Skip to main content

iOS 16.3.1 fixes major bugs for your iPhone — and introduces a new one

Apple just released a new iOS update for your iPhone: iOS 16.3.1. There are also updates for iPadOS 16.3.1 and macOS 13.2.1. All of these are relatively minor updates, but they do patch up an actively exploited code execution vulnerability that was found in WebKit/Safari. A second vulnerability was also patched up, though this second one was not known to be actively exploited.

But that’s not all that iOS 16.3.1 brings. This update also fixes an issue with iCloud settings, where it became unresponsive. Another bug fix corrects an issue with using Siri with the Find My feature, where the request would end up failing. If you have a HomePod, there is a HomePod 16.3.2 OS update that will also resolve some Siri issues, where smart home requests would end up failing.

Lock screen widget for iOS 16.
Nadeem Sarwar / DigitalTrends

In addition, iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models with Crash Detection also got improvements with iOS 16.3.1. This update makes some minor adjustments to optimize Crash Detection, so hopefully this helps reduce the number of accidental calls to first responders, which seemed to happen with activities like riding intense roller coasters, skiing, and more.

Recommended Videos

iOS 16.3.1 is bad news for Google Photos users

While all of this is great for the previous issues, iOS 16.3.1 also introduces a brand new problem: Google Photos crashes on launch. If you are a Google Photos user, then you should hold off on updating to iOS 16.3.1 until this problem is resolved.

If you have updated your iPhone to iOS 16.3.1 and use Google Photos, you may have noticed that the app just crashes whenever you try to open it. Rebooting the phone won’t fix it. Many users have complained online about it already, and Google has yet to acknowledge the issue. Even though it was Apple’s update that broke compatibility, it may end up falling on Google’s shoulders to fix it.

In the meantime, if you haven’t updated yet and need Google Photos, hold off on updating to iOS 16.3.1. And if you already did, then hang on tight for a fix, probably on Google’s side. Hopefully, things will be back up and working again sooner rather than later.

Christine Romero-Chan
Christine Romero-Chan has been writing about technology, specifically Apple, for over a decade. She graduated from California…
iPhone 17 Pro may get a wild, must-have accessory that beats a case
Render of iPhone 17 Pro Max.

The Apple iPhone 17 Pro may get an unusual customization option, if an image showing a wild new accessory type is accurate. Instead of just wrapping your phone in a case or a skin, the iPhone 17 Pro’s distinctive camera module may support colorful panels to spice up the look of the phone, and make good use of all that blank space we expect to see around the cameras.

Anyone who has seen early renders of the iPhone 17 Pro’s possible design will have been struck by the large camera module on the back, which appears flat and houses three main cameras on the left, with a flash unit and another sensor on the right. The space between them is entirely unused, and that’s where the rumored panels come into play.

Read more
The iPhone should copy this Android phone’s shortcut button feature, here’s why
The buttons on the iPhone 16e

The iPhone is renowned for its ability to start entire trends and drive the smartphone industry in new directions. 

Beginning with the launch of the original iPhone in 2007, which transitioned the industry from resistive to capacitive touchscreens and eliminated the need for a stylus, the iPhone also defined the current smartphone with the introduction of the App Store and the app economy.

Read more
I tested the Pixel 9a and iPhone 16e’s cameras, and the two almost tied
A person holding the Google Pixel 9a and Apple iPhone 16e.

The Google Pixel 9a’s arch rival, almost regardless of whether you are trying to decide which one to buy, is the Apple iPhone 16e. Just like dogs chase cats, a new Pixel phone will go up against an iPhone in a camera test at some point, and over the past week or so, we’ve worked to answer the question of which phone takes better photos, the Pixel 9a or the iPhone 16e.
The camera specs
Google Pixel 9a (left) and Apple iPhone 16e Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The two phones have very different camera systems. The Google Pixel 9a has a 48-megapixel main camera with an f/1.7 aperture and optical image stabilization (OIS), plus a 13MP wide-angle camera with an f/2.2 aperture and a 120-degree field of view. On the front is a 13MP selfie camera.

Read more