Apple Just Dropped iOS 13.3.1 with These New Features and Bug Fixes

iOS 13.3.1 Credit: Guteksk7 / Shutterstock / Apple
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Apple on Tuesday released iOS and iPadOS 13.3.1, about a month after the release of iOS 13.3. As expected, they’re both relatively minor updates focused on bug fixes and under-the-hood improvements.

The primary new feature of the update is a “Networking & Wireless” toggle that allows users to disable the U1 Ultra Wideband chip in the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max.

This new toggle follows a bit of controversy, after security researcher Brian Krebs discovered that he wasn’t able to stop the U1 chip from collecting location data — even if all location privacy settings were switched off.

Additionally, some international regulations require users to disable the U1 chip, and other location services, in some areas. In addition to Ultra Wideband, the Networking & Wireless toggle also disables Location Services access for Wi-FI and Bluetooth. The toggle can be found in:

  1. Settings.
  2. Privacy.
  3. Location Services.

There are also some hidden icons that likely depict the upcoming Powerbeats 4 earphones, which are expected to retain wires but may feature an updated design akin to Powerbeats Pro and Apple’s new H1 chip.

Beyond that, iOS 13.3.1 and iPadOS 13.3.1 also include a number of fixes that squash various bugs in past iOS 13 releases.

If you’re on an older device that isn’t compatible with iOS 13, Apple also released iOS 12.4.5, which contains some of the same bug fixes.

iOS 13.3.1 Bug Fixes

Fixes include a notable one for an issue that allowed kids to bypass Communication Limits in Screen Time, a problem that allowed remote images to load when “Load Remote Images” was disabled, and a bug in CarPlay that could cause distorted sound when making phone calls in vehicles.

Apple also included patches for bugs with Deep Fusion editing, FaceTime camera prioritization, and push notifications not showing up over Wi-Fi. The updates also introduce support for Indian English Siri voices in the HomePod firmware.

There are also some security vulnerability fixes included in the updates, which are typically important reasons to update to the latest software as soon as possible.

While iOS 13.3.1 and iPadOS 13.3.1 are technically separate updates, they contain the same bug fixes for the most part. The iPadOS update lacks some of the cellular and iPhone 11-specific fixes, however.

Users should now be able to download iOS 13.3.1 and iPadOS 13.3.1 as a free over-the-air update by heading to Settings > General > Software Update.

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