Security

Apple's Family Sharing feature continues to evolve and expand with each iOS update. With iOS 17 or later installed, users can enjoy Family Passwords, which facilitates sharing of passwords and passkeys to trusted group members. Once implemented, all members can access the shared account credentials and share their own passwords to members of the group.

Automatically deleting verification code texts and emails on your iPhone is now possible with iOS 17 or later installed. When logging into apps and websites, one-time passwords (OTP) often arrive via text message or email. However, these codes become useless after their first use and end up cluttering your device. Apple now makes it possible to automatically remove these texts and emails once they have been auto-filled on the verification screen.

Millions depend on the Apple Watch for communication, productivity, and fitness tracking. With such a vast range of personal information in a wearable, protection from unauthorized access becomes more critical. The Apple Watch passcode is a four to six-digit PIN that serves as the first line of defense. When placing the Apple Watch on the wrist, the user is promoted for this passcode before using the device.

Enhancing security measures is crucial in today's digital landscape. In a bid to provide users with a more secure and convenient authentication method, Google has introduced passkeys for Google accounts. This feature, already available on Chrome and Android, is now accessible for iOS users as well. By following a few simple steps, you can enable passkeys on your iPhone and sign in to your Google account using your iOS passcode, Touch ID, Face ID, or a hardware security key.

Apple has taken quick action to address multiple actively exploited security issues by releasing iOS 16.5.1, along with iPadOS 16.5.1, macOS Ventura 13.4.1, and watchOS 9.5.2. Although these updates seem to be minor point releases, they include critical security patches that should be installed immediately.