Apple

5 Things to Know About the iOS 16.7.1 Update

Published

6 months ago

10/12/2023

Apple’s pushed a new iOS 16.7.1 update to iPhone models that didn’t make the move to iOS 17.

iOS 16.7.1 is the latest update for the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X, three iPhone models that got left behind on Apple’s aging operating system. It’s also available if you own a newer iPhone and haven’t moved your device to iOS 17 yet.

While Apple probably won’t push new features to these devices, saving them for iPhones compatible with iOS 17, it will continue to push fixes for issues plaguing the operating system.

That’s exactly what iOS 16.7.1’s focus is and what makes it an extremely important update if you own an iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, or another iPhone still running iOS 16.

With that in mind, we want to walk you through everything you need to know right now about Apple’s iOS 16.7.1 software for iPhone.

Updated on October 12th with additional impressions about the update. This article was first published on Tuesday, October 10th.

Table of Contents

In the walkthrough below we’ll take you through iOS 16.7.1’s changes, the software’s performance, the current list of iOS 16.7.1 problems, the iOS 16 jailbreak status, and more.

We’ll start with some quick thoughts on iOS 16.7.1’s performance.

iOS 16.7.1 Review

If your iPhone’s currently running iOS 16.7, you’ll see the smallest iOS 16.7.1 download size. Unless your device is running really low on storage, you won’t have to make room for the download.

The iOS 16.7.1 installation should take around 10 minutes or so to complete. It took just about eight minutes to install on an iPhone X that was previously running on iOS 16.7.

We’ve been using iOS 16.7.1 on an iPhone X for a few days now and here’s what we’ve learned about the software’s performance thus far:

iOS 16.7.1 Battery Life & Connectivity

Battery life is stable. We haven’t run into any abnormal battery drain
Wi-Fi connectivity is fast and reliable.
Bluetooth is working normally.
GPS and cellular data are working properly.

App Performance

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

Speed

iOS 16.7.1 feels as fast as iOS 16.7 and we haven’t run into any abnormal lag, lockups, or freezes.

If your iPhone is struggling with bugs and/or performance issues on iOS 16.7, or an older version of iOS, you might want to install the iOS 16.7.1 update on your iPhone right now.

If you need help making a decision, check out our reasons to, and not to, install the latest version of iOS 16 on your iPhone.

iOS 16.7.1 Problems

Apple tested iOS 16.7.1 behind the scenes, but the software is causing problems for some iPhone users. Some problems are brand new, others have carried over from older versions of iOS.

The current list of iOS 16.7.1 problems includes abnormal battery drain, Face ID issues, Bluetooth issues, Wi-Fi issues, installation issues, UI lag, Exchange issues, and problems with first and third-party apps.

If you run into a problem with iOS 16.7.1, 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 tips that could help fix bad battery life.

Apple’s currently signing on iOS 16.7 which means you can drop your iPhone’s software back to older software if iOS 16.7.1 starts causing problems. You can’t, however, downgrade to anything older than iOS 16.7.

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

iOS 16.7.1: What’s New

Apple’s point updates (x.x) typically fix problems within the operating system. And that’s exactly what iOS 16.7.1 does.

The iOS 16.7.1 change log doesn’t mention any new features and Apple says the software is focused on patching up problems. You can learn more about iOS 16.7.1’s security contents over on Apple’s website.

iOS 16.7.1 Jailbreak

If you still jailbreak, make sure you avoid the iOS 16.7.1 update.

Developers have released a jailbreak that works with older versions of iOS. Unfortunately, the jailbreak doesn’t work with iOS 16.7.1. We’ll let you know if that changes.

What’s Next

We expect Apple to push new iOS 16 software to the iPhone down the road. Again, these updates will almost certainly focus on patching up security issues.

Apple is planning to release a new iOS 17.1 update later on this year so don’t be surprised if a new version of iOS 16 rolls out alongside it.

4 Reasons Not to Install iOS 16.7.7 & 10 Reasons You Should

Install iOS 16.7.7 for Better Security

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If security is important to you, think about installing Apple's iOS 16.7.7 update on your iPhone right away.

iOS 16.7.7 has two security patches on board. If you want to protect your device from harm, you should install the upgrade sooner rather than later.

If you missed older versions of iOS 16, you'll get the fixes and features from updates you missed when you upgrade to iOS 16.7.7.

iOS 16.7.6 delivered several security patches to iPhone users.

iOS 16.7.5 had nine security patches on board and they're important if you want to keep you device and its data safe from harm.

iOS 16.7.3 delivered several security patches including one that patches up an issue with the Find My app.

iOS 16.7.2 brought several security patches to iPhone models still running iOS 16. Learn more about them here.

iOS 16.7.1 carried two important security enhancements including one that addressed a kernel vulnerability. You can learn more about the pair over on Apple's website.

iOS 16.7 had three security patches on board and you can learn more about them right here.

iOS 16.6.1 brought two important security patches to iPhone. If you're interested in what they patch up, here's Apple's guide.

The iOS 16.6 update featured 16 security patches. For more information about the changes, check out Apple's rundown.

iOS 16.5.1 brought two security patches to iPhone users If you want to learn more, head on over to Apple's website.

The company's iOS Security Response 16.5.1 (c) update also included a security update and you can learn more about it right here.

iOS 16.5 brought a ton of security patches to the iPhone. You can find out more about them over on Apple's security site.

iOS 16.4.1 included two security upgrades . You can learn more about the pair right here.

Apple's iOS 16.4 update had a substantial number of patches on board. You can read about them in detail over on Apple's security site.

The iOS 16.3.1 update had three security patches on board including one for an actively exploited vulnerability. For more on the security contents of iOS 16.3.1, check out Apple's security page.

iOS 16.3 brought 10+ new security patches with it and you can learn more about all of those right here.

In addition, the software came with support for physical security keys for Apple ID. These will beef up your account security by requiring a physical security key as part of the two factor authentication sign in process. Learn more about the change right here.

If you skipped iOS 16.2, you'll get its changes with iOS 16.7.7. iOS 16.2 brought a ton of important security patches with it and you can dig into the details on Apple's security site.

The update also brought end-to-end encryption to iCloud, iMessage, iPhone backups, Notes, Photos, and more. If you want to learn more about it, head over to Apple's guide.

If you decided to missed iOS 16.1.2, you'll get its solitary security patch with your upgrade. Learn more about it right here.

If you skipped iOS 16.1.1, you'll get its security patches when you upgrade. You can learn more about them right here.

If you missed the iOS 16.1 update, it brought 19 security patches to the iPhone and you can learn about the particulars of those over on Apple's website.

If you failed to download iOS 16.0.3, it had one security patch on board, a fix for a potential exploit within the Mail app. For more about the fix, check out Apple's security site.

If you're still running iOS 15 your iPhone, you'll get a bunch of other patches when you upgrade.

iOS 16.0 brought a ton of security patches to the iPhone. If you're interested in the exact nature of these improvements, you can read about them over on Apple's security website.

In addition to those patches, iOS 16 brings some additional enhancements to privacy and security including Safety Check which, according to Apple, will help "people in domestic or intimate partner violence situations review and reset the access they’ve granted others."

The feature also resets system privacy permissions for apps and restricts Messages and FaceTime to the device on hand.

Apple's also made some improvements to Passkeys in Safari. iOS 16 brings a brand new sign-in method that's end-to-end encrypted and safe from phishing and data leaks.