Apple rolls out yearly updates without fail, and every new update comes with new features and security improvements. The objective is to keep your information safe and guarantee you peace of mind.
If you have updated your iPhone to iOS 16, some security and privacy features deserve your attention. Let’s go.
Rapid Security Response
Two tracks of automatic updates are brought to iOS 16. One is for updating the iOS software, and the other is called rapid security response. The latter is a new option that allows iPhone users to install security hotfixes the instant Apple releases them. The objective is to push essential security updates silently to iOS devices without installing a full update each time.
This feature allows Apple to push out emergency patches and protect users from vulnerabilities quickly. In addition, device owners don’t have to restart their devices to finish the job.
It is also good news for macOS Ventura because Mac users will also get rapid security updates when laptop and desktop updates are released.
Lockdown Mode
Lockdown Mode is a new security feature. It temporarily switches off specific features of the iPhone that spyware makers typically abuse to break the security defenses of the device.
The attack surface of the iPhone significantly decreases after these features are blocked. Therefore, it becomes challenging for individuals to plant spyware remotely on their iPhones. The feature is aimed at at-risk groups like activists, journalists, politicians, and human rights defenders. The government usually targets these groups of people.
For more information on Lockdown Mode and how to activate it, click https://setapp.com/how-to/lockdown-mode-ios.
Safety Check
Safety Check is another new feature in iOS 16 that acts like a panic button. It allows users to instantly cut all shared access to their data and accounts if there’s a dangerous situation. The feature is aimed at individuals experiencing domestic violence.
The feature includes an emergency reset option so they can immediately reset all access that anybody may have to your applications, messages, real-time location, and other personal information.
The Safety Check feature by Apple is a thoughtful approach aimed at tackling real-world circumstances that individuals may face daily. In addition, it is an attempt to show that technology can be used to save lives.
Copy & Paste the Permission
An update on copying and pasting permission may seem minor, but it is an essential security addition. In iOS 16, you can block applications from accessing the contents of your iPhone’s clipboard. This means that applications will not automatically see whatever text, image, or content you have copied and is ready to be pasted into another application.
Thanks to this update, applications are prevented from automatically reading sensitive information like passwords or uploading data without the user’s permission.
Update your iPhone to iOS 16 and allow or disallow the paste. With this, you can save your personal data from being pasted to the Internet without your permission.
Encrypted Messages and auto-delete
End-to-end encryption is used by iOS on all messages sent via the Messages application.
What does this mean? Encrypted messages mean that no one can read the messages sent to you except for you and the recipient. Even Apple will not read the messages.
However, end-to-end encryption will not prevent someone from gaining access to your phone and reading your messages. This is why you must utilize the auto-delete option to delete messages sooner rather than later.
Nobody can recover the message if the encrypted message is removed or deleted from your smartphone.
You can enable this by tapping Settings > Messages > Keep Messages. You can choose from 30 days, One year, or Forever on the next screen. The option is set to Forever by default, but you can change it according to your preferences.
So if you choose to have the messages deleted after thirty days or one year, your phone will automatically delete the messages without your intervention.
Passkeys
Passkeys is a kickstarter to a passwordless future. Google, Apple, and Microsoft are all working on Passkeys, and this will be a new standard for password-free logins across online accounts and platforms. With Passkeys, your phone turns into a security key, and you don’t need to enter a username and password to log into your accounts.
Generally, usernames and passwords can be leaked, and your accounts may get hacked. But with Passkeys, you will authenticate using your device, and you don’t need to remember complicated passwords.
iOS 16 is the first platform where this feature was released. However, the same feature is also available on macOS Ventura.
Final Thoughts
Apple is sincere when it comes to protecting the privacy of its customers. That’s why the company rolls out new and improved privacy & security features each year, without fail. The features mentioned above are the new ones with iOS 16, and you must stay tuned for more.
