Apple shows you which apps accessed your camera with new privacy report

Cupertino, California - Know how often your smartphone's microphone was accessed in the past week? How about your camera or your location?

Apple's iPhones and iPads got a medium-sized update to boost security.
Apple's iPhones and iPads got a medium-sized update to boost security.  © IMAGO / Silas Stein

With a new weekly privacy report, Apple now wants to let iPhone and iPad owners keep an eye on how their activities are being monitored by apps.

The App Privacy Report lists how often certain apps have been accessing information on things like your location, camera, microphone, and contacts in the last seven days, as well as which services your phone has silently been connecting to.

Rolling out to devices as of December 13, the new feature comes as part of the update to iOS 15.2, which also fixes several vulnerabilities and bugs in the operating system.

Another new feature in the update is the option to specify people managing your estate in the event of your death. The new digital legacy policy lets you say which friends or relatives should gain access to your personal iCloud account when you die.

At the same time, the new software update also brings a cheaper option for an Apple Music subscription, whereby you can only play songs using voice control.

It costs only five dollars a month, but the only way to control playback is with Siri. This means that while you'll be able to request certain songs and playlists, browsing an artist's catalog or searching for a specific song within a playlist won't be possible.

If iOS 15.2 hasn't already automatically arrived on your phone, then you connect your iPhone or iPad to a charger, go to Settings –> General –> Software Update and then tap on "Download and install."

Cover photo: IMAGO / Silas Stein

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