Skip to main content

iPhone owners should update to iOS 15.0.2 right now

Apple is advising iPhone owners to download its latest update to iOS and iPadOS 15 as it includes an important security patch as well as a number of bug fixes.

Made available on Monday, October 11, iOS and iPadOS 15.0.2 addresses an issue that could allow nefarious apps “to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges.” In other words, it offers a way for a hacker to take control of your iDevice.

Recommended Videos

Apple even says that the issue may have already been exploited, so you’re strongly advised to install the security patch just as soon as you can.

To perform the update on an iPhone or iPad, tap on Settings, and then General. Next, tap on Software Update, and then follow the install instructions to download 15.0.2.

If your Apple devices are still running version 14 or earlier, you won’t see the update prompt for 15.0.2.

Monday’s update also includes fixes for the following iPhone issues that some people have been experiencing:

  • Photos saved to your library from Messages could be deleted after removing the associated thread or message
  • iPhone Leather Wallet with MagSafe may not connect to Apple’s Find My app
  • AirTag might not appear in the Find My Items tab
  • CarPlay may fail to open audio apps or disconnect during playback
  • Device restore or update may fail when using Finder or iTunes for iPhone 13 models

Apple released iOS 15 on September 20. Despite months of testing prior to release, it’s normal for new bugs and security issues to emerge once the operating system is rolled out to the entire customer base. It’s for this very reason that many people hold off installing a new mobile operating system until they’re confident that the worst problems have been addressed in subsequent updates.

Apple released iOS 15.0.1 on October 1. This update dealt with an issue that prevented iPhone 13 handsets from unlocking and using an Apple Watch and got rid of an alert in the Settings app that incorrectly claimed a phone’s storage was nearly full. It also stopped audio meditations from suddenly initiating a workout on Apple Watch for some Fitness+ subscribers.

If you haven’t yet installed iOS 15 but are ready to do so, here’s how to do it. And here’s the best of what the iPhone’s latest mobile operating system has to offer.

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Google Gemini arrives on iPhone as a native app
the Google extensions feature on iPhone

Google announced Thursday that it has released a new native Gemini app for iOS that will give iPhone users free, direct access to the chatbot without the need for a mobile web browser.

The Gemini mobile app has been available for Android since February, when the platform transitioned from the older Bard branding. However, iOS users could only access the AI on their phones through either the mobile Google app or via a web browser. This new app provides a more streamlined means of chatting with the bot as well as a host of new (to iOS) features.

Read more
A must-try Android app has finally arrived on the iPhone
Person holding a phone with Google Gemini Live being shown.

A few days ago, Google Gemini appeared in the Apple App Store for a user in the Philippines, who was even able to download it. We took it as a sign that the new AI assistant would soon make its way to the App Store in the U.S. Well, we were right, as you can now download Gemini as a standalone app on your iPhone, after previously only being able to access it through a browser.

The Gemini app is free to download and has a surprising number of features available. More powerful functions are available for a $20-per-month subscription, but you can try Gemini Advanced out for one month for free. It grants priority access to new features and gives a "1 million token" context window.

Read more
A new iPhone may arrive sooner than you think
iPhone SE (2022) held in a mans hand.

With the release of the iPhone 16 models recently, you may think Apple is all done with new releases for a while. Perhaps not, as attention is now shifting to the upcoming year, and we may get another new iPhone sooner than you think. Apple's first new handset, expected in early 2025, will likely be the iPhone SE 4. We now have a clearer idea of when this phone might be launched.

According to Korea's Ajunews (via MacRumors), component manufacturer LG Innotek is expected to begin mass production of a camera module that will potentially be used in the iPhone SE4 as early as next month. The company will supply the front camera module for the budget-friendly phone. The report also stated camera production often starts about three months before the final phone arrives on the market. A spring 2025 release for the iPhone SE 4 has long been rumored, and the report seems to back this up.

Read more