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5 Things to Know About the iOS 12.4 Update

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Apple’s released its long-awaited iOS 12.4 update for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch and the new milestone update brings some big changes to the company’s mobile devices.

It took several months, but Apple’s pulled the iOS 12.4 update out of beta and the software is now available for all devices capable of running iOS 12.

Unlike iOS 12.3.1 and iOS 12.3.2 (iPhone 8 Plus only), iOS 12.4 is a milestone release which means it brings more than just bug fixes and security patches. It has some new features on board as well.

If your device is currently running iOS 12.3.1 or iOS 12.3.2, you get the shortest change log. If you’re running an older version of iOS 12, your iOS 12.4 update will be much bigger because the features and fixes from the updates you skipped are baked into your upgrade.

With that in mind, we want to take you through everything you need to know about Apple’s newest, and perhaps final, version of iOS 12.

In this guide we’ll take you through iOS 12.4’s known changes, iOS 12.4 problems, some places to look for feedback about the software’s performance, and our impressions of the update thus far.

iOS 12.4 Reviews

The iOS 12.4 requires a pretty large download.

If you’re upgrading from iOS 12.3.1 or iOS 12.3.2, your download will probably check in around 350-400MB. The iPhone X’s iOS 12.4 update is a 385MB file and it’s around the same for other models.

If you’re currently on an older version of iOS 12, you’ll see a larger download size because, again, you’ll get the features and fixes from any iOS updates you skipped.

If you’re currently running iOS 12.3.1 or iOS 12.3.2, the iOS 12.4 installation should take less than 10 minutes. It took right around seven minutes on the iPhone X.

For more on the iOS 12.4 download and installation, take a look at our guide.

We’ve been using the iOS 12.4 update on our iPhones and iPads for several weeks now and here’s how it’s performing as we push into September:

Connectivity

  • Battery life is currently stable.
  • Wi-Fi connectivity is fast and reliable.
  • Bluetooth is working normally.
  • GPS and cellular data are both stable.

Apps

  • Third-party apps including Netflix, Dark Sky, Twitter, Slack, Asana, Gmail, Chrome, and Spotify are all working normally at the moment.
  • First party apps like Safari, Podcasts, and Calendar are also working fine.

Speed

  • iOS 12.4 feels as fast as iOS 12.3.1. iOS 12.3.1 was fast on all of our devices.

If you’re dealing with bugs or performance issues on iOS 12.3.1 or another version of iOS 12, you’ll probably want to install iOS 12.4 right now.

If you need help making a decision, check out our reasons to, and not to, install the iOS 12.4 update on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch right now.

We’ve also published our iOS 12.4 reviews for the iPhone X, iPhone 8iPhone 7, iPhone 6siPhone 6, iPhone 5s, and iPhone SE so check those for additional feedback if you need it.

iOS 12.4 Problems

iOS 12.4 users are reporting numerous bugs and performance issues.

The current list of iOS 12.4 problems includes download and installation issues, weird battery drain, UI lag, crashes, random reboots, issues with Touch ID and Face ID, and connectivity issues

If you run into an issue while running iOS 12.4 please take a look at our list of fixes for the most common iOS 12 problems. We’ve also released some tips to improve iOS 12’s performance and tips to improve iOS 12 battery life on both the iPhone and iPad.

If you can no longer tolerate iOS 12.4’s performance on your device, you’re on your own.

Apple is no longer signing on iOS 12.3.2, iOS 12.3.1, and iOS 12.3 which means you can no longer use a loophole to downgrade to one of those versions.

Unfortunately, you can’t downgrade to anything older than that either. Apple’s closed up the downgrade path to iOS 12.2, and below, as well.

iOS 12.4 Update: What’s New

iOS 12.4 is a milestone upgrade which, again, means it carries new features.

