On Tuesday, Apple launched iOS 16.2, a brand new model of the software program that runs your iPhone and iPad. One of the most important options within the replace is a tiny switch that makes data that you again up in iCloud much extra secure.
The new feature, which Apple calls Advanced Data Protection, provides end-to-end encryption for backups of your Apple devices saved on iCloud. This means that solely you can entry the data these backups contain. If a hacker breaches Apple's servers, for instance, they cannot get your stuff. If a law enforcement company calls for that Apple hand over your backup data, Apple cannot give it because not even Apple is ready to look at something in your backups. Advanced Data Protection is currently available within the US, and Apple customers across the world will get it someday in 2023.
The privateness community is cheering. The FBI, which has beforehand demanded private data from Apple, is pissed.
Even if you are not a privateness wonk or completely paranoid, you ought to activate Advanced Data Protection, simply because encrypting your private data is good safety hygiene.
In theory, doing that is so easy as flipping a switch in your iPhone's or iPad's settings. In practice, you do have to do a few issues earlier than that.
First, you ought to replace all of your Apple devices — not simply your iPhone or iPad — to the newest model of their working systems.
I'm a nerd, so I tried turning this feature on instantly after updating my iPhone to iOS 16.2, and that is what I got. It wanted me to replace everything first. So do that.
