Apple fixed a bug that accidentally kept your cleared browsing data on iCloud

Apple has fixed a bug that was inadvertently storing users' cleared browsing history on iCloud.

Vladimir Katalov, CEO of security firm ElcomSoft, recently told Forbes that he discovered browsing history dating back as far as a year on his iCloud account—despite having cleared it. Katalov did this using ElcomSoft's own "phone breaker" software, which allows you to download your iCloud data, including your old browsing records.

Katalov's claim was reportedly validated by an iOS forensics expert, and a Forbes reporter conducted a test on his own device by running the software on his iCloud account. He found browsing data from November 27, 2015, including the visit counts, dates and search terms. Shortly after the article was published, Katalov reportedly reached out to Forbes and said that his old browsing history was no longer accessible.

In a statement to Mashable, Apple representatives said the problem was caused by a bug they've since resolved.

"To further strengthen the protections we provide customers, we’ve fixed a bug that retained browsing history for longer than we intended," the statement said. "Devices will now have access to this data for 14 days and it will be deleted from our servers within 60 days. Customers can also turn off Safari syncing features at any time."

So, rest easy if you're concerned about your data lingering a bit longer than it should. But maybe double-check your syncing features just to be safe.