Updating to Apple’s iOS 17 activates certain privacy settings on iPhones that users may have turned off, according to security researchers.
With Apple’s release of its new operating system on Sept. 18, developers at Mysk have warned that iOS 17 turns on “sensitive location options” without users’ knowledge or consent. While some iOS users have confirmed these findings, others say they haven’t noticed any change in their privacy settings.
One of these settings — “Significant Locations” — tracks the places users visit frequently to “provide useful location-related information in Maps, Calendar, Photos, and more.” The other adds location data to iPhone analytics reports shared with Apple.
An Apple spokesperson told 9to5Mac that the company is investigating the issue, explaining that the iOS17 update shouldn’t have changed users’ privacy settings.
Apple Can’t See Your ‘Significant Locations’
While Apple insists users have little to worry about as “Significant locations” data is end-to-end encrypted, Mysk begs to differ.
“While significant locations remain local on your iPhone, they can be abused as they record detailed information about the locations you visit frequently,” the researchers said.
Similarly, Mysk warned about the privacy risk of sharing user data in iPhone analytics.
“Having your location information included in these analytics reports might have privacy implications, even if the reports don’t identify you,” they explained.
This is not the first time Mysk has discovered security vulnerabilities in Apple’s software. In October 2022, the researchers warned that iOS 16.1 allows certain apps to bypass VPN tunnels. And in November of the same year, the researchers warned about Apple’s extensive data collection. They found that Apple apps, including the App Store and Apple Music, continued to collect detailed analytics even when users turned off tracking.
Not All iOS Users Affected
It is worth noting that not all iOS users have observed any change in their privacy settings after the iOS 17 update. Whether this inconsistency can be attributed to user missteps, a software glitch, or something else remains to be determined.
Also, this issue doesn’t seem to affect iPads.
Mysk recommends that users disable “Significant locations” and stop sharing their location in iPhone analytics data.
To turn off these features, go to Access Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services and scroll down to System Services. You can find the two options and can disable them.
For more tips about optimizing the privacy of your iPhone, check out our comprehensive guide to iOS privacy settings.
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