5 Things to Know About the iOS 11.2.2 Update

Apple’s released a iOS 11.2.2 update ahead of its iOS 11.2.5 update. The iOS 11.2.2 update is a small release for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, but it could have a significant impact on your device’s performance.

While we wait for the iOS 11.2.5 release date, Apple’s released a security upgrade for all devices capable of running iOS 11.

The iOS 11.2.2 update is another small update focused on improving the security of Apple’s mobile devices. It includes an extremely important fix for Safari users.

If you’re upgrading from the company’s iOS 11.2.1 update, your version of iOS 11.2.2 comes with a short change log and a tiny download. The iOS 11.2.2 update is just 75MB for the iPhone X and it’s a similar size for other iPhone models.

If you’re upgrading your phone or tablet from an older version of iOS, your iOS 11.2.2 update will be much larger thanks to the updates you skipped. The features and fixes from the updates you missed are baked into your iOS 11.2.2 update.

The iOS 11.2.2 update is a maintenance release, but it could impact your device’s performance. Some of you could see performance improvements, many others will run into problems.

Our guide to the new iOS 11.2.2 update includes our impressions of the upgrade, information about the iOS 11.2.2 downgrade status, and a look at what’s next in Apple’s iOS 11 pipeline.

iOS 11.2.2 Review

If you’re currently running iOS 11.2.1, you can get iOS 11.2.2 up and running in about seven minutes.

The iOS 11.2.2 update is less than 100MB. The iPhone X iOS 11.2.2 update (a little bigger than iOS 11.2.1) only took a few seconds to download.

The installation process took about five minutes on the iPhone X. If you own an older device, it could take a little bit longer to finish up.

If you’re currently running an older version of iOS , you can expect a longer download time and a lengthier installation. For more on the exact timing for your device, take a look at our iOS 11.2.2 download time walkthrough.

We’ve only been running iOS 11.2.2 for a week now and here are a few observations.

We haven’t noticed any major issues with the software.Battery life appears to be normal and we haven’t noticed any issues with Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.

All of our core apps are performing fine and we haven’t noticed any major problems with Twitter, Slack, Asana, Gmail, Chrome, or Spotify.

We haven’t noticed any lag on the iPhone X, but we’ve been dealing with lag issues on older devices like the iPhone 5s and iPhone 6.

While most people should install iOS 11.2.2, those of you using older devices should proceed with caution.

If you need additional feedback about iOS 11.2.2, take a look at our reasons to, and not to, install the iOS 11.2.2 update on your device right now.

We’ve put together several mini iOS 11.2.2 reviews and you can find them at these links for the iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6, iPhone 5s, iPhone SE, and the iPad Air 2, iPad Air, and iPad mini 2.

iOS 11.2.2: What’s New

The newest member of the iOS 11 family includes security improvements to Safari and WebKit that will mitigate the effects of the Spectre exploit found in most processors.

iOS 11.2.2 users also report that the weather widget is now updating correctly. The iOS 11.2.2 update also includes an upgrade to Siri that lets users instantly stream a news podcast when asking the service about the news.

iOS 11.2.2 Problems

Apple’s intentions are good, but the iOS 11.2.2 update is already causing problems for some iPhone and iPad users.

iOS 11.2.2 users are complaining about installation and download issues, problems with first and third-party apps, severe battery drain, and issues connecting to Bluetooth. Again, we’ve also experienced some issues with the iPhone X’s Face ID.

If you’re dealing with iOS 11.2.2 issues on your phone or tablet, take a peek at our list of fixes for common iOS 11 problems. We’ve also released tips to improve iOS 11 performance and tips to improve iOS 11 battery life on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

If you can’t find a fix for your issue in those guides, you can try downgrading to an older version of iOS 11.

Apple is currently signing off on two older versions of iOS 11: iOS 11.2 and iOS 11.2.1. This means you can drop back to one or the other if you aren’t happy with iOS 11.2.2 and its performance.

Unfortunately, you can’t drop down to anything older than iOS 11.2. Apple’s permanently closed off the downgrade path to older versions of iOS including iOS 10.

iOS 11.2.2 Jailbreak

Jailbreak developers recently released a working iOS 11 jailbreak for iOS 11.0-iOS 11.1.2. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come with Cydia and it doesn’t work with iOS 11.2, iOS 11.2.1, iOS 11.2.2, or iOS 11.2.5.

If you’re currently jailbroken on iOS 10 or below or you think you might want to jailbreak your phone or tablet, you’ll want to avoid iOS 11.2.2 and iOS 11.2.5 beta.

For more on the iOS 11 jailbreak status, take a look at our roundup.

