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Apple iOS updates for iPhone, iPad tackle location tracking, screen time issues

iOS and iPadOS 13.3.1 target privacy bugs.

Rae Hodge Former senior editor
Rae Hodge was a senior editor at CNET. She led CNET's coverage of privacy and cybersecurity tools from July 2019 to January 2023. As a data-driven investigative journalist on the software and services team, she reviewed VPNs, password managers, antivirus software, anti-surveillance methods and ethics in tech. Prior to joining CNET in 2019, Rae spent nearly a decade covering politics and protests for the AP, NPR, the BBC and other local and international outlets.
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Apple released two minor updates to its iOS operating system Tuesday. iOS and iPadOS 13.3.1 aim to resolve privacy issues found in the December release of iOS and ‌iPadOS‌ 13.3, after researchers discovered that certain location tracking features couldn't be disabled in the iPhone 11 and that security features were being bypassed in Screen Time.

Addressing the location tracking problem, the iPhone's U1 Ultra Wideband chip can now be disabled via a "Networking & Wireless" tab accessed under the Privacy and Location Services menu sections of the Settings app. The latest patch also fixes an iPad bug in Communications Limits, which previously allowed contacts to be added in Screen Time without the entry of a passcode. 

To update your iPhone or iPad operating system to 13.3.1, head to the Settings app. Under the General section, select Software Update. 

Watch this: iOS 13: Cool features you'll want to try now

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