As expected, Apple has released iOS 16.3.1 and iPadOS 16.3.1, bringing the phone and tablet up to date with the same version released for tvOS and HomePod last week.
There are three bugs addressed according to the release notes:
iCloud settings may be unresponsive or incorrectly display if apps are using iCloud
Siri requests for Find My may not work
Crash Detection optimizations on iPhone 14 and Phone 14 Pro models
While those bug fixes are welcome, there are a couple of critical security patches that make this a must-have update. There are two big fixes: A kernel flaw that affects every Apple device upon which iOS/iPadOS 16 can run has been fixed that could allow an app to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges and a Safari flaw that fixes an issue where a malicious web page could allow for arbitrary code execution.
The notes say the latter vulnerability “may have been actively exploited,” which rockets it up to the top of the list and makes iOS 16.3.1 an important update. Security flaws are common, but if there are exploits in the wild already it is critical that you patch your device as soon as possible.
To update to iOS 16.3.1, head over to the Settings app, tap General and then Software Update. Finally, tap Download and Install and follow the prompts.
Author: Jason Cross, Senior Editor
I have written about technology for my entire professional life - over 25 years. I enjoy learning about how complicated technology works and explaining it in a way anyone can understand.