Apple

5 Things to Know About the iOS 12.5.3 Update

Published

3 years ago

05/19/2021

Apple’s pushed a new iOS 12.5.3 update to older iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch models.

iOS 12.5.3 is a point update, but it’s an important upgrade for the iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, original iPad Air, iPad mini 2, iPad mini 3, and iPod touch sixth-gen.

If your iPhone or iPad is currently running iOS 12.5.2, you’ll see a short change log and a small download. If your iPhone or iPad is running an older version of iOS 12, your iOS 12.5.3 update could be bigger because the changes from updates you skipped are baked into the software.

With that in mind, we want to walk you through the most important things to know about Apple’s iOS 12.5.3 update for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

Our guide goes over the iOS 12.5.3 update’s performance, the current state of iOS 12.5.3 problems, places to find feedback about iOS 12.5.3’s performance, the iOS 12.5.3 jailbreak situation, and more.

We’ll start with our impressions of iOS 12.5.3’s performance.

iOS 12.5.3 Review

If you’re moving your iPad or iPhone from iOS 12.5.2 to iOS 12.5.3, you’ll encounter a pretty small download. If you’re running an old version of iOS 12 on your device, the iOS 12.5.3 download size could, again, be larger.

If your device is currently running iOS 12.5.2, the iOS 12.5.3 installation should take less than 10 minutes. It took about seven minutes to install on an iPhone 5s.

For more on the iOS 12.5.3 download and installation, take a look at our guide.

We’ve been using the iOS 12.5.3 update for several days now and here’s we’ve learned about the software’s performance thus far.

Connectivity

Battery life is currently stable.
Wi-Fi connectivity is fast and reliable right now.
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 feel stable.
First party apps like Safari, Podcasts, and Calendar are running just fine right now.

Speed

iOS 12.5.3 feels as fast as iOS 12.5.2.

If you’ve encountered bugs or performance issues on iOS 12.5.2 or an older version of iOS 12, you’ll probably want to install the iOS 12.5.3 update on your device right now.

If you need help making a decision, check out our reasons to, and not to, install the iOS 12.5.3 update on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

We’ve also published mini iOS 12.5.3 reviews for iPhone 6 and iPhone 5s so check those roundups for additional feedback if you need it.

iOS 12.5.3 Problems

The iOS 12.5.3 update is tiny, but it could have a huge impact on your device’s performance.

We’re hearing about an assortment of problems including installation issues, battery drain, issues with connectivity (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS), issues with first and third-party apps, abnormal amounts of lag, random reboots, and more.

If you run into an issue on iOS 12.5.3, take a look at our list of fixes for the most common iOS 12 problems. We’ve also released tips to help improve performance and tips to help improve iOS 12 battery life.

No products found.

If you’re frustrated with iOS 12.5.3’s performance on your iPhone or iPad, note that you no longer have the ability to downgrade to iOS 12.5.2 in an effort to improve your device’s performance.

Apple isn’t signing on older versions of iOS 12 either. So if you aren’t running iOS 12.5.3 yet, approach it with caution. Once you make the move, there’s no going back.

iOS 12.5.3 Update: What’s New

The iOS 12.5.3 update brings two important security patches to older devices. Both of them are related to WebKit and you can learn more about those fixes on Apple’s security website.

iOS 12.5.3 doesn’t have any known bug fixes or features on board.

iOS 12.5.3 Jailbreak

You can jailbreak newer versions of iOS 12, but it’s unclear if you can jailbreak iOS 12.5.3.

The developers behind the “unc0ver” jailbreaking tool for iOS have released a new version, dubbed 5.0.0, that’s compatible with most versions of iOS that fall between iOS 14.3 and iOS 11.0.

If you’re jailbroken or want to jailbreak, you’ll want to avoid iOS 12.5.3 and stay put on whatever version of iOS your device is currently running.

We’ll let you know when we learn more.

What’s Next

We don’t know what’s next for iOS 12 users.

Apple hasn’t confirmed a new version of iOS 12 and there’s no guarantee the company will continue to provide owners of these devices with new software in the months ahead.

If you decide you want the latest features, you’ll need to upgrade to an iPhone or iPad model that’s compatible with iOS 14 or iPadOS 14.

For more about iOS 14, have a look at our walkthrough. For more about iPadOS 14, 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.