The latest iPhone update is all about security, with no new features—these will come in iOS 18.4 in the coming weeks. Here’s what’s in it and a recommendation as to whether you should update or not.
Note that I’ll be updating this post over the coming days and will make a final assessment on Tuesday, Feb. 18.
Who Is It For And How Do You Get It?
Apple iOS 18.3.1 works with all iPhones that can run iOS 18. This means all iPhones from the iPhone XS onwards, including the second- and third-generation iPhone SE models.
What It’s About
This update has no new features in it, as is common on the smaller digit releases. Instead, it’s focused on fixing bugs and sorting security issues. Apple rarely gives away more than it has to about exactly what is in the release about bug squishing, but it has been very specific about the security issue fixed in this new release.
Apple iOS 18.3.1 Security
The main concern in this update is a flaw in Accessibility, which has meant that a physical attack could disable could disable USB Restricted Mode on an iPhone or iPad even while it’s locked. Concerningly, Apple specifies in its support pages that it is aware it may have already been exploited in what it describes as an attack against specific individuals. It has been addressed with “improved state management,” Apple says.
Fellow Senior Contributor Kate O’Flaherty has more on these issues here at Forbes.
Since USB Restricted Mode has been on the iPhone for several generations, since as far back as iOS 11, Apple also released a new version of iOS 17 for phones that have not been updated to iOS 18—though the software support is for the same range of iPhones as iOS 18.
Initial Reactions
As so often is the case, the first reactions have been mixed. One user said that it fixed three bugs but added 10, while another said it had added improvements to the battery life, which is rare at this stage, so soon after an update. Existing issues, such as a problem in the keyboard with stickers hasn’t gone away for some users, and there were several users who took the opportunity to create a wishlist of improvements.
Apple iOS 18.3.1 Initial Verdict: Update
There don’t seem to be any new problems created here, even if existing niggles haven’t been solved. But above all these issues, the security problem this update is aimed at solving is a serious one. So, for sure, update.
