automatic Updates enabled, you may find it has already been installed – in which case you’ll see a message stating that your device is up to date and you don’t need to do anything at all!
If you’re disappointed by the lack of new features in this update, rest assured Apple is already working towards iOS 15.4, which we’re expecting to finally include the Universal Control feature first unveiled at WWDC last June.
Also remember that Apple’s previous software updates contained quite a lot of new stuff, as the company continues to drip-feed features throughout the year rather than dumping the whole lot in September like it used to. If you haven’t dug into the updates yet, read up on what was added in iOS 15.1 and iOS 15.2.