iOS 9.3

Apple confirms a fix for iOS 9.3’s misbehaving web links is in the works and coming soon

Apple is aware that some folks are seeing unexpected behavior when tapping web links on iOS 9.3 and is working on a fix which will be deployed to users in the form of a minor software update, a company spokesperson has confirmed to TechCrunch.

An unknown portion of people who have upgraded their iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices to iOS 9.3 have reported being plagued with this issue where tapping web links would crash apps like Safari, Messages, Mail, Chrome, Tweetbot and more.

Apple reposts iOS 9.3 for older devices bricked by Activation Lock

Shortly after releasing the new iOS 9.3 firmware, Apple was forced to stop signing the update following numerous complaints from owners of older iPhones and iPads, such as the original iPad Air and the iPhone 5s and older, that it was bricking their devices.

Monday, Apple re-released iOS 9.3 to fix an issue that prevented users from activating their device via Activation Lock if they couldn't recall their Apple ID password used to originally set up their device with.

The re-released versions of iOS 9.2 carries a build number of 13E237 and is now available as an over-the-air download although those with a bricked device might want to apply the update through iTunes in DFU mode.

Some people complain that iOS 9.3 crashes after tapping on web links

It seems that iOS 9.3 is causing unexpected behavior when tapping web links, as evidenced by Twitter and a growing thread on the Apple Support Communities forums. Hundreds of affected users are reporting that the latest iPhones, and some older devices, become unresponsive or crash after tapping or tapping-and-holding web links in both first and third-party apps such as Safari, Messages, Mail, Notes, Google Chrome and more. For others, tapping on links does nothing.

Other people claim they were plagued with the same issue on iOS 9.2 devices, with some users claiming they heard from an Apple Support representative that the company is aware of the issue and is working on a fix, which should be released soon.

Apple releases a new iOS 9.3 build for older devices affected by the bricking issue

As we reported, numerous users took to Apple's support forums to complain that some owners of older iPhone and iPad devices saw their hardware bricked after updating to the recently released iOS 9.3 firmware. Apple has since detailed the problem in a support document on its website and pulled the software update for select devices.

Today, the company has re-released iOS 9.3 for those devices. The new build of iOS 9.3 for the iPad 2 has version number “13E236” versus the now defunct iOS 9.3 build “13E234” for the iPhone and “13E233” for the iPad, as per 9to5Mac's Chance Miller.

Apple support document addresses activation issues some users may encounter after updating to iOS 9.3

Apple has released a support document Wednesday night to address an issue where some iOS users are unable to activate their devices after updating to iOS 9.3, a software version released earlier this week.

Most reports of the issue seem to come from iPad 2 owners, although a quick search online shows that some iPhone users were also affected. In this support document, Apple offers a few options to try and remedy the problem.

Poll: have you updated to iOS 9.3?

After closing its 'Let us loop you in' special event on Monday, Apple released iOS 9.3 to the public, along with OS X El Capitan 10.11.4, tvOS 9.2, and watchOS 2.2.

iOS 9.3 is a big update for iPhones, iPod touches, and iPads, and as a result, we're interested in learning whether or not the update was big enough for you to download on your daily drivers.

Apple releases iOS 9.3 with Night Shift Mode, protected Notes, new 3D Touch goodies and more

After testing it with registered developers and public beta testers, Apple today released the iOS 9.3 software update for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. A major new software update, iOS 9.3  is now available on all iOS 9-comptaible devices in Settings right General → Software Update and brings several headline new features along with a bunch of under-the-hood tweaks and enhancements.

Some of the big new features of iOS 9.3 include Night Shift Mode, passcode or Touch ID protection of your notes, enhancements in News and Health apps, as well as important enhancements for iOS in the classroom such as managed Apple IDs, multi-user support on iPads and more.

Hold on to your seats, iOS 9.3 is arriving today

Apple has just revealed at its 'Let us loop you in' media event when customers around the world will be able to download and install iOS 9.3. The third major update to iOS 9.0 since its September 2015 debut, iOS 9.3 will release later today, Apple has said.

The free software update for any iOS 9-compatible iPhone, iPod touch and iPad includes features like Night Shift Mode, which reduces blue light to avoid disrupting your sleep cycles, and the ability to pair multiple watches to a single iPhone.

In iOS 9.3, users can protect their notes with a passcode or Touch ID, enjoy an even more personalized News, take advantage of an enhanced Health app that integrates move, exercise and stand data, along with goals from Apple Watch apps, to mention just a few highlights.

iOS 9.3 patches a bug that would let attackers decrypt photos and videos sent via iMessage

A group of Johns Hopkins University researchers led by computer science professor Matthew D. Green has discovered a critical bug in Apple's stock Messages app for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.

The vulnerability would allow nefarious users to decrypt photos and videos sent over iMessage, but there's nothing to worry about—iOS 9.3, which we expect to release after today's Apple event wraps up, contains a patch for this oversight on Apple's part.

Apple seeds iOS 9.3 beta 7 to developers and public testers

Apple on Monday released iOS 9.3 beta 7 to developers and public testers. The update is available in both Apple’s dev center and public testing portal, as well as via an over-the-air update for folks running the previous beta.

Today’s seed comes less than a week week after the previous beta 6, which brought about various changes and improvements to Night Shift mode, and some two months after the original 9.3 beta was pushed to developers.

Apple approves f.lux-like app ‘FlexBright’ [u]

Apple has approved a new app called FlexBright, which allows you to manually adjust the display temperature of your iPhone or iPad. That makes this one of the first third-party apps to make it into the App Store that provides a feature similar to iOS 9.3's Night Shift mode.

It's interesting that Apple would green-light a title like FlexBright, given its history. For those who aren't familiar with the story, last fall the iPhone-maker asked the developers of f.lux—a long-running app with similar functionality to FlexBright—to shutdown their iOS work.

Update: the app has been pulled from the App Store. The developer mentioned on Twitter that Apple hasn't provided any reason for removing the app. 

Apple seeds beta 6 of iOS 9.3 and watchOS 2.2

Apple on Monday released iOS 9.3 beta 6 to developers and public testers. The update is available in both Apple's dev center and public testing portal, as well as via an over-the-air update for folks running the previous beta.

Today’s seed comes less than a week week after the previous beta 5, which brought about various changes and improvements to Night Shift mode, and some two months after the original 9.3 beta was pushed to developers.