Time to update: Apple releases iOS 15.2.1 for iPhone with HomeKit security fix

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Apple on Wednesday released iOS 15.2.1 and iPadOS 15.2.1 for iPhone and iPad owners. The update comes in at just over 800MB on the 2021 iPad Pro and is currently downloading on my iPhone 13 Pro Max and iPad Pro.

There weren’t any release notes available in the Settings app, but there is a support document dealing with the security contents of the update for iPhone and iPad. There’s a weird HomeKit bug that bricks your device if you rename a HomeKit accessory with a string of text 500,000 characters long.

According to Apple, iOS 15.2.1 and iPadOS 15.2.1 fixes the issue.

It’s not like any of us were naming accessories something a half-million characters long, but there was potential for someone to change the name of a device on your Home app and break your Apple devices in the process.

You can download the update using the normal process of going to Settings > General > Software Update and following the prompts.

If you notice any new features or changes after updating your device(s), leave us a comment and let us know what you found.