Apple fast-tracks iOS 13.1 to remedy bug-ridden upgrade

Apple has patched a raft of bugs affecting iOS 13 less than a week after releasing the latest version of its flagship mobile operating system.

iOS 13.1 provides several fixes and improvements, addressing problems with AirDrop with Ultra-Wideband technology on the latest set of iPhones, for example. The Calendar, Notes and CarPlay apps are also receiving minor fixes.

Additional features expected in the release, meanwhile, including suggested automation on Shortcuts, and the ability to share one's estimated time of arrival (ETA) in its Maps app.

After releasing iOS 13 last Thursday, iPhone users complained about problems with the Mail app, whereby there have been incorrect download counts, missing senders and subjects, and difficulty selecting threads. There were also issues that prevented downloading email messages in the background.

The battery, too, has received attention, with iOS 13.1 slowing the rate of aging by reducing the time an iPhone spends fully charged. The iPhone XR, Xs, and Xs Max will also benefit from a "performance management" feature that prevents the devices from unexpectedly shutting down.

One of the key features packaged into iOS 13 was a Dark Mode that drapes the user interface (UI) in shades that may appeal more to users in dimly-lit conditions. With iOS 13.1, Apple has resolved a bug in which wallpapers were prevented from switching appearances during the transition between Light and Dark modes.

Despite a raft of tweaks, there hasn't yet been a fix to a major bug that allows third-party digital keyboard developers to gather keystroke data and send it back to their servers, regardless of user permissions.

"Third-party keyboard extensions in iOS can be designed to run entirely standalone, without access to external services, or they can request 'full access' to provide additional features through network access," the company said.

"Apple has discovered a bug in iOS 13 and iPadOS that can result in keyboard extensions being granted full access even if you haven't approved this access.

"This issue does not impact Apple's built-in keyboards. It also doesn't impact third-party keyboards that don't make use of full access. The issue will be fixed soon in an upcoming software update."

iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch users who may be affected by the issue can see which third-party keyboard apps they have installed by viewing them in the Settings app and navigating to Keyboard, under General'.