Apple
5 Things to Know About the iOS 12.5.6 Update
Apple’s pushed a surprise iOS 12.5.6 update to older iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch models.
iOS 12.5.6 is a point upgrade and it’s an important release for those still holding onto the iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, original iPad Air, iPad mini 2, iPad mini 3, and iPod touch 6.
In this guide we’ll walk you through the most important things to know about Apple’s iOS 12.5.6 update for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
Our guide will take you through the iOS 12.5.6 update’s performance, the current state of iOS 12.5.6 problems, places to find feedback about iOS 12.5.6’s overall performance, the iOS 12.5.6 jailbreak situation, and more.
We’ll start with our impressions of iOS 12.5.6’s performance.
iOS 12.5.6 Review
If you’re moving your device from iOS 12.5.5 to iOS 12.5.6 you’ll encounter a fairly small download. If you’re running an old version of iOS 12 on your device, the iOS 12.5.6 download size could be much bigger.
If your device is currently running iOS 12.5.5, the iOS 12.5.6 installation should take 10 minutes or less. It took about eight minutes to install on an iPhone 5s.
For more on the iOS 12.5.6 download and installation, take a look at our guide.
We’ve been using the iOS 12.5.6 update for a very short time and here’s we’ve learned about the software’s performance in the early going:
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 12.5.6 feels as fast as iOS 12.5.5 did.
If you’ve run into bugs or performance issues on iOS 12.5.5, or an older version of iOS 12, you might want to install the iOS 12.5.6 update on your device right now.
If you need help making a decision, check out our reasons to, and not to, install the iOS 12.5.6 update on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
iOS 12.5.6 Problems
The iOS 12.5.6 update is a small upgrade, but it could have a big impact on your device’s performance.
We’re already 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, UI lag, and more.
If you run into an issue on iOS 12.5.6, you might find a remedy in our list of fixes for the most common iOS 12 problems. We’ve also released tips to help improve performance and tips that could help improve battery life.
If you’re frustrated with iOS 12.5.6’s performance on your iPhone or iPad, note that you can downgrade your device’s software to iOS 12.5.5 in an effort to improve performance.
Unfortunately, Apple isn’t signing on older versions of iOS 12. So if you’re currently debating a move to iOS 12.5.6, and you’re on a version that’s older than iOS 12.5.5, make sure you do some research. Once you make the move, there’s no going back.
iOS 12.5.6 Update: What’s New
The iOS 12.5.6 update has a solitary change on board. The software brings a vital security fix to older devices and you can learn more about it on Apple’s security website.
iOS 12.5.6 doesn’t have any known bug fixes or features on board.
iOS 12 Jailbreak
You can jailbreak newer versions of iOS 12, but you can’t jailbreak iOS 12.5.6 yet.
The developers behind the “unc0ver” jailbreaking tool for iOS have released a version 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 12.5.6 and stay put on whatever version of iOS your device is currently running.
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 15/iPadOS 15 or iOS 16/iPadOS 16.
For more on iOS 15, have a look at our walkthrough. For more about iOS 16, check out our guide.
Install iOS 15.8.2 for Better Security | |||||||||||||||
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If security is important to you, and you missed older versions of iOS 15, you'll want to think about installing Apple's iOS 15.8.2 update right away. iOS 15.8.2 doesn't have any security updates on board. But, if you missed prior versions of iOS 15, you'll get their patches when you upgrade. iOS 15.8.1 wasn't a big update, but it did have a pair of security patches on board. They're important and they will help protect your device from harm. iOS 15.8 had an important security patch on board. iOS 15.7.9 brought a new security patch with it. It addressed an issue where hackers could gain access via PassKit (Apple Wallet) image. For more information, head over to Apple's website. iOS 15.7.8 had 10 security patches on board. These patches are essential if you want to keep your device and its data safe from harm. Apple's outlined the changes in detail and they're worth a look. iOS 15.7.7 brought three security patches to iPhone models lingering on iOS 15. For more about them, head over to Apple's security site. iOS 15.7.6 had several security updates on board. For more information about those patches, head here. The iOS 15.7.5 update patched up actively exploited vulnerabilities making it an extremely important upgrade for your iPhone. To learn more about the patches, check out Apple's guide. iOS 15.7.4 brought important security fixes to older iPhone models as well. If you want to learn more about these changes, check out Apple's guide. iOS 15.7.3 also brought a batch of security patches to iPhone. You can learn more about these changes right here. iOS 15.7.2 brought numerous patches along with it. For more about them, head over to Apple's website for more details. iOS 15.7.1 update brought 17 security patches with it while iOS 15.7 delivered 11 security patches to iPhone. If you want a look at the details, head over to Apple's security site for more information. If you missed iOS 15.6.1, it had two security patches on board. You can read more about the pair on Apple's website. If you missed Apple's iOS 15.6 update, it had 30+ security upgrades on board. You can learn more about them right here. If you missed iOS 15.5 it brought 27 new security patches to the iPhone. You can learn more about these patches over on Apple's security site. If you missed iOS 15.4.1, it had one new security patch on board. You can read more about it over on Apple's website. If you missed the iOS 15.4 update, it had a whopping 36 new security patches on board. If you want to learn more about these patches, head on over to Apple's security site for the particulars. If you missed iOS 15.3.1, it had one security patch on board. For more about it, head over to Apple's security page. If you missed iOS 15.3, you'll also get its patches with your upgrade. iOS 15.3 brought 10 new security patches to iPhone users. If you're interested in the details, you can read more about them right here. If you missed iOS 15.2.1, you'll get its security patch with your upgrade. You can learn more about the change over on Apple's website. If you missed Apple's iOS 15.2 update, you'll get its 30+ security patches with your upgrade. You can read all about them over on the company's security site. iOS 15.2 also included some important upgrades to privacy. The software brought the company's App Privacy Report to Settings. This lets you see how often your apps have accessed your location, photos, camera, microphone, contacts and more during the last seven days. You can also see their network activity. In addition, iOS 15.2 brought Apple's communication safety features for kids. You'll find these features in the Messages app, in Siri, in Spotlight, and in Search. If you missed iOS 15.1, iOS 15.8.2 will bring its security patches to your iPhone. You can read more about them on Apple's website. If you missed iOS 15.0.2 you'll also get its security patch with your upgrade. You can learn more about it right here. iOS 15.0 also brought numerous security patches to your iPhone. If you'll be moving up from iOS 14 and you're interested in the exact nature of these improvements, you can read about them over on Apple's security website. Apple's updated its website with new information about iOS 15's batch of security patches. The company now says the software patched up an issue that could have exposed a user's private Apple ID information and in-app search history. It also says iOS 15 patched up an issue that allowed apps to override Privacy preferences. If you skipped iOS 14.8 or any older versions of iOS, you'll get the security patches from those updates with your iOS 15.8.2 update as well. In addition to those patches, iOS 15 comes with some security and privacy upgrades including improvements to Siri. Requests made to Siri are now processed on the device itself using Neural Engine. This makes it more secure. If you're an Apple Card user, you'll now get a security code that changes regularly to use when you make online transactions. Apple's also included a built-in authenticator that's similar to Google Authenticator. This will let you generate verification codes for enhanced sign-in security under your Passwords. There's also a Mail feature that hides your IP address. | |||||||||||||||
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