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Apple retail locations and Apple Authorized Service Providers will soon be able to restore Apple Watch software in-store without needing to send an Apple Watch to a service center, according to a retail source that spoke to MacRumors . Right now, Apple Watches that can't be restored using an iPhone need to be mailed to an Apple Repair Center for service. There is no in-store repair option, so customers have to wait for the Apple Watch to be shipped to the repair depot, get repaired, and be shipped back. Starting later this month, Apple Stores and AASPs will be able to use an Apple Watch repair dock that connects to a Mac to restore the software on an Apple Watch. An in-store option for fixing software will make software-based repairs much quicker. With watchOS 8.5 and iOS 15.4, Apple introduced an iPhone-based wireless restore option , but it is limited. It can only be used when a restore prompt is shown on the Apple Watch. For software issues where the iPhone restore doesn't work, the Apple Watch needs a specialized repair currently unavailable in retail stores. Failed updates, bricked devices, and boot loops can't be fixed with an iPhone. Early Apple Watch models had a diagnostic port that Apple Stores could use for software fixes, but it was removed with the Apple Watch Series 7, and Apple switched to a wireless restoration process. After the port was dropped, Apple Watch software repairs had to be done at Apple Service Centers, making software-based failures a hassle for customers. Related Roundup: Apple Watch 11 Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral) This article, " Apple Stores Will Soon Be Able to Restore Apple Watch Software In-House " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
Apple today stopped signing iOS 26.4, so iPhone users who have updated to iOS 26.4.1 are no longer able to downgrade to the earlier version of iOS. iOS 26.4.1 came out a week ago . When software is "signed," it means it can pass the server-side verification check that Apple does when a user downloads a new version of iOS on an iPhone. An update that's not signed can't be installed because it won't pass the verification check. Apple does not show users earlier versions of iOS after an upgrade has been released, but when software is still signed, it is possible to downgrade with the macOS Finder app on a Mac or the Apple Devices app on a Windows PC. Unsigning software prevents Apple customers from installing outdated, less secure versions of iOS, and Apple typically stops signing an update a week or so after new software comes out. iOS 26.4.1 fixed iCloud syncing issues and Stolen Device Protection on enterprise devices. While iOS 26.4.1 is the current publicly available version of iOS, Apple is also beta testing an iOS 26.5 update. Related Roundups: iOS 26 , iPadOS 26 Related Forum: iOS 26 This article, " iOS 26.4 No Longer Signed by Apple, Blocking Downgrades From iOS 26.4.1 " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
Researchers were able to pull $10k from a locked iPhone via a trick that requires physical device access, perfect circumstances, and specialized hardware. Don't let fearmongering convince you to turn off Transit Mode. Visa cards on Apple Pay have a very specific vulnerability that no one should worry about Fear is one of the most prevalent emotions to utilize when looking to make some content go viral. If you watched TV in the past 40 years, a lot of late-night news broadcasts thrived on the "but it could happen to you" plot devices. YouTube is no stranger to using fear as a tactic, and one of the biggest tech YouTubers, Marques Brownlee, let the channel Veritasium steal $10k from his locked iPhone in a video. It utilized a man-in-the-middle technique where transaction handshakes are intercepted between an iPhone and payment terminal. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
An iPhone exploit that involves a linked Visa card can allow attackers to steal money from a locked device using NFC, but the process is complex, requiring physical access and specialized hardware. The exploit was highlighted by popular YouTube channel Veritasium, and it involves tricking an iPhone into thinking it's making a payment at a mass transit terminal, a process that can be completed from a locked iPhone. Cybersecurity researchers from the University of Surrey and the University of Birmingham developed the attack to bypass an iPhone's locked status and steal funds from a mobile wallet. The exploit was first publicized in 2021, and it bypasses traditional limits on transaction size. Veritasium demonstrated the attack by collecting $10,000 from YouTuber Marques Brownlee's locked iPhone. The attack works using an NFC card reader that intercepts the communication between an iPhone and a tap-to-pay terminal when a payment is made. The card reader is connected to a laptop that collects payment data and sends it to a separate burner phone, which is then tapped on a legitimate card reader. The NFC device has to be tuned to the same transit terminal identifier as a legitimate transit reader. The process requires the victim to have Express Transit Mode enabled for payments, and a Visa card linked for those payments, among other steps. As it turns out, it's a Visa-related security loophole rather than an iPhone issue, and it doesn't work with a Mastercard or an American Express card because other cards use different security methods. It also doesn't work with Samsung Pay on Samsung devices, and it requires the specific combination of a Visa card and an iPhone. Apple told Veritasium that it's an issue with the Visa system, but something unlikely to occur in the real world. This is a concern with the Visa system, but Visa does not believe this kind of fraud is likely to take place in the real world. Visa has made it clear that their cardholders are protected by Visa's zero liability policy. Visa also told Veritasium that the exploit was very unlikely from a scaled real world setting, and any such transactions can be disputed. The researchers who shared the exploit said users can protect themselves by not using a Visa card on the iPhone for transit purposes. This article, " Here's How Researchers Stole $10,000 From MKBHD's Locked iPhone " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
