iOS 14.5 issues: Apple patches App Tracking Transparency, security bugs. Here’s how to update

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iOS 14.5 still seems to have at least one bug that Apple needs to fix.


Sarah Tew/CNET

iOS 14.5 was released last week, bringing new features that let you do things like unlock your iPhone with Face ID while wearing a mask, stop apps from tracking you and choose from four different Siri voices (here’s how to download iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 now). On Monday, Apple released version iOS 14.5.1 and iPadOS 14.5.1, which fix a problem with the operating system’s new app tracking feature along with two security issues in WebKit, the release’s security notes said.

The issue involved one of iOS 14.5’s most anticipated (and, for some, controversial) features, App Tracking Transparency — the ability for users to turn off ad tracking within the apps they use (here’s how to set it up). Unless you give explicit permission to an app, it can’t use your data for targeted ads. 

Some users experienced a problem when they disabled Allow Apps to Request to Track in Settings, but then did not receive prompts from apps after re-enabling it, according to Apple’s release notes. The update also patches two security issues in WebKit, the release’s security notes said.

However, the update does not appear to fix another App Tracking Transparency bug reported by users. To turn off app tracking, you can typically go to Settings, select an app and then tap to turn off Allow Apps to Request to Track. While this toggle is supposed to be enabled by default in iOS 14.5, multiple people reported on social media that the option was disabled, with no way to change it, according to 9To5Mac. 

Some people reported that signing out and back into iCloud fixed the problem. A Reddit user reported that Apple confirmed that it was a known issue and that the company was working on it. CNET asked Apple for comment, and we’ll update when we hear back. 

These issues aren’t a huge surprise: Most new updates will have a few bugs to work out at first, which is why some people choose to wait a few days to download. Plus, not every app is likely to be optimized for the new version just yet. 

To update to iOS 14.5.1, go to Settings > General > Software Update. You should see iOS 14.5.1. Tap Download and Install

If you aren’t happy with iOS 14.5, you can roll it back to iOS 14.4, but that’s not easy or safe. Otherwise, you can check out every new feature in iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5


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source: cnet.com