Apple

5 Things to Know About the iOS 12.0.1 Update

Published

6 years ago

10/23/2018

Apple is rolling out the first update to its iOS 12 operating system and the iOS 12.0.1 update brings bug fixes for some of the problems plaguing the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

After a bit of a wait, Apple’s finally rolling out a new version of iOS 12. Dubbed iOS 12.0.1, it’s a small maintenance release for all iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch models capable of running Apple’s new operating system.

The iOS 12 update is much smaller than the first version of iOS 12, but it’s still an important release. The update comes with several key bug fixes including one for a widespread iPhone XS charging issue.

In this guide to the iOS 12.0.1 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 look at the iOS 12.0.1 update’s known changes, iOS 12.0.1 problems, iOS 12.0.1’s performance, and what’s next for iOS 12 users.

iOS 12.0.1 Reviews

The iOS 12.0.1 update is a very small download for iOS 12 users. If you’re currently running iOS 12.0, you’re looking at a 75+MB download. If your device is connected to a high-speed Wi-Fi network you should be able to download the iOS 12.0.1 update in a matter of seconds.

Once the download is complete, the installation should take no longer than 10 minutes to finish. It took around five minutes on the iPhone X and iPhone XS and right around seven minutes on the iPhone 5s.

If you’re currently running iOS 11, you can expect your download and installation to take a lot longer. The features, enhancements and fixes from iOS 12.0 are baked into your iOS 12.0.1 update.

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

We’ve been using the iOS 12.0.1 update on a handful of devices for a few weeks now and here are some of our initial thoughts about iOS 12.0.1 and its performance.

Connectivity

Battery life is normal on all of our devices.
Wi-Fi is stable and fast.
Bluetooth is working properly.
GPS and cellular data are both functioning normally.

Apps

Core apps including Twitter, Slack, Asana, Gmail, Chrome, and Spotify are working fine.
First party apps like Safari, Podcasts, and Calendar are stable.
Google Hangouts continues to crash.

Speed

iOS 12.0.1 is as fast as iOS 12.0.

If you’re dealing with iOS 12 problems you should install the iOS 12.0.1 update right now. If you’re having a good experience on the first version of iOS 12, you might want to hold out and wait for long-term feedback to emerge.

If you need iOS 12.0.1 feedback, take a look at our reasons to, and not to, install the iOS 12.0.1 update on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch right now.

We’ve also published our mini iOS 12.0.1 reviews for the iPhone X, iPhone 7, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6, iPhone 5s, and iPhone SE with more on the way.

iOS 12.0.1 Update: What’s New

The iOS 12.0.1 update’s change log is small and comes with two security patches for potential lock screen exploits and a few bug fixes for iPhone XS and iOS 12 problems:

Fixes an issue where some iPhone XS devices did not immediately charge when connected to a Lightning cable.
Resolves an issue that could cause iPhone XS devices to rejoin a Wi-Fi network at 2.4GHz instead of 5GHz.
Restores the original position of the “.?123″ key on the iPad keyboard.
Fixes an issue where subtitles may not appear in some video apps.
Addresses an issue where Bluetooth could become unavailable.

Note that a few highly anticipated iOS 12 features are missing.

Apple pulled its new Group FaceTime calls feature from the iOS 12 beta a few weeks ago, but the feature will arrive inside the iOS 12.1 update this fall.

Also missing are the new emoji characters Apple promised with iOS 12. The new emojis are also available in iOS 12.1 beta and will be released with the final version of the update this fall.

iOS 12.0.1 Problems

The iOS 12.0.1 update didn’t go through a beta and problems have slipped into the final release.

We’re hearing complaints about download issues, battery drain, Wi-Fi connectivity problems, Bluetooth issues, and problems with Face ID.

If you’re noticing iOS 12.0.1 problems on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch you’ll want to take a look at our list of fixes for the most common iOS 12 problems. We’ve also released tips to improve iOS 12 performance and some tips to improve iOS 12 battery life.

If you can’t stand iOS 12.0.1’s performance on your device you’re stuck until Apple rolls out a new version of iOS 12.

Apple’s no longer signing off on iOS 12.0 which means you can no longer downgrade your device to the previous version of iOS 12.

Unfortunately, there’s no way to drop back down to iOS 11 either.

iOS 12.0.1 Jailbreak

Developers haven’t released a public iOS 12 jailbreak tool and it could be weeks before we see one.

As of right now, the only way you can jailbreak a device running iOS is if it’s running an older version of iOS 11. Unfortunately, there’s no way to downgrade to anything older than iOS 12.0.

We’ve seen an iOS 12 jailbreak proof of concept (and some fakes) emerge so those of you interested in jailbreaking your device should be on the lookout for fakes as we push through the year. We’ll probably see several more.

For now, jailbreak users need to skip iOS 12.0.1 and remain on earlier versions of iOS 11. For more on the jailbreak, take a look at our guide to the iOS 12 jailbreak.

What’s Next

Apple might be working on iOS 12.0.2, but it hasn’t confirmed the release. At this point, an iOS 12.0.2 update seems unlikely.

The only known update in Apple’s pipeline right now is the iOS 12.1 update which is slated to launch sometime later this year. We expect it to debut in late October or early November.

The iOS 12.1 update is currently in beta for all iOS 12-powered devices and we expect it to deliver a nice mix of new features, bug fixes, and security patches.

For more on iOS 12.1, please check out our guide.

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

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.