Security and privacy features of iOS 14 and iPadOS 14

Apple has equipped iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 for iPhone and iPad with even greater security, in order to keep your data safe.

IOS 14 has been released in several countries - in Greece it has not come yet - and if you are brave enough to install it, you will receive some new security and privacy features. Some are visible and some are hidden in the operating system.

But let's see what these new settings and features need to know.

Access to camera and microphone

Each time an application accesses your camera or microphone, a dot will appear above the signal strength meter. A green dot to access the camera (similar to the green light LED lit in Poppy when the camera is on) and an orange dot to access the microphone.

Also, if you have access to the Control Center, there is a notification at the top that shows the recent applications that have access to the camera or microphone.

Works automatically, not required user-input and there is no way to turn it off.

Notice for copy / paste

When the data is copied and pasted, a notification appears in the screen in the form of a pop-up window. This is a simple but effective way to know if your applications are spying.

It works automatically, no user-input is required and there is no way to turn it off.

Do not let applications take up your exact location

You now have the option to allow applications to access your general location, but not your exact one. It's nice to have the option to use location data without giving access to your exact location.

To access this setting, go to Settings> Privacy> Location Services, and then check the settings of the applications that have access to your location.

Applications that require local network access

Another thing you will see after installing iOS 14 / iPadOS 14 are the applications that request access to the local network. Some apps do need it - they can be used to control Bluetooth or WiFi gadgets - but others have no reason to have access.

And if you change your mind, you can go to Settings> Privacy> Local Network and change the setting.

Stop Wi-Fi tracking

IOS 14 / 1PadOS 14 can provide a random "private" MAC address when connected to a Wi-Fi network. This may prevent you from being monitored when using network connections.

This feature is enabled by default and can be found by going to Settings> Wi-Fi, then clicking "i" in a circle next to the network.

If you have problems with some Wi-Fi networks, you may need to turn off the feature.