If you recently installed a security patch on your iPhone or iPad running in beta mode, chances are you installed a fake update designed to test Apple’s latest feature and not a real security patch. .
Last summer, Apple introduced users in beta mode to a new feature intended to accelerate the implementation of security patches. Usually, iPhone, iPad and Mac users had to wait for Apple to release a cumulative update to get the latest vulnerability fixes.
At the latest WWDC conference, the company demonstrated a feature called Rapid Security Response that addresses this problem by allowing users to download security patches as they become available.
fake patches
But the feature is still being worked on and tested. Recently, iOS and iPadOS 16.2 beta users received an update dubbed “iOS 16.2(a)(20C5049e)” which, as confirmed by Apple to 9to5Mac, was not an actual update, but a blank patch that the company used to see if the feature works properly.
Now the Cupertino giant has launched a second update for beta users: “iOS 16.2 (b) (20C7750490f)”. As of right now, it’s still unconfirmed whether this is a real update or just another test.
With Rapid Security Response, key updates “can be automatically applied between standard software updates,” Apple says. Another important change, some updates will no longer require a restart of the device, but will take effect as soon as installed.
With iOS 16, Apple also introduced a unique safety feature called Safety Check, which allows victims of abuse to quickly and seamlessly sever all ties to their abusers. Among other things, Safety Check allows users to remotely disable messaging on secondary devices or disable location tracking.
Face ID, a feature that allows Apple device owners to unlock their devices with their face, rather than a password or fingerprint, has also been updated to support landscape mode. So far, the feature has been confirmed to work on the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Through: 9to5Mac (opens in a new tab)
