Apple Releases iOS and iPadOS 13.3.1 With Toggle for Turning Off U1 Chip in Latest iPhones

Apple today released iOS and iPadOS 13.3.1, minor updates to the iOS 13 operating system. iOS and iPadOS 13.3.1 come over a month after the release of iOS/iPadOS 13.3, which brought Communication Limits for Screen Time.

The iOS and iPadOS 13.3.1 updates are available on all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the updates, go to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple has also released an iOS 12.4.5 update for older devices.

iOS 13.3.1 includes a "Networking & Wireless" toggle that turns off the U1 Ultra Wideband chip in the latest iPhones. The feature, located in the Privacy > Location Services section of the Settings app, turns off location for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Ultra Wideband.

Apple added this location toggle after it was discovered that the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max continue to track user location even when location services options are disabled. This is because there are international regulatory requirements that mandate the U1 chip be disabled in certain locations.

The new toggle makes sure location tracking is off for the U1 chip at all times. Apple has also added a new "Play Again" button when replaying content that you've already watched in the TV app. The update also includes multiple bug fixes for issues that include a Communication Limits bug that allowed it to be bypassed, a problem with Mail that could prevent images from loading, an issue that could case push notifications to fail to be delivered, and more. Apple's full release notes for the update are below:

iOS 13.3.1 includes bug fixes and improvements. This update:
- Fixes an issue in Communication Limits that could allow a contact to be added without entering the Screen Time passcode
- Adds a setting to control the use of location services by the U1 Ultra Wideband chip
- Addresses an issue that could cause a momentary delay before editing a Deep Fusion photo taken on iPhone 11 or iPhone 11 Pro
- Resolves an issue with Mail that could cause remote images to load even when the “Load Remote Images” setting is disabled
- Fixes an issue that could cause multiple undo dialogs to appear in Mail
- Addresses an issue where FaceTime could use the rear facing ultra-wide camera instead of the wide camera
- Resolves an issue where push notifications could fail to be delivered over Wi-Fi
- Addresses a CarPlay issue that could cause distorted sound when making phone calls in certain vehicles
- Introduces support for Indian English Siri voices for HomePod

Apple also has separate release notes for iPadOS 13.3.1:

iPadOS 13.3.1 includes bug fixes and improvements. This update:
- Fixes an issue in Communication Limits that could allow a contact to be added without entering the Screen Time passcode
- Addresses an issue with Mail that could cause remote images to load even when the “Load Remote Images” setting is disabled
- Fixes an issue that could cause multiple undo dialogs to appear in Mail
- Resolves an issue where push notifications could fail to be delivered over Wi-Fi
- Introduces support for Indian English Siri voices for HomePod

For more on the new features that Apple added to iOS with the launch of ‌iOS 13‌, make sure to check out our iOS 13 roundup.