Update your iPhone now to prevent hackers using Wi-Fi to break in

If you own an iPhone, you really need to update your device right now. Apple has released an update to fix a critical security vulnerability that enables attackers to hack into your smartphone via Wi-Fi.

The iOS 10.3.3 security patch released by Apple on Wednesday 19 July fixes a serious security flaw affecting the iPhone's Broadcom Wi-Fi chipset.

If you don't update your phone and like almost everyone, you have Wi-Fi enabled, then hackers in range can locate your device and remotely hijack the chipset and crash your smartphone to gain control over it.

They don't need your passcode or any other details, they can just take over the device through the air.

Millions of Android devices are also affected by this security flaw, which is known as the "Broadpwn" exploit. It affects all of the products in Broadcom's family of BCM43xx Wi-Fi chipsets.

Google patched the security flaw for Android on 5 July during its monthly security update, but it has taken Apple a bit longer since the tech giant also wanted to patch several other issues affecting Safari, Messages, Contacts and Notifications.

To update your iPhone, in case you need a reminder, all you need to do is go to Settings > General > Software Update and confirm that you want to update to the latest version of the operating system.

And if you don't have enough storage space on your phone, Apple has introduced a handy new feature that calculates how much space the update needs, and then asks the user if it can temporarily delete an app, install the update and then restore the app to the device.