Apple has released an important software update to tackle several security flaws in iOS. Despite a lack of fun new features – those will be saved for iOS 17 – it’s a highly recommended update for all users.
Rapid security update
We already had a so-called “rapid security update” a couple of weeks back, after news broke of a particularly bad WebKit exploit. However, the update inadvertently broke several other things in Safari and was promptly pulled by Apple. Another rapid security update followed for that particular exploit.
Now, somewhat less rapidly, we have a full-point update to address several other bugs and exploits. iOS 16.6 fixes a series of bugs as described in these patch notes. Apple doesn’t go into much detail on security vulnerabilities, but there are several mentions of WebKit, kernel privileges, and arbitrary code execution, none of which spell good news for users.
These kinds of issues can potentially be exploited by hackers, so although it’s unlikely that you’ll personally be targeted, updating quickly to fix these security holes is still a smart move.
How to install iOS 16.6
You can update by following the prompts in Settings > General > Software Update. Trigging the process manually is usually the fastest way to get the latest updates – automatic updates are staggered and sometimes don’t kick in for over a week after a new update drops.
Alternatively…
Of course, you could also try installing iOS 17 ahead of its official launch in September – but the beta release comes with its own set of risks, including many more bugs than you’re likely to see in iOS 16.6.