Specifically, the iOS 12.4 update brings a new iPhone migration method and some changes to Apple News. Here’s the update’s full change log:

iPhone migration

  • Introduces the ability to wirelessly transfer data and migrate directly from an old iPhone to a new iPhone during setup

Apple News

  • Makes downloaded issues accessible in the My Magazines section, both offline and online
  • Adds all publications in Apple News+, including newspapers, to the catalog at the top of the News+ feed
  • Adds the ability to clear downloaded magazine issues by selecting History > Clear > Clear All

Other improvements and fixes

  • Includes a security fix for the Walkie-Talkie app on Apple Watch and re-enables Walkie-Talkie functionality

iOS 12.4 also includes support for HomePod in Japan and Taiwan and 19 security patches.

iOS 12.4 Jailbreak

There are a couple of ways to jailbreak iOS 12.

The unc0ver jailbreak now supports Apple A7 through A11 devices running iOS 12.4 and below. That means means you can jailbreak iOS 12.4 if you’re using an iPhone 5s, iPhone SE, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, or iPhone X.

If you own a newer iPhone model, you can jailbreak iOS 12 using the Chimera tool. However, your device needs to be running iOS 12.0-iOS 12.1.2.

Unfortunately, there’s currently no way to downgrade to any of those updates.

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What’s Next

iOS 12.4 may or may not be the last version of iOS 12.

The company hasn’t confirmed iOS 12.4 or iOS 12.5 and with the iOS 13 release getting closer, there’s a chance the company jumps right to iOS 13.

If that’s the case, iOS 12.4 will be the last update for devices like the iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus. None of them will get upgraded to iOS 13.

That said, Apple accidentally unpatched a vulnerability in iOS which in turn led to the release of an iOS 12.4 jailbreak tool. We expect Apple to patch this up soon so there’s a chance we see iOS 12.4.1 arrive before iOS 13.

iOS 13 and iPadOS 13 will bring performance improvements and a tons of new features including Dark Mode, a swipe keyboard, and much, much more.

We expect Apple to pull iOS 13 and iPadOS 13 from beta sometime in September, shortly after the company launches its 2019 iPhones.

For more on iOS 13, take a look at our walkthrough. For more on iPadOS 13, take a look at our guide to the beta.

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.

Last update on 2024-03-12. This post may contain affiliate links. Click here to read our disclosure policy for more details. Images via Amazon API

17 Comments

17 Comments

  1. Yael

    06/24/2019 at 11:29 am

    Hallo,
    I have a problem
    I had upgrade the version in my iPhone 8 Plus to 12.3.2
    Now I have an IPhone X max and I can’t backup all my iPhone ‘s content cause the iPhone X version is a lower one 12.3.1
    What can I do? Do I have to wait the new version 12.4? If yes, when it will be available? How come , apple had done something like this, that costumer can’t use their new iPhone ?

    • carla

      06/25/2019 at 7:01 am

      The exact same thing has happened to me :( the only option is to wait for ios 12.4 I guess which seems soon since 5 betas have already come out!

      • Robert Carnegie

        08/26/2019 at 2:40 pm

        Well, here’s iOS 12.4.1. I think the only thing it really does is to fix the “jailbreak” bug described in the article in iOS 12.4, so if you’re having other problems with 12.4 then it won’t help, but… if you do use iTunes to install a complete copy of 12.4.1 as your update, it may tidy up things for you. But it takes a lot longer, and it takes 3 gigabytes to get.

  2. irfan küle

    07/11/2019 at 2:12 pm

    hamurdekolariqhotmail.com

  3. KKK

    07/13/2019 at 9:47 pm

    Me too. I can’t now use new iPhone because of its different version between my iPhone 8+ (Ver.12.3.2) and my new iPhone XR(newest ver. 12.3.1)

  4. Nitewlkr

    07/22/2019 at 9:01 am

    Same here so much for Apple beeing easy to syncronize between units

  5. Jane Doe

    08/01/2019 at 2:12 am

    I am a Senior and do not understand all these pages and pages of information. I have Ipad Woke up through night and it is downloading a new version.. although I have automatic downloads unchecked… feel like all this stuff is going on behind my back and I have no choice etc. I just feel its all getting way way too complicated for the average person to understand. I used to like simplicity, I dont want my photos rearranged, changed, grouped together, eg pets, places etc… I feel I no longer have control over how I wand MY ipad to function etc. Too complicated for this old bird!

