Don’t be…you’ll be safer with the latest iOS update
We all get them. Those notifications that innocuously pop-up telling us there is an operating system update that requires our attention. And yet, so many folk just keep dismissing these warnings as if they are some intrusion upon their day. In this blog, I will tell you why it’s safe and important to update your iOS.
So, what are you scared of?
I know only too well, we are all taught to be super aware of scams. And rightly so, too. But software updates generally are not served to us via email, rather through a notification from our desktops, laptops, or devices.
Let’s look at the latest iOS update that came out last week, 15.3. As you may have read in another one of my blogs, there was nothing fun or fancy about this one. All the good stuff is still in beta on 15.4 which will be out later this year. On that version, we will have all the bits we love, new emojis, buttons and layouts, and the uptake on that update will doubtless be significantly higher, because of those bells and whistles.
But 15.3 is here predominantly for your safety. It contains numerous bug and glitch fixes, but most importantly, safety features. Features that could save you from all sorts of harm online and possibly even help to avoid being hacked. Yet still, so very many iPhone users shirk it. I thought it may be worth delving a little deeper as to why this is.
Attention & focus
These pesky notifications are both annoying and distracting. Look, I am no puritan here, my teeth grind as much as the next person’s when I see them pop up. Inevitably, it will be as I am trying to concentrate on something, like writing these blogs for instance. In this instance, I try to write as distraction free as possible in full-screen mode to avoid as many distractions as possible so as not to lose my thread.
Updates do cause stress and ruin focus. I seem to remember that on the Windows platform it is even worse, but on Ma and iOS we still get our fair few. Check out on Google for the number of searches for ‘how to disable updates’ and you’ll see what I mean.
In fact, whilst researching the blog, I came across an article from a Swedish professor who cited the notifications actually act as harmful stimuli. On a fairly hum-drum average day at the desk, there may not be much that stresses us, which is a good thing. But that also means the brain’s receptors are free for stressors to attack, and these updates can cause an increase in hormones such as cortisol. We feel affronted by the violation of our attention, and that our focus is no longer on the current task in-hand.
Win or lose?
When asked in some recent surveys, there seem to be regular answers given as to why users avoid updates;
- Worried about the validity of the update
- There being no real benefit
- Takes too long
- Lack of clarity as to what the update will bring
- Data loss
- Taking up too much storage
All of these are valid concerns, granted, but I am pretty convinced that no corporate would send out an update with known issues. Don’t forget, these really are here in the first place to help to protect us.
A study of 1,000 people by Router-Network found that just 43% of iOS users update their devices as soon as a new release is available. Apparently, there is still around 15% of iOS users that never update their devices!
The silent route
Apple is the master of the silent updates, happening in the background when the data shows we are not being productive. That is all well and good, but of course, even that method will have its flaws. You may be away from a power source or not on a network, for example. So, although this would on first sight seem a winner, it does have its limitations.
Get it done – it’s one less thing to worry you
So, the next time you get that pesky little notification pop-up in the top-right corner of your Mac or message on your iOS device, rather than dismiss it, stop the prevarication and just hit download & install. You’ll be safer eventually, open to fewer cyberattacks, and also ensure your device is running as smoothly as possible. Honestly, in not doing so, you are the only loser.
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First published http://talkingtechandaudio.com/blog 3rd February 2022