5 Things to Know About the iOS 16.7.4 Update

Apple’s pushed a new iOS 16.7.4 update to iPhone users.

iOS 16.7.4 is the latest update for the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X, the three iPhone models Apple left behind on iOS 16.

The iOS 16.7.4 update isn’t a big upgrade, and future version of iOS 16 won’t be either, but it delivers fixes for the operating system which makes it an important piece of software.

With that in mind, we want to walk you through everything you need to know about Apple’s iOS 16.7.4 software update for iPhone.

In this walkthrough we’ll take you through iOS 16.7.4’s changes, the software’s current performance, iOS 16.7.4 problems impacting iPhone users, the iOS 16 jailbreak status, and more.

We’ll start with some quick thoughts about iOS 16.7.4’s performance.

iOS 16.7.4 Review

If your iPhone is currently running iOS 16.7.3, you’ll see the smallest download size. It’s a small upgrade and most users won’t have to make room for the download.

As for the installation, it 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 16.7.3.

We’ve been using iOS 16.7.4 on an iPhone X for several days now and the firmware is holding up well. Here’s what we’ve learned about the software’s performance thus far:

iOS 16.7.4 Battery Life & Connectivity

• Battery life is stable
• 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 16.7.4 feels fast, no lag, lockups, or freezes so far

If your iPhone’s struggling on iOS 16.7.3 or an older version of iOS 16, you might want to install the iOS 16.7.4 update on your iPhone right now.

If you need help making a decision, check out our reasons to, and not to, install iOS 16.7.4 on your iPhone.

iOS 16.7.4 Problems

Apple tested iOS 16.7.4 for issues, but the software is causing problems for some iPhone users.

The current list of iOS 16.7.4 problems includes installation issues, abnormal battery drain, Face ID issues, broken Bluetooth, busted Wi-Fi, UI lag, Exchange issues, and problems with first and third-party apps.

If you run into a problem with iOS 16.7.4, head over to our list of fixes for the most common iOS 16 problems.

We’ve also released tips that could help you improve your iPhone’s performance and some tips that could help fix abnormal battery drain.

Apple recently stopped signing on iOS 16.7.3 which means you can’t drop your iPhone’s software back to older software if iOS 16.7.4 starts causing problems. You can’t downgrade to anything older than iOS 16.7.3 either.

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

iOS 16.7.4 Features

New versions of iOS 16 have all focused on patching up issues within the operating system. Unsurprisingly, that’s exactly what iOS 16.7.4 does. It doesn’t bring any outward facing features.

Apple says the software fixes an issue where built-in Apple apps that may have been deleted may not reinstall.

iOS 16.7.4 doesn’t have any security patches on board.

iOS 16