iOS 15.4 beta fixes an issue with voice assistant Siri. The software may have recorded user interactions, including without permission.
The bug has been in the software since iOS 15 and put the option Improve Siri and Dictation on automatically. When you activate that function, you give Apple permission to record, save and listen to recordings that come in via Siri.
Listen in with Siri
The news came out via ZDNet† Apple confirms to that website that the accidentally recorded recordings have now been removed. After discovering the software bug, the company also automatically disabled the feature for “many users” during the release of iOS 15.2. But the solution will only really come when iOS 15.4 is available to everyone. Now that update is still in beta; he is expected for everyone in mid-March.
If you participate in the beta of iOS 15.4, Siri may ask if you want to activate the Enhance Siri and Dictation option.
According to Apple, only a “small portion” of iPhones are affected by this software flaw. It’s not the first time Apple has tried to minimize a potentially major privacy problem, given the company’s image as a privacy protector. Despite this, Apple would do well to notify every user of this, and to download the updates for the system as soon as possible.
