If you have an iPhone, Apple urges you to update it with the company’s latest software fix today. The tech giant released iOS 18.0.1 overnight with several bug fixes, including a bug fix that fixes a concerning issue that could cause your private passwords to be read out loud.
That means if your iPhone is running an older version of iOS and you’re using Apple’s VoiceOver feature, a screen reader that can read messages and other text for users, you may have your passwords read out loud – hardly very secure.
“This update provides important bug fixes and security updates for your iPhone,” Apple said in its Software Update notes.
The new update, which is available for all iPhones released since 2018, also fixes an issue where when sending audio messages in the Messages app, your phone may “capture a few seconds of audio before activating the microphone indicator,” Apple said.
Not only would this bug be annoying because clips would contain extra audio, but it also risks sending embarrassing recordings to friends and family of you saying something unrelated or confusing.
Apple said the update, which is also available for iPads, also fixes the following bugs:
- The touchscreen may become temporarily unresponsive on iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro models
- Camera may freeze when recording video in macro mode on Ultra Wide camera in 4K with HDR disabled on iPhone 16 Pro models
- Messages may stop unexpectedly when you reply to a message with a shared Apple Watch face
- Performance may be affected due to a memory allocation issue on some iPhone models
To check if your phone is up to date or to manually download and install iOS 18.0.1, go to the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad and tap General then Software Update.
“Apple’s latest OS updates – including iOS 18.0.1 and iPadOS 18.0.1 – include a significant number of patches that address critical vulnerabilities that put users and organizations at risk,” said Suzan Sakarya, Senior Manager EMEIA Security Strategy at security firm Jamf .
“While we have not yet seen these vulnerabilities being exploited in real attacks, it is important that users update their Apple devices to iOS 18.0.1,” she said of the audio bugs in VoiceOver and Messages. “Staying up to date on the latest patches is one of the most effective ways to protect devices from attackers.”
