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5 Things to Know About the iOS 10.3.3 Update

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The iOS 10.3.3 update is the final iOS 10 release for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch and today we want to touch on the most important things to know as we push into 2018.

iOS 10.3.3 isn’t nearly as exciting as iOS 11 update or Apple’s upcoming iOS 12 update, but it’s still an extremely important release thanks to the bug fixes and two dozen security patches on board.

Apple’s last iOS 10 update is a small upgrade, but even the smallest maintenance releases can have a dramatic impact on your device’s performance.

We’re now almost a year removed from the iOS 10.3.3 release and we continue to hear complaints about its performance on popular devices like the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5c.

With that in mind we want to walk you through the most important things to know about the iOS 10.3.3 update as we approach the iPhone 11 launch and iOS 12 release.

Let’s start with a quick look at the iOS 10.3.3 update’s performance on one of the device’s that was left out of the iOS 11 release.

iOS 10.3.3 Review

Before we get into our some initial thoughts about iOS 10.3.3’s performance, we want to share a few notes about the installation process with those of you installing iOS 10.3.3 for the first time.

iOS 10.3.3 is a maintenance release, but it’s actually rather large for some of Apple’s iOS-powered devices. It’s over 100MB for most devices which is pretty big for a maintenance update. The update took about a minute to download and about eight minutes to install on the iPhone 5.

If you’re coming from an older iOS update, your update could take a little longer to install due to the iOS updates you missed. Their features and fixes will be baked into your version of iOS 10.3.3.

The iOS 10.3.3 update is treating our devices well. So far.

The iOS 10.3.3 update is treating our iPhone 5 pretty well. We haven’t noticed any weird battery drain or any issues with connectivity.

We’ve tested the device with Bluetooth headsets and speakers and we were able to get strong, solid connections. We’ve also tested the iOS 10.3.3 update with a couple of different routers (including eero) and we haven’t noticed anything out of the ordinary. LTE and 4G data connections from AT&T are reliable as well.

We haven’t stumbled upon any experience-breaking bugs (random reboots, extreme lag) though Chrome has crashed a few times on the iPhone 5.

We’ve also noticed a bit of keyboard lag on the iPhone 5 and it continues to plague the device months after the update’s release. That’s something to think about if you haven’t installed iOS 10.3.3 yet.

If you need additional feedback about iOS 10.3.3 and its changes, take a look at our reasons to, and not to, install the iOS 10.3.3 update.

For more detailed feedback about iOS 10.3.3, take a look at our iPhone 5 iOS 10.3.3 roundup.

iOS 10.3.3 Problems

The iOS 10.3.3 update went through an extensive beta process but problems made it into the final release.

iPhone and iPad users are complaining about wonky battery life, app crashes, Bluetooth issues, installation problems, random reboots, and lag. Again, the update is mostly stable on our iPhones and iPads.

If you’re already struggling with bugs, please take a look at our list of fixes for the most common iOS 10 problems. You’ll also want to take a look at our tips to improve iOS 10 performance.

Unfortunately, once you make the move to iOS 10.3.3, you’re stuck.

Apple’s no longer signing off on iOS 10.3.2 which means you can’t drop back down to it if your device starts to struggle on iOS 10.3.3. This is a permanent change.

Apple doesn’t allow you to go back to anything older than iOS 10.3.2 so if you haven’t installed iOS 10.3.3 yet, and you’re running something older like iOS 10.2.1, iOS 9, or iOS 8, you should be extremely careful when moving your device to iOS 10.3.3.

iOS 10.3.3 Update: What’s New

The iOS 10.3.3 update isn’t a milestone upgrade which means it doesn’t come with a huge set of new features for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

The official change log notes that iOS 10.3.3 is focused on fixing bugs and improving device security. iOS 10.3.3 comes with two dozen security patches including one that tackles a potentially dangerous Wi-Fi exploit called “Broadpwn.”

The iOS 10.3.3 beta featured new wallpapers for the iPad Pro, but you don’t need to be running iOS 10.3.3 in order to get these new wallpapers on board your device.

You can download them onto your 12-inch iPad Pro right now.

iOS 10.3.3 Jailbreak

A quick note for those of you that still like to jailbreak.

Jailbreak developers have cracked Apple’s iOS 10.3.3 update. Functional jailbreaks are available for both 64-bit and 32-bit devices like the iPhone 5.

Owners of 64-bit devices still running iOS 10.3.3 can jailbreak using the Meridian jailbreak tool. Owners of 32-bit devices will need to use the semi-tethered H3lix jailbreak.

What’s Next

iOS 10.3.3 is officially the last version of iOS 10.

Apple’s iOS 11 update replaced iOS 10 for good last year and the company’s spent the better part of the past year refining the software.

The company is currently on iOS 11.4, but it plans to release an iOS 11.4.1 update for all compatible devices before its next major operating system change.

Apple is working on an iOS 12 update for the fall. The iOS 12 update is set to bring new features and a slew of performance improvements to the iPhone and iPad.

iOS 12 is only compatible with devices capable of running iOS 11. Devices like the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5c will unfortunately stick around on iOS 10.3.3.

4 Reasons Not to Install iOS 12.5.6 & 10 Reasons You Should

Install iOS 12.5.6 for Better Security

Install iOS 12.5.6 for Better Security

If you're on the fence, here's one of the best reasons to install iOS 12.5.6 right away.

iOS 12.5.6 has a vital security patch on board and it will protect your device(s) from harm. If you want the details, head over to Apple's website.

