Do you remember when Apple gave you the choice to opt in to help improve Siri and dictation? Most users opted out of this setting, but it has recently come to light that Apple has finally fixed a bug that automatically enabled the setting for some users even if they had previously opted out. This had led to Apple recording and storing the conversations that such users had with Siri.
With the release of iOS 15.2, Apple turned off the setting for “many” Siri users, and now the second beta of iOS 15.4 is offering users the chance to opt in again.
Apple confirmed with ZDNet that it was deleting any recordings collected in connection with the bug:
“With iOS 15.2, we turned off the Improve Siri & Dictation setting for many Siri users while we fixed a bug introduced with iOS 15. This bug inadvertently enabled the setting for a small portion of devices. Since identifying the bug, we stopped reviewing and are deleting audio received from all affected devices.”
The bug itself was fixed in iOS 15.2, according to ZDNet, and when iOS 15.4 is rolled out to the public, users updating their devices can expect to be asked whether they wish to share their audio recordings with Apple. The update is also set to offer users the ability to use Face ID while wearing a mask.
