Here, find a monthly briefing of all of Apple's security patches and updates this month, and what it means for you.
Next Generation of Apple Operating Systems Are in Beta
Apple has released public betas for the next versions of all its operating systems including iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS 15, tvOS 18, watchOS 11, and visionOS 2. These bring a suite of new features and security content, but we usually recommend waiting until the software is officially released before updating. The official releases are expected at the end of August or early September.
These operating systems will introduce the new generative artificial intelligence system called Apple Intelligence. From a privacy & security standpoint, Apple Intelligence appears to be very well-engineered to protect users. Though Apple Intelligence is not yet available in the public betas, Apple has taken the unprecedented (for them) step of making every scrap of the software that their Apple Intelligence servers will run all available for security researchers to vet, test, and verify. This is a remarkable step for Apple, and it really does increase our faith in the integrity of the system they’ve designed.
In addition to Apple Intelligence, iOS 18 and its cousins will also introduce the Passwords app, Apple’s own password manager all nicely bundled into its own app. It even works on Windows! We’re excited.
The Bottom Line: For hot takes on the features of iOS 18, see the iPhone Life podcast Episode 213: Top iOS 18 Features Coming to Your iPhone This Fall. For how to get the betas (and why you may not want to), see How to Sign Up for the Apple iOS 18 Public Beta Program.
Mac Notification Center Leaves Text Messages Vulnerable
Until MacOS 15, infostealer malware or hackers with remote access to a Mac could find the archive of notifications from the notification center and search through it for useful information such as text message contents including verification codes. MacOS 15 is expected to address this vulnerability, reports 9to5Mac. When notifications are served to the user they may contain sensitive information, in particular the contents of text messages. MacOS 15 beta builds fix this problem by moving the archive of notifications into a group container.
The Bottom Line: This is just one good reason to look forward to MacOS 15.
VisionOS 1.2 Improves Creepy Digital Avatars
If you are one of the rare owners of an Apple augmented reality headset, the Vision Pro, then you will benefit from numerous bug fixes and security updates if you install the latest version of visionOS. The security content is mostly the same as what was fixed on iPhones and iPads with iOS 17.5, but includes a few other bugs. New features with 1.2 include improvements to the appearance of Persona digital avatars—which we consider to be a security concern because video calls are one of the few ways to verify an identity and digital avatars subvert this—a few improvements to the virtual keyboard, more reliable connection to Macs via Virtual Display, support for iMessage Contact Key Verification, and more.
The Bottom Line: VisionOS is still in its infancy, and every infant has to learn like crazy. Every VisionOS update is likely to continue to make crucial improvements.
