5 Things to Know About the iOS 16.6.1 Update

Apple’s pushed a new iOS 16.6.1 update to iPhone users ahead of iOS 17’s arrival later on this month.

iOS 16.6.1 is a point release and it’s focused on improving iOS 16. It doesn’t bring any outward facing features to iPhone users. That being said, it’s still an important update and one that most iPhone owners should download.

With that in mind, we want to walk you through everything you need to know right now about Apple’s iOS 16.6.1 update for iPhone.

In the walkthrough below we’ll take you through iOS 16.6.1’s changes, the software’s performance, the current list of iOS 16.6.1 problems, the iOS 16 jailbreak status, and more.

We’ll start with some quick thoughts on iOS 16.6.1’s performance thus far.

iOS 16.6.1 Review

If your iPhone’s currently running iOS 16.6, you’ll see the smallest iOS 16.6.1 download size. Unless your device is really low on storage, you won’t have to make room for the download.

The iOS 16.6.1 download size depends on your iPhone model and the version of iOS it’s currently running. If your iPhone is running a really old version of iOS, you may see a big download. That’s because iOS 16.6.1 brings the changes from any updates you skipped.

If you’re moving up from iOS 16.6, the iOS 16.6.1 installation process should be pretty quick, probably 10 minutes or less. For more about the iOS 16.6.1 download and installation, check out our walkthrough.

We’ve been using iOS 16.6.1 on an iPhone 12 Pro for several days now and here’s what we’ve learned about the software’s performance.

Battery Life & Connectivity

• iOS 16.6.1 battery life is stable right now.
• Wi-Fi connectivity is fast and reliable.
• Bluetooth is working normally.
• GPS and cellular data are also working properly.

App Performance

• Third-party apps including Netflix, Twitter, Slack, Gmail, Chrome, and Spotify are all working fine.
• First party apps like Safari, Podcasts, and Calendar are also running well.

Speed

• iOS 16.6.1 feels fast and we haven’t experienced any abnormal lag, lockups, or freezes on our device.

If you’re dealing with bugs and/or performance issues on iOS 16.6, or an older version of iOS, you might want to install the iOS 16.6.1 update on your iPhone today.

If you need help making a decision about an upgrade, check out our reasons to, and not to, install the latest version of iOS 16 right now.

iOS 16.6.1 Problems

iOS 16.6.1 went through testing behind the scenes, but it’s still causing problems for iPhone users.

The current list of iOS 16.6.1 problems includes abnormal battery drain, Bluetooth issues, Wi-Fi issues, installation issues, Exchange issues, problems with first and third-party apps, and more.

If you run into a problem with iOS 16.6.1, take a look at our list of fixes for the most common iOS 16 problems. We’ve also released tips that could help you improve your phone’s performance and some tips that could help you fix abnormal battery drain.

Apple recently stopped signing on iOS 16.6 which means you can’t drop your iPhone’s software back to older software if iOS 16.6.1 starts causing problems on your iPhone. You can’t downgrade to any iOS software older than iOS 16.6 either.

For more about the downgrade process, check out our guide.

iOS 16.6.1 Features

Apple’s point updates (x.x.x) are typically focused on patching up problems and that’s exactly what iOS 16.6.1 does.

iOS 16.6.1 includes important security patches. There are two vital patches on board and Apple’s detailed them over on its security site.

iOS 16.6.1 Jailbreak

If you still jailbreak, avoid the iOS 16.6.1 update.

Developers have released a new jailbreak that works with older versions of iOS. Unfortunately, the jailbreak doesn’t work with iOS 16.6.1. Not yet at least. We’ll let you know if that changes.

What’s Next

A new iOS 16.7 update is reportedly in testing behind the scenes. If that’s the case, it should arrive alongside iOS 17 later on this month.

The company will push iOS 17 to the iPhone on September 18th. Unfortunately, Apple will drop support for three older iPhone models: iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus. Those devices will stay on iOS 16.

For more about iOS 17 and its release, have a look at our guide.

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