What’s Next

Now that iOS 11.2.2 is here, all eyes are on the update in Apple’s pipeline.

Apple currently has an iOS 11.2.5 update in beta ahead of an unknown release date. At this point, it’s unclear if iOS 11.2.5 is next or if the company will release iOS 11.2.3 and iOS 11.2.4 ahead of it. Apple says it will release a new update next week though it didn’t specify the version.

The iOS 11.2.5 update appears to have more than just fixes and patches on board. It should bring upgrades to Siri and it could deliver Apple’s long-awaited AirPlay 2 solution.

We expect iOS 11.2.5 to roll out soon so keep an eye out for its release.

Install iOS 11.4.1 for Better Security

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Apple's iOS 11.4.1 update comes with 15 patches for potential security issues. If you value your security, you should think about installing it today. iOS 11.4.1 also comes with a USB Restricted Mode that disables the Lightning port on your iPhone or iPad if a device hasn't been unlocked or connected to a computer using a passcode within a certain amount of time.  The new setting is located in Settings > Face ID/Touch ID & Passcode. There you’ll see a new toggle for USB Accessories. It's toggled off by default.  This provides an added layer of protection and prevents the use of cracking tools like GrayKey. If you skipped iOS 11.4, your iOS 11.4.1 update comes with 30+ patches aimed at improving your device's security. This makes it an essential download for most iPhone and iPad users.  If you missed any of Apple's previous iOS updates, your iOS 11.4.1 update comes with a lot more. If you skipped iOS 11.3.1, your version of iOS 11.4.1 comes with iOS 11.3.1's four security patches. If you skipped iOS 11.3, your iOS 11.4.1 update comes with 27 additional patches for potential exploits. Those of you lingering on iOS 11.2.6 would be wise to make the move sooner rather than later. If you missed iOS 11.3, your iOS 11.4.1 update also includes a new privacy feature. When an Apple feature wants to use your personal information, an icon now appears with a link to access detailed information about how your data will be used and protected. If you're running iOS 11.2.5 or older, you're currently exposed to an issue that lets people send a specific character that will crash an iOS-powered device and block access to the Messages app. It can also block apps like Facebook Messenger, Gmail, Outlook, and WhatsApp. The iOS 11.2.6 update's main purpose was to patch up this issue. If you skipped iOS 11.2.6, you'll get these enhancements with iOS 11.4.1. If you skipped iOS 11.2.5, you'll get 10 additional security patches including one for the malicious chaiOS link exploit. If you're running iOS 11.2.2 or below and receive a certain GitHub link through your Messages app, your iPhone or iPad can lockup or respring. The Messages app will also become unusable. If you're on iOS 11.2.1, your iOS 11.4.1 update includes security improvements to Safari and WebKit to mitigate the effects of Spectre. Apple's iOS 11.2 update fixed several problems, but it also brought problems of its own including a potentially nasty zero-day iOS HomeKit vulnerability. The vulnerability, discovered by Tian Zhang, allowed for unauthorized control of HomeKit accessories including garage door openers and smart locks. Apple quickly rolled out a server-side fix, but the company restored full functionality with the release of iOS 11.2.1. If you skipped iOS 11.2.1 and use HomeKit, you should download iOS 11.4.1 right now. If you skipped iOS 11.2, you'll get a few more patches with your iOS 11.4.1 update. Apple's iOS 11.2 update delivered 11 patches including one for Mail and one for Wi-Fi. The iOS 11.2 and iOS 11.2.1 updates also patched up a widespread security issue called "Meltdown." Apple says its analysis suggests it "has the most potential to be exploited." Meltdown affects all iOS 11 powered devices so we highly recommend downloading iOS 11.4.1 if you skipped iOS 11.2. If you skipped iOS 11.1.2, iOS 11.1.1, and iOS 11.1, you'll get additional patches with your iOS 11.4.1 update. The iOS 11.1 update delivered eight security patches including a fix for a serious Wi-Fi vulnerability called KRACK or Key Reinstallation Attack. KRACK is an exploit that targets the common WPA2 encryption protocol. If you're just now making to move from iOS 10 (or whatever you're on) to iOS 11, your iOS 11.4.1 update will come with even more security-related features. Apple's first iOS 11 update delivered several patches for potential exploits. iOS 11 also comes with new security features aimed at keeping your data safe. In iOS 11 you can't establish trust with a PC using fingerprints alone. You'll also need to put in a full passcode in order to gain that trust. If you want to protect the data you store on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, you should make your move to the latest version of iOS. This is particularly important for those of you running older versions of iOS.

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