Apple just made a new first – the first time the company has released a Rapid Security Response (RSR) update to the public. However, it does not only affect beta testers or developers who test pre-release versions of developer builds of iOS and iPadOS, as is usually the case.
Both iOS 16.4.1 and iPadOS 16.4.1 are currently receiving the Rapid Security Response update. The rollout should be completed within the next 48 hours. After installing the RSR, the iPhone or iPad will show an “(a)” in the About section – you are switching to iOS 16.4.1 (a) or iPadOS 16.4.1 (a).
RSR updates are installed automatically by default. Not all require a reboot. If necessary, iOS or iPadOS will prompt you accordingly after installation. You can also disable the automatic installation of RSR updates via the settings, which we would like to strongly advise against.
The RSR patches deliver important security improvements between the usual software updates. Above all, they close new security gaps and those where there is confirmation that hackers are currently actively exploiting them. The latest Rapid Security Response update only takes a few minutes to download and install and requires a reboot. However, RSRs typically only affect users using the most recent versions of iOS and iPadOS.