    • EfromNLV

      08/13/2019 at 11:24 am

      Jane,
      You can go to any Apple Store and have the techs there teach you what you need to know about iPhone & iPad. There’s an owners manual that you can download. You can Google what you’d like to know or use Apple’s support page. There are many ways out there to help you with your iPhone so you can learn how to use it. If it is still too complicated for you, then you should get that phone that’s advertised on tv that’s just a good old fashioned cell phone. No apps or camera. Just a good old phone.

    • Robert Carnegie

      08/25/2019 at 7:29 pm

      I think the original article may have been written by a robot. Most of us don’t need an article about differences between iOS 12.4 and 12.3, 12.2, 12.1, and 12.0.

      I don’t know what’s happening about your device downloading new software. Maybe it allows itself an exception for updating iOS itself, or maybe you’re seeing an app that insists on updating despite your settings.

      Generally the iOS update shouldn’t change anything that you’re used to; it’s mainly “repairing” mistakes in the older version of software, so there are fewer ways for it to go wrong. (They didn’t know about these mistakes to fix when they published the software last time. This always happens with computer-like things, and never stops – until they stop “suporting” your model of iPad.)

      I don’t know where to find a guide to everything in iOS 12.4, but I did find web pages about previous releases – and a digital “book” with hundreds of pages, but that was for iOS 11. I still think that not much has changed… but one thing that you should find out about is backup of your data on the iPad, so if anything happens then you still have your data. (But you might need to get a new iPad.)

  6. Mystery

    08/08/2019 at 10:41 pm

    Since upgrading to iOS 12.4, safari now locks up and freezes quite regularly on both iPhone and iPad. You can wait for it to crash completely or close and restart safari. If I had known this was going to be an issue I wouldn’t have upgraded. Can’t find any information about this problem anywhere.

  7. Jack mehoff

    08/09/2019 at 6:26 am

    Jane you shouldn’t have something that’s subject to change, the average person can read and comprehend, don’t be stuck in the stone age, and don’t use age as an excuse. You just being stubborn.

    • Jack Ed mehoff

      08/12/2019 at 7:39 am

      Jack, get back to doing what you do best and eat a schlong

  8. Monica

    08/13/2019 at 12:28 pm

    Since I downloaded 12.4 on my IPad Pro I am not able to comment on any Facebook Live videos. The comments are on off and will not turn back on. I work in Network Marketing and have to watch and respond to videos. They are not on You Tube! I can’t get in touch of course with Facebook and Apple has tried to help me, but it is in Facebook. Didn’t happen till I did the iOS 12.4. I have not updated it on my IPhone and that is working fine. I need both of my devices for my business. Does anyone know what I can do?

    • Robert Carnegie

      08/25/2019 at 7:00 pm

      I suppose you’ve tried, log out then log in to Facebook, or restart your iPad, or use the web browser instead of the Facebook app (which you might have to remove maybe to do that). Or -update- the Facebook app; they release a new app version most weeks, twice since you posted although they don’t say what was “fixed”.* Another option is to use a different web browser on iOS, although at one point Apple actually banned “browsers” that didn’t use Apple’s own “WebKit” browser component included in iOS – so in that way they all are the same.

      If something does work, share what you did.

      * Every update of Facebook’s app just says: “We update the app regularly so we can make it better for you. Get the latest version for all of the available Facebook features. This version includes several bug fixes and performance improvements. Thanks for using Facebook!” There may be a way to find out what they really did different, but that isn’t it!

  9. cocot

    08/15/2019 at 12:27 pm

    ios 12.4
    destroyed my phone
    the end apple

  10. Wendy Schmidt

    08/15/2019 at 6:04 pm

    Since upgrading to 12.4 when I send email, or save a draft, it doesn’t show in the sent folder or draft folder right away. It’s slow – takes like 5 minutes. Wi-fi and cellular are great. Just a glitch I’ve noticed since the upgrade.

  11. ApkShelf

    09/27/2019 at 1:28 pm

    All of the Features have there own worth but I Personally like iPhone migration. Its very easy to transfer data wirelessly.

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