The latest iPhone update patches a critical HomeKit bug so it's important to install Apple's update right away to avoid any trouble. HomeKit is the name of Apple's smart home technology and the term used by compatible accessories. If unable to get the update immediately, avoid connecting to HomeKit accessories, particularly if the name is very long. There is a similar update available for the iPad.

HomeKit allows an iPhone to control and communicate various smart home accessories when an Apple TV, HomePod, or HomePod mini is used as a HomeKit hub. The Apple Home app comes preinstalled on every iPhone and iPad, providing a way to register new devices and set them up for use. HomeKit devices can be controlled manually or triggered via automation. For example, lights can be set to go on and off at particular times and shift colors. Webcams can be checked manually and alerts might be received when motion is detected. HomeKit is a pretty thorough smart home solution.

Related: Here’s How Apple Should Make Smart Homes Smarter

As useful as HomeKit might be, it can also ruin someone's day thanks to a vulnerability that makes the iPhone lock up. The flaw has to do with ridiculously long HomeKit device names reaching about 500,00 characters long. This is according to the security researcher that discovered this glitch, as reported by 9to5Mac. The good news is that the latest iOS 15.2.1 update from Apple has resolved the problem. iPad users can also be affected by this bug and iPadOS 15.2.1 takes care of it. All iPhone and iPad users should update immediately to avoid issues.

iPhone Text Errors Are Common

Apple iPhone 12 Green With Wi-Fi Signal Distorted

Apple seems to keep having trouble with text-based flaws and unusual names — and it really seems like these types of issues should have been fixed system-wide long ago. Around the middle of 2021, a similar problem with Wi-Fi hotspot names could wreak havoc on connectivity. Even text messages have led to serious problems in the past. That kind of data should not be able to break a program. These kinds of problems imply the code wasn't tested well enough and doesn't account for variations. If Apple's code simply cut the names at something like 30 characters and filtered out special characters, a whole host of problems could be avoided.

On a less serious note, iOS 15.2.1 also solves a problem where Messages might not load photos if those pictures were sent as an iCloud link. After the update, photos should appear normally. Also resolved is trouble involving third-party CarPlay apps being sluggish and failing to respond to user input, which can be quite annoying. iOS 15.2.1 certainly isn't the most exciting iPhone update Apple's ever released, but unless you want to risk a broken iPhone, it's one all users should download as quickly as possible.

Next: Why Apple Needs A Smart Home Device With A Screen

Source: 9to5Mac, Apple