Recent reports suggest that the iOS 17 update for iPhones has reset some privacy settings without users’ consent. This alarming issue has been brought to light by security researchers and is now under scrutiny by Apple itself.
Privacy Settings Reset
The iOS 17 update has raised concerns as it appears to impact two critical aspects of privacy settings. Typically, Apple is known for its stringent privacy policies, allowing users to have control over tracking, advertisements, and more. However, this update seems to override some of these settings.
Specifically, after installing iOS 17, two settings related to location and iPhone analytics are being turned on by default, even if users or the company had previously disabled them.
The Concerning Privacy Features
Both of these affected privacy features are associated with location data. One of them potentially shares location data with Apple, raising questions about the extent of user consent and data sharing.
To check if these features are enabled on your iOS 17 device, follow these steps:
- Go to Privacy and Security
- Select Location Services
- Choose System Services
- Look for Significant Locations and iPhone Analytics
Apple’s Response
Apple has acknowledged the issue and is actively investigating it. Users can expect a prompt fix through a software patch in the near future.
iOS 17 Exciting Features
Despite the privacy concerns, the iOS 17 update brings several exciting features, which are available to all iPhone models released after the Xr. Additionally, the iOS 17.0.2 update facilitates seamless data transfer from older iPhones to the new iPhone 15 series models, a handy feature for recent purchasers.