5 Things to Know About the iOS 11.4.1 Update

Apple’s released the iOS 11.4.1 update for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch and the software comes with bug fixes for lingering iOS 11 problems and a new security feature.

With the iOS 12 release confirmed for the fall, iOS 11.4.1 should one of the last iOS 11 updates for the iPhone X, iPhone 6, iPhone 5s, and others. It’s not as big as the iOS 11.4 update, but it comes with fixes, patches, and under-the-hood improvements for your device.

In this guide to the iOS 11.4.1 update we’ll take you through the most important things you need to know as we push away from the release date.

Our walkthrough includes a quick look at iOS 11.4.1’s known changes, iOS 11.4.1 problems, iOS 11.4.1’s performance, and what’s next for iOS 11 users.

iOS 11.4.1 Review

iOS 11.4.1 is rather large for a point release. If you’re in possession of a device running iOS 11.4, you’re looking at a 200MB+ download.

If you’re connected to a high speed Wi-Fi network, the download should only take a few minutes to complete. We ran into some server issues when trying to pull the update, but those cleared up within a few minutes of the release. Once the download started, it took three minutes to complete.

As for the iOS 11.4.1 installation, it took about six minutes from start to finish on the iPhone X. If you’re using an older version of iOS on your device, you’ll encounter longer download and installation times because you’ll get the features, fixes, and patches from previous versions.

For more on the download and installation, take a look at our guide to the download and installation.

We’ve been using the iOS 11.4.1 update on the iPhone X, iPhone 6, and several other devices for a few weeks now and here are a few things we’ve learned about the latest version of iOS 11:

Connectivity

• iOS 11.4.1 battery life is normal on all of our devices.
• Wi-Fi is stable and fast.
• Bluetooth is working fine. We’ve successfully paired the devices with headphones and speakers.
• GPS and cellular data are both normal.

Apps

• Our core apps including Twitter, Slack, Asana, Gmail, Chrome, and Spotify are working fine at the moment.
• First party apps like Safari, Podcasts, and Calendar are stable.

Speed

• We haven’t seen any UI lag on the iPhone X, but we continue to see occasional lag on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 5s.

While many of you are should install the iOS 11.4.1 update right now, many others should hold out and wait for more long term feedback to emerge. Major bugs and performance issues often popup days, sometimes even weeks, after an update’s release.

If you need early iOS 11.4.1 feedback, take a look at our reasons to, and not to, install the iOS 11.4.1 update on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

We’ve published several mini iOS 11.4.1 reviews and you’ll find them at these links for the iPhone X, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6, iPhone 5s, and iPhone SE.

iOS 11.4.1 Update: What’s New

iOS 11.4.1 is a point release which means it’s much smaller than its predecessor, iOS 11.4. iOS 11.4 was a milestone upgrade and milestone upgrades always deliver a nice mix of new features, fixes, and patches.

iOS 11.4.1 is focused on fixing bugs and improving security though it does come with one new security feature.

Apple’s iOS 11.4.1 change log lists off two bug fixes:

• A fix for an issue that prevented some users from viewing their last known location of their AirPods in Find my iPhone.
• Improved reliability of syncing mail, contacts, and notes with Exchange accounts.

It also includes a bug fix Apple didn’t mention in the change log. Apple’s quietly fixed a bug that caused devices to crash when the the Taiwan emoji was used or when the word “Taiwan” was entered into a text field in apps like Messages, WhatsApp, and Facebook.

The iOS 11.4.1 update also brings security enhancements including a new USB Restricted Mode located in Settings > Face ID/Touch ID & Passcode.

Once your device has been locked for over an hour straight, iOS won’t allow USB accessories to connect to the device. This blocks software cracking tools like GrayKey.

That said, researchers at cybersecurity firm Elmsoft have discovered a loophole that resets the one-hour counter when a USB accessory is plugged into the iPhone’s Lightning port. Even Apple’s own $39 Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter works.

Here’s the situation according to ElcomSoft’s Oleg Afonin:

We performed several tests, and can now confirm that USB Restricted Mode is maintained through reboots, and persists software restores via Recovery mode. In other words, we have found no obvious way to break USB Restricted Mode once it is already engaged.

What we discovered is that iOS will reset the USB Restrictive Mode countdown timer even if one connects the iPhone to an untrusted USB accessory, one that has never been paired to the iPhone before (well, in fact the accessories do not require pairing at all). In other words, once the police officer seizes an iPhone, he or she would need to immediately connect that iPhone to a compatible USB accessory to prevent USB Restricted Mode lock after one hour. Importantly, this only helps if the iPhone has still not entered USB Restricted Mode.

It’s unclear how or when Apple will address this issue. For now, it means that law enforcement has a way to get around the tool.

Apple says iOS 11.4.1 contains 15 security patches in total which makes it an extremely important update for all devices capable of running iOS 11.

iOS 11.4.1 Problems

The iOS 11.4.1 update is causing a variety problems for some iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch users.

In addition to the issue we had pulling the update through Settings, we’re also hearing about problems with battery drain, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth connectivity, GPS, Face ID, UI lag, Touch ID, 3D Touch, and first and third-party apps. We expect the list of problems to grow as we push away from the release date.

If you’re noticing problems on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch you’ll want to take a look at our list of fixes for common iOS 11 problems. Our list includes fixes for many of these early problems.

We’ve also released tips to improve iOS 11 performance and some general tips to improve iOS 11 battery life on the iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

If you’re dealing with iOS 11.4.1 issues you’re on your own until Apple rolls out the next version of iOS.

Apple’s stopped signing on iOS 11.4 which means you can no longer downgrade your device to the previous version if you aren’t happy with iOS 11.4.1’s performance. The company’s stopped signing off on older versions of iOS 11 as well.

We don’t know when, or even if, Apple will roll out a new version of iOS 11 so you’ll need to be proactive if you run into trouble after you upgrade.

iOS 11.4.1 Jailbreak

Jailbreak developers haven’t released a public tool for iOS 11.2, iOS 11.2.1, iOS 11.2.5, iOS 11.2.6, iOS 11.3, iOS 11.3.1, iOS 11.4, or iOS 11.4.1.

As of right now, the only way you can jailbreak a device running iOS 11 is if it’s running iOS 11.0-iOS 11.1.2. Unfortunately, there’s no way to downgrade to any of those updates.

Developers have managed to jailbreak Apple’s iOS 11.3 update, but there’s no telling when, or even if, they’ll release a tool to the public. For now, jailbreak users need to remain on earlier versions of iOS 11.

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

What’s Next

iOS 11.4.1 could be Apple’s final iOS 11 update.

The company is currently working on iOS 12 and the new operating system is currently in beta ahead of a global release this fall.

Unlike iOS 11.4.1, iOS 12 update will deliver a long list of new features (including new emoji characters). It’ll also address the performance and quality issues that plagued iOS 11.

iOS 12 will be released to all devices capable of powering the iOS 11 update. That includes the aging iPhone 5s and the company’s iPad mini 2.

We could see an iOS 11.4.2 update emerge in August, but don’t expect Apple to push an iOS 11.5 update to the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch this summer.

Install iOS 12.5.6 for Better Security

> 1 / 14

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.

> 1 / 14