IOS 13.3: what’s new and how to download the update

Apple is preparing to release the new version of iOS 13, with substantial news on the security front. Like Android, it will offer support for FIDO2

On yesterday, Apple released iOS 13.3, the latest version of the operating system dedicated to smartphones from the bitten apple. Inside, the developers of the Cupertino house have included several security updates, fixed some bugs and added features announced in the past weeks.

The main focus of this update, however, remains security. In particular, Apple engineers have focused on more secure authentication methods, based on physical keys and not just passwords, face or fingerprint scanning. A measure already adopted by Google on Android and Chromebook, capable of ensuring a more advanced level of security and protection than current methods.

iOS 13.3, comes support for security keys

The most interesting novelty of iOS 13.3 is the support for physical USB-C, NFC and Lightning keys that support the FIDO2 protocol. These devices can be used as "physical tokens" for two-factor authentication, adding an extra layer of security to one's device. Authentication keys generate a one-time password each time they are used, so it makes logging in to one's devices or web profiles more secure.

iOS 13.3, new parental control feature

The new feature called "Communication Limits" allows parents more control over their children's device or their own when used by their kids. Parents can decide to enable incoming and outgoing calls as well as messages on the child's account from a limited circle of contacts. The new parental control can be applied to the phone, messages, FaceTime and iCloud. "Communication Limits" only works with these apps, and it's important to remember that third-party apps could bypass this new security feature.

iOS 13.3: Minor Updates

Already in the iOS 13.3 beta, many users had noticed an improvement in RAM management that seems to be confirmed by the official update. A feature that allows you to hide Memoji using the keyboard settings has also been added. Finally, iOS 13.3 finally fixes some bugs and anomalies previously encountered by many users of the Cupertino-based company.

How to download iOS 13.3

The update of the latest version of iOS 13 is being distributed and, in the coming hours or days, it will be downloaded and installed automatically on all compatible iPhones. In case you don't want to wait, just go to your phone's Settings and check if the update is already available.