Apple releases critical iOS 16.7.1 update – what you need to know

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Look alive, Appleheads – Tim Cook and friends have pushed out yet another “critical” iOS 16 update for your iPhones and iPads. Apparently, there’s some nasty bug going around that could let hackers take over your phone. Yikes!

According to Apple’s security page, this bug earned the ominous “zero-day” label, meaning the shady hacking types already know about it and are actively trying to exploit it to steal your data or brick your phone into a useless slab. Not ideal!

This urgent update is for older iPhones and iPads still running on iOS 16, including iPhone 8, iPhone X, and newer models. So, if you’re still rocking a home button in 2022, today’s your lucky day.

Here is what the new iOS 16.7.1 and iPadOS 16.7.1 update patch up:

How to install iOS 16.7.1

To install iOS 16.7.1 or iPadOS 16.7.1, head to Settings > General > Software Update and smash that download button. Fair warning – these updates can be absolute chonkers, so make sure you’re on WiFi unless you want to obliterate your data plan.

Once updated, you should be safe from this zero-day attack at least until another bug rears its ugly head, which, knowing Apple’s shoddy security track record, should be any day now.

So, get updated. Defend your iEmpire from digital invaders by always installing the latest patches. And maybe cool it on all those risky clicks – we know your addiction to dank memes makes you an easy target.

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Kevin Raposo

Kevin is KnowTechie's founder and executive editor. With over 15 years of blogging experience in the tech industry, Kevin has transformed what was once a passion project into a full-blown tech news publication. Shoot him an email at kevin@knowtechie.com or find him on Mastodon or Post.