Apple has been forced to rush out an update to the latest version of its iOS operating system after bugs left users with a number of problems, including one that could allow hackers to access contacts on locked phones.
The new operating system launched alongside the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro phones last week, bringing a new dark mode, redesigned Photos app, and security features reflecting the company’s recent focus on privacy.
New iPhones have iOS 13 installed out of the box, while users with an iPhone 6S or newer can download it, but if you haven’t updated yet you might want to wait a few days anyway.
Already a second update is on the way to add new features and address a number of flaws that made their way into the final version of the new operating system.
Many bugs had already been discovered in publicly released beta versions of iOS 13, including one that left users vulnerable to a hack that could see their contacts exposed, which Apple has known about since July.
The flaw was discovered by security researcher Jose Rodriguez, who reported it to Apple in July before posting a video of the hack on his YouTube channel earlier this month.
The video shows how hackers can access contacts by initiating a FaceTime call, rejecting it on the target device with a message response, then using Siri’s voiceover function to bypass a passcode or biometric verification.
The security flaw exposes contact details, including addresses and phone numbers, but it does require hackers to have uninterrupted access to the device and can’t be triggered remotely.
Apple had originally planned to release iOS 13.1 on September 30, but it has been moved up to tomorrow.
Time zone differences mean features might not start rolling out to Australian users until Wednesday.
Users who have updated to iOS 13 have already been reporting problems, including apps randomly crashing and the keyboard disappearing.