If you missed the iOS 12.5.5 update, it brought three security patches to your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. You can learn more about the trio on Apple's security site

If you missed iOS 12.5.4, you'll get that update's important security upgrades with your iOS 12.5.6 update. If you're interested in the particulars, head on over to Apple's website for more.

If you skipped iOS 12.5.3, you'll get its security patches with your upgrade. Both of its patches were related to WebKit. If you want to learn more about them, head on over to Apple's security site

If you skipped iOS 12.5.2, you'll also get its security patch with your upgrade. You can read more about it over on Apple's website

If you also skipped iOS 12.5, you'll also get its patch with your upgrade. Apple's outlined the update's patch in detail on its security site

If you missed iOS 12.4.9, you'll also get its four security patches with your upgrade. You can read more about those right here

If you skipped iOS 12.4.7, you also get the update's three security patches (two for the Mail app and one for Wi-Fi) with your upgrade to iOS 12.5.6.

If you're running software that's older than Apple's iOS 12.4.4 update, you'll want to download iOS 12.5.6 in the near future because it brings iOS 12.4.4's security patch to your device. You can read about it right here.

If you're running software older than iOS 12.4.2, you'll get an its patch with your upgrade. You can read about the security contents of iOS 12.4.2 right here

If you're on software that's older than iOS 12.4.1, you'll get iOS 12.4.1's security patch with your iOS 12.5.6 update. You can read about that patch right here

If you're on software that's older than iOS 12.4, you get iOS 12.4's patches with your iOS 12.5.6 update. 

iOS 12.4 brought 19 security patches to the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. If you're interested in the specifics, you can read about them on Apple's security site

If you're running software older than iOS 12.3, your iOS 12.5.6 update carries iOS 12.3's security patches on board. The iOS 12.3 update brought 23 patches and you can read about all of them right here on Apple's site. 

If you're on software that's older than iOS 12.2, you'll get iOS 12.2's security patches with your version of iOS 12.5.6.

iOS 12.2 brought a whopping 41 security patches to iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. You can read more about the iOS 12.2's patches over on the company's website

It's important to note that Apple's iOS 12.2 update patched up an exploit that allowed websites to use motion sensors to "fingerprint" devices.

The exploit, discovered by researchers in Europe, uses JavaScript to snag data from a device's accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer when the user visits an infected website. If the attack is successful, a device can be tracked around the internet. 

Fortunately, Apple's patched up the issue. If you skipped it, you'll probably want to move to iOS 12.5.6 soon.

If you're on software older than iOS 12.1.4, you get four important security patches including fixes for a widespread FaceTime eavesdropping bug that lets you call someone via FaceTime and hear the audio coming from their phone before they pick up the phone.

If you're on software older than iOS 12.1.3, you get some additional patches with your version of iOS 12.5.6. Again, they're baked into your upgrade.

Apple lists a grand total of 23 patches on board iOS 12.1.3 and you can read about all of them over on Apple's website. 

If you're on software older than iOS 12.1.1, you should install the iOS 12.5.6 update on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch today. 

The iOS 12.1.1 update brought 17 patches for potential security exploits. They'll will help protect your phone. You can read about them here.

If you're running software older than iOS 12.1, you'll get 24 patches from that update with your version of iOS 12.5.5.

If you're on software that's older than iOS 12.0.1, your iOS 12.5.6 update brings two additional patches. Both patches are for potential lock screen exploits.

Long story long, if you store sensitive data on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, you have some really good reasons to upgrade to iOS 12.5.6 today.

8 Comments

8 Comments

  1. CurtisCabral

    05/19/2017 at 2:14 am

    Thank you for this article. I hope that on my smartphone update will run smoothly.

  2. Ladster

    07/19/2017 at 12:56 pm

    My iPad Pro 2016 updated nicely in under 30 minutes, and my iPhone 5S in about 50 minutes.

    My iPhone 5, however, is currently stuck for ages on “verifying update” with not much happening. Rebooting the device brings it back to the same point.

  3. Suresh NOSCH LABS

    07/20/2017 at 2:01 am

    iphone 6s after updating this patch my brightness not increasing nor decreasing, please fix the issue with next update

    • Agarwal roy

      07/20/2017 at 2:20 am

      Yes me to the same problem my brightness too got very low compared with earlier

  4. ASoftwareTester

    07/31/2017 at 10:31 pm

    Be extremely careful? If you’re running an old version of iOS, you should just back up your data and update. If it doesn’t work well, do a wipe and restore. I can understand waiting a week or two, but any real software bugs are always corrected quickly and a revised update is released. Not doing updates is irresponsible. Like running Windows XP.

  5. Angel

    08/09/2017 at 6:22 pm

    Has anyone had issues with this update? My son updated his 5s, and it bricked after that. I have a 6 and I’m terrified to update because of that.

  6. Roger

    08/27/2017 at 10:27 pm

    Have you ever read the articles you write? Must be very boring having dinner with you because you go on and on and on.
    To up date my iPhone 7 to 10.3.3 is 714.5mb and that is ridiculous.
    Not sure who you’re articles are aimed at but for me they are not helpful at all. Everything you speak about has no reflection on what I am experiencing.

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