If you own an iPad, MacBook or iPhone, it’s vital that you head to the settings menu and install the latest update without delay. The US firm has pushed out an urgent iOS, iPadOS and macOS system upgrade designed to fix a worrying vulnerability found within the popular Safari web browser, which comes preinstalled on all Apple devices.
This scary glitch, which was first discovered late last year, can leak sensitive details from your browsing history, including personal data associated with your Google account. If you don’t want the details of every website that you’ve visited leaking – you need to download the latest update.
The bug is so bad, it even affects users when visiting websites in the Private Browsing mode built into Safari (similar to the Incognito Mode baked into Google Chrome) that hides the websites being visited.
This glitch has now been fixed by Apple’s team of software engineers but it only stops the problem if users upgrade their systems. If you own an iPhone then you should check that your device is now running iOS 15.3. iPad users should check their tablets have iPadOS 15.3 installed and MacBook/iMac owners need to upgrade to macOS Monetery 12.2.
Although Apple hasn’t listed the issue in its patch notes, the company has said that it “includes bug fixes and security updates and is recommended for all users.”
Here’s how to update your devices.
iPhone and iPad
To update your iPhone or iPad simply open the Settings menu on your device then head to General > Software Update. Here you should see the iOS 15.3 (iPhone) and iPadOS 15.3 (iPad) download. Once this appears simple tap the “Download and Install” button. It is over 1GB in size so you might want to make sure you are connected to Wi-Fi before trying to update your device.
MacBook and iMac
To update your Mac simply head to the Apple menu in the top left-hand corner of the screen and go to System Preferences. Here you should see macOS Monterey download which can then be installed by tapping “Update now”. This Monterey update is a whopping 2GB in size so make sure you are connected to some decent Wi-Fi before trying to get it onto your device.