iPhone owners in the UK have been cautioned about a potential bug in the latest iOS 17 update that resets their privacy settings without their consent. Reports suggest that Apple is currently investigating the issue.

Suspected bug affecting privacy settings

According to two iOS developers and security researchers named Mysk, there has been a concerning discovery related to the iOS 17 update. Users found that their Significant Locations and iPhone Analytics features were being tracked, even though they hadn't given permission for it. These settings were automatically activated, without any action from the users, after the installation of Apple's new iOS update.

Apple, in response to these claims, has confirmed that these settings should not change after updating to iOS 17. However, the majority of iOS 17 users have not reported any issues with their privacy settings being affected.

Potential privacy implications

The Significant Locations feature is designed to track recently visited places, aiding in predicting traffic routing, app recommendations, and organizing memories in the Photos app. This location data is end-to-end encrypted and inaccessible even to Apple. Despite this, Mysk has issued a warning, stating that these settings can be potentially abused as they reveal detailed information about frequently visited locations.

Mysk also highlights the implications of including location information in iPhone analytics reports, which are shared with Apple. Even though these reports do not directly identify users, security experts advise against turning on these options.

Steps to protect your privacy

To ensure your privacy is not compromised, it is advised to follow the security recommendations outlined by experts. To do so, open your iPhone's Settings, navigate to Privacy & Security, followed by Location Services, and finally, locate System Service options. From there, you can turn off the Significant Locations and iPhone Analytics features.