Apple Shares Updated iOS Security Guide With Info on Face ID, Apple Pay Cash and More - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple Shares Updated iOS Security Guide With Info on Face ID, Apple Pay Cash and More

Apple this afternoon published an updated version of its iOS Security white paper for iOS 11 [PDF], with information that covers features introduced in iOS 11.1 and iOS 11.2, like Face ID and Apple Pay Cash.

Much of the information in the document on Face ID has been previously shared by Apple in a dedicated Face ID white paper and accompanying support document that was released in September following the iPhone X's announcement, but the Face ID section is worth a re-read for those who are interested in Face ID security.

iphonextruedepthcamera 1
The document also covers several other topics, such as Shared Notes, CloudKit, Siri Suggestions, and more, with a full list of updates below:

Updated for iOS 11.2
- Apple Pay Cash

Updated for iOS 11.1
- Security Certifications and Programs
- Touch ID/Face ID
- Shared Notes
- CloudKit end-to-end encryption
- TLS
- Apple Pay, Paying with Apple Pay on the web
- Siri Suggestions
- Shared iPad

The document explains in detail how Apple features work and how they're protected. With Apple Pay Cash, for example, Apple says transaction data is stored for troubleshooting and fraud protection, while all money transfers are done securely using the Secure Element as with other Apple Pay transactions.

There are many small but significant details in the paper about all of the topics listed above, and for anyone who is interested in the security of their iPhones and iPads, it's worth checking out in detail.

Prior to today's update, the last update to the iOS security document was in July of 2017 following the release of iOS 10.3.

Related Forum: iOS 11

Popular Stories

Four iPhone 18 Pro Colors Mock Feature

iPhone 18 Pro: Pre-Orders and Release Date

Sunday August 16, 2026 8:24 pm PDT by
Apple has yet to reveal when the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra will be announced and released, but the dates usually follow a familiar pattern. As usual, the event is expected to take place in the first half of September. Labor Day falls on September 7 this year. The last time the holiday was on that day was in 2020, but the iPhone event that year was delayed until October due to the...
apple camera airpods

Apple's Camera-Equipped AirPods Confirmed: See Them in Action

Monday August 17, 2026 6:21 pm PDT by
Apple is working on camera-equipped AirPods that appear to be nearly ready to launch, based on a video MacRumors found in the macOS Tahoe 26.7 release candidate. In a short demo, a man holds a book up so the camera in the AirPods can see the title. "With Visual Intelligence, your world becomes savable. See something you like? Just ask me to save it for later," says the voiceover text. Here ...
iPhone 18 Pro Dark Cherry Feature

iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra: New Details Leak as Apple Event Nears

Monday August 17, 2026 11:09 am PDT by
"iPhone Ultra" supply will be very limited when the foldable device is first released later this year, according to Fixed Focus Digital, a known leaker on the Chinese social media platform Weibo. The account also claimed that the iPhone 18 Pro's A20 Pro chip will be up to 18% faster and up to 30% more power efficient compared to the iPhone 17 Pro's A19 Pro chip. The A20 Pro chip will be the...

Top Rated Comments

EdT Avatar
112 months ago
Thread will be filled with unrelated complaints about macOS security.
And it was the next post after yours.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Chazzle Avatar
112 months ago
The dumb buyers will trust anyone with their face data.... some random chinese company where your face data will be shared around online.
Huh, didn’t realize Apple was some random Chinese company that shares your data online.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
OldSchoolMacGuy Avatar
112 months ago
Thread will be filled with unrelated complaints about macOS security.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SecuritySteve Avatar
112 months ago
WHOA. Huge deal here that everyone seems to be overlooking. Page 73 in regards to the Apple Bounty for vulnerability researchers (like me) now no longer only applies to Apple partners. This opening up of the system is a big change from when Apple first announced this at DEFCON.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
112 months ago
Hardly anyone will read the entire pdf but almost everyone will have strong opinions on Apples ability to innovate, secure, and write software.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
112 months ago
The dumb buyers will trust anyone with their face data.... some random chinese company where your face data will be shared around online.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)