A new software update is now up for grabs

May 3, 2021 18:06 GMT  ·  By

Apple has officially released a new iOS software update for iPhone 6s and newer, this time in an attempt to resolve a bug affecting App Tracking Transparency.

Introduced as part of iOS 14.5, App Tracking Transparency is a feature that forces apps to ask for consent before tracking users across other apps and websites. Despite criticism coming from various companies, such as Facebook, Apple still released the feature, explaining it’s only supposed to help protect users’ privacy and provide them with the necessary controls to block the tracking.

iOS 14.5.1 comes with a fix specifically aimed at App Tracking Transparency, as the feature for some reason didn’t work exactly as expected for some users.

“This update fixes an issue with App Tracking Transparency where some users who previously disabled Allow Apps to Request to Track in Settings may not receive prompts from apps after re-enabling it. This update also provides important security updates and is recommended for all users,” Apple says.

Update already available for download

Just like the original version of iOS 14, today’s update is available on the iPhone 6s and newer.

Apple says App Tracking Transparency is supposed to put you in full control over your data.

“Your devices carry the story of your life. We believe you should have a choice in how apps track and share your data with other companies for advertising or with data brokers. Starting with iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5, apps are required to ask your permission when they want to track you across apps and websites owned by other companies. You’ll be able to change your preference for any app or prevent apps from asking for permission entirely in Settings,” Apple says.

The new software update is available for download on support iPhones from General > Software update.