Google Photos no longer works after iOS 16.3.1 update

Rushed to fix security issues, the latest iOS 16 update appears to have broken the functionality of several Google apps and services, including Google Photos.

Affected by a vulnerability already exploited in cyberattacks, Apple’s platform appears to have received the iOS 16.3.1 update a little earlier than good would have been appropriate, with the new firmware version raising compatibility issues with certain apps installed on devices. We’re talking about the new iOS 16.3.1, iPadOS 16.3.1 and watchOS 9.3.1 versions for phones, tablets and watches. At least for iPhone and iPad devices, the Google Photos app no longer works at all on the updated devices. At the moment, neither Apple nor Google is offering an official explanation, suggesting that the problem has arisen unexpectedly must also have a remedy via software updates.

The even worse news is that the update also appears to break some native iOS features:

• iCloud settings may not respond or display incorrectly if apps use iCloud
• Siri prompts for Find My may not work

On the short list of confirmed improvements we only have “optimizations for crash detection on iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models”.

At least for now, Apple hasn’t made any decision on stopping distribution of this firmware version.