It has arrived, the iOS 15 from Apple. New is always better, as they say. Thus, you should know which changes will be the best for your device. More specifically, which new features will make a difference to your privacy.
The download for the new version was made available after the iPhone 13 announcement at the yearly hardware event held only last week.
The iOS 15 had its share of controversies even before its release. After a surveillance backlash, Apple’s child safety tools planned to be introduced with the current update have been withheld. For the second year on the trot, a critical new feature was left out when a new iOS version was introduced.
What is new in terms of privacy?
The tracking controls on iOS 14 meant to prevent advertisers from tracking your phone were only included in iOS 14.5 after being delayed till May 2021. It was after Facebook, and other advertising firms objected to the impact it had. However, it didn’t stop Apple from bringing in the changes.
Apart from the postponed child safety tools, iOS 15 comes with many other privacy and security features. You should install the new system without delay, just as you would any other new software update. Updates often eliminate bugs and other security issues apart from just ushering in new features. Just before the release of an eleventh-hour iOS 14.8 updates, Apple showed how important it is for you to install new software.
iOS 15 has been made available for download by Apple. However, it often needs time to reach many users spread around the world. We list three essential changes you need to make when you install the new update on your phone.
Check what the apps are doing
The privacy section of the settings in iOS 15 now has a new addition: App Privacy Report. You’ll have to tap on the ‘Record App Activity’ and toggle from the options to turn on the feature. The privacy report presents you with the sensors that each app has used over the last seven days. It also shows the domains the apps are connected to.
The report allows you to see how many times each app has accessed the photos, the camera, the microphone, and the contacts last week. It helps you decide if, for example, any app needs to use your phone’s microphone at all. We suggest that you temporarily turn off any of the permissions that an app isn’t using despite no objections.
Block email trackers
Apple dealt with app tracking in iOS 14. Now, Apple has targeted the hidden trackers that come with the emails you receive. These trackers are included as pixels in an email’s body, header, or footer, and they send information about you to the one who has sent you the email.
The Mail Privacy Protection introduced by Apple stops those who send marketing emails and newsletters from seeing the IP address and when you have opened the messages. It conceals your IP address by routing it through various proxy servers and randomly assigning you an IP address. To turn on the Mail Privacy Protection feature, you’ll have to turn on the Protect Mail Activity option after going to Settings, Mail, and then Privacy Protection. Mind you; this feature isn’t turned on by default.
Of course, you must bear in mind that this does not protect your IP address everywhere. Advertisers and websites can read it every time you interact with content online. To hide your IP address, it is best to use an app such as Atlas VPN. It conceals your IP address, and no one can calculate your real approximate location.
Use the authenticator from Apple
Turning on two-factor authentication to protect all the online accounts you have is a very effective measure to take for your security. Most often, this requires you to enter a code that is either app generated or sent to you by SMS apart from entering your password to gain access to your account.
The codes that you receive through SMS are, of course, not as secure as those the app generates. Apple will introduce its authenticator with iOS 15. It means that you won’t need to use any third-party app. It, therefore, gives you a choice to lock yourself within Apple’s ecosystem. To set up verification codes, you’ll have to go to settings and then choose passwords. When you sign in to any site using Safari, they can autofill.
Conclusion
With concerns about online privacy and security on the rise, making the changes mentioned in the privacy settings is an excellent boost to your safety. Making the changes we have mentioned involve only a few simple steps, and they can protect you from myriad security threats like hacking and identity theft. Make the changes and play safe, for we live in an increasingly dangerous world.
