Reprinted from TidBITS by permission; reuse governed by Creative Commons license BY-NC-ND 3.0. TidBITS has offered years of thoughtful commentary on Apple and Internet topics. For free email subscriptions and access to the entire TidBITS archive, visit http://www.tidbits.com/ iOS 6.1.3 Blocks Passcode Bypass Bug Adam C. Engst Apple has quietly released [1]iOS 6.1.3 to fix a [2]bug that could enable someone to bypass an iPhone's passcode and access the Phone app. The only other change ' beyond [3]a variety of security fixes (Apple's page is currently missing) ' is noted merely as 'improvements to Maps in Japan.' The passcode bypass bug would allow someone with access to the iPhone to make calls, browse contact information, and access photos ' it became public over a month ago. The update is available for all iOS devices running iOS 6, including the iPhone 3GS and later, the iPad 2 and later, and the fourth-generation iPod touch and later. As always, an over-the-air update accessed from Settings > General > Software Update on the device itself will be faster to download and install, though you can of course download and install via iTunes as well. The over-the-air version is only 18.2 MB for my iPhone 5. Since none of the security-related bugs fixed are all that serious, unless you're relying on Maps in Japan, I suggest that you hold off on this update until others have determined whether or not it introduces any new problems. References 1. http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1646 2. http://www.tuaw.com/2013/02/14/flaw-in-ios-6-1-lets-users-bypass-the-iphones-lockscreen-passwo/ 3. http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5701 .