Here’s Why Apple Should Update System Apps Through the App Store

Apple has always prided itself on the fact that iPhone and iPad devices will receive system updates for many years. Indeed, most Apple devices have a very long software update support life cycle, from at least 4 years to 6 or even 7 years.

However, there are times when Apple is not able to release security patches in time to fix unexpected problems. This recently happened and it shows once again that system apps should be released through the App Store rather than included in the operating system’s software update.

Specifically, a security flaw has just been discovered inside the Safari 15 browser, allowing data about users’ web surfing habits to be leaked. This vulnerability was discovered by FingerprintJS and it affects both iPhones, iPads and Macs. The reason is that Safari does not comply with the “same-origin” policy.

On January 18, the report said that the Apple team was aware of this vulnerability and was able to fix the problem, but users will need to wait for a system update to be released before it can be fixed. The above vulnerability can be patched in the Safari browser.

Usually, new iOS updates are released to developers first, then a short time (about a few days) a new official iOS update is released to all users. That is, it takes at least a week from the time the vulnerability is discovered and announced until an official patch is released. During this time, Apple users can completely be taken advantage of by 3rd parties and access data through a vulnerability that Apple cannot do anything about.

If Apple chooses to update system apps through the App Store, things could become easier for both Apple and users. An update can be pushed to the app store in just a day or two, and soon the user will proceed to update the app, just by pressing the “Update” button.

New features that don’t depend on iOS updates

Of course, security issues are the biggest reason why Apple should rethink the iOS update process, but allowing system app updates through the App Store also makes it possible for users to experience new features. new features more easily. Every year, we have to wait until WWDC to see what’s new in the next version of iOS. However, there are still some apps that need to be constantly updated – like the Music and TV apps.

The only reason why Apple doesn’t do this is probably because it is afraid that users will no longer be interested in updating the operating system, instead just need to update from the App Store to get these features. new ability. The proof is that recently, Apple has “turned the car around”, announcing that it is no longer providing security patches for iOS 14, forcing users to update to iOS 15.

While this is beneficial for Apple, helping to keep the new iOS and macOS market share dominant, for users, even a small change or a security patch for an application can take weeks.