Apple
5 Things to Know About the iOS 15.6.1 Update
Apple’s pushed a new iOS 15.6.1 update to iPhone users.
iOS 15.6.1 is compatible with all iOS 15-powered phones which includes the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone SE 2, iPhone SE 3, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, and the iPhone 13 series.
Unlike the previous version of iOS 15, iOS 15.6.1 is a minor point upgrade. It’s a small release that’s focused on patching up security issues.
With that in mind, we want to take you through everything you need to know about Apple’s latest iOS 15 update for the iPhone.
In this walkthrough we’ll take you through iOS 15.6.1’s changes, the software’s current performance, iOS 15.6.1 problems, the iOS 15.6.1 jailbreak status, and more. We’ll start with some thoughts on iOS 15.6.1’s performance.
iOS 15.6.1 Review
If your iPhone is currently running iOS 15.6, you’ll see the smallest download size.
For iOS 15.6 users, the iOS 15.6.1 download will be around 264MB. You can expect a similar size for other iPhone models running the previous version of iOS 15.
The exact size of the iOS 15.6.1 download depends on your iPhone model and the version of iOS it’s currently running. If your iPhone is running an older version of iOS, you may see a bigger download because your update comes with the changes from iOS updates you skipped.
If you’re moving up from iOS 15.6, the installation process should take 10 minutes or less to complete. It took about six minutes to install on an iPhone 12 Pro.
We’ve been using iOS 15.6.1 on an iPhone 12 Pro for several days now and here’s what we’ve learned about the software’s performance thus far:
Connectivity
- Battery life is stable.
- Wi-Fi connectivity is fast and reliable.
- Bluetooth is working normally.
- GPS and cellular data are both stable.
App Performance
- Third-party apps including Netflix, Dark Sky, Twitter, Slack, Asana, Gmail, Chrome, and Spotify are working fine at the moment.
- First party apps like Safari and Podcasts are also stable.
Speed
- iOS 15.6.1 currently feels as fast as iOS 15.6
If you’ve been dealing with bugs and/or performance issues on iOS 15.6 or an older version of iOS 15, you might want to install the iOS 15.6.1 update on your iPhone today.
If you need help making a decision about an upgrade to iOS 15.6.1 check out our reasons to, and not to, install the software on your iPhone right now.
iOS 15.6.1 Problems
iOS 15.6.1 is causing problems for some iPhone users. Some of these problems are brand new, others have carried over from older versions of iOS 15.
The current list of iOS 15.6.1 problems includes abnormal battery drain, installation issues, UI lag, issues with Touch ID and Face ID, and issues with first and third-party apps.
If you encounter a problem on iOS 15.6.1, take a look at our list of fixes for the most common iOS 15 problems. We’ve also released some tips that could help you improve your phone’s performance and some tips that could help you fix bad iOS 15 battery life if you encounter it.
Apple’s stopped signing on iOS 15.6 which means you can’t move your iPhone’s software back to the previous version of iOS 15 if iOS 15.6.1 starts causing problems. You can’t downgrade to anything older than iOS 15.6 either.
Keep this in mind if you’re having a good experience on iOS 15.6 or older. Once you make the move to iOS 15.6.1, you won’t be able to get back.
For more on the downgrade process, check out our guide.
iOS 15.6.1 Features
Apple’s point upgrades (x.x.x) are typically focused on patching up issues and that’s what iOS 15.6.1 brings to the table.
The official change log notes the update brings important security patches to iPhone users and you can learn more about those over on Apple’s security site.
iOS 15.6.1 doesn’t have any known features or bug fixes on board.
iOS 15.6.1 Jailbreak
If you still jailbreak, avoid the iOS 15.6.1 update.
The developer teams behind the Checkra1n and unC0ver jailbreaking tools have released versions that are compatible with newer versions of iOS 14, but only Checkra1n is compatible with iOS 14.5.
Unfortunately, the tools don’t support iOS 15.6, iOS 15.5, iOS 15.4.1, iOS 15.4, iOS 15.3.1, iOS 15.3, iOS 15.2.1, iOS 15.2, iOS 15.1.1, iOS 15.1, iOS 15.0.2, iOS 15.0.1, iOS 15.0, iOS 14.8, iOS 14.7.1, iOS 14.7, iOS 14.6, or iOS 14.5.1.
The latest version of unC0ver is compatible with newer iPhones including the iPhone 12 series. Unfortunately it’s only compatible with versions up to iOS 14.3.
There’s no way to downgrade your phone’s software to iOS 14.5 or older versions of iOS which means you’re out of luck if you upgrade, or you already upgraded to newer iOS software.
Hackers say they’re planning to release an iOS 15 jailbreak, but it looks like it will only work with older versions of the operating system (iOS 15.0 to iOS 15.1.1) at first. So, if you want to jailbreak, make sure you avoid newer versions of iOS 15.
What’s Next
In a bit of a surprise, Apple’s pushed a new iOS 15.7 update into beta testing. The company is already on the Release Candidate, the final version of the beta, which means it should roll out soon.
Apple’s also working on its new iOS 16 operating system and the software is currently in beta testing ahead of its release later on this month.
The company will release the final version of iOS 16 on September 12th, just a few days before it releases three out of the four new iPhone 14 models.
For more about the iOS 15.7 release, have a look at our guide. And if you’re interested in iOS 16 and its release date, check out our guide for those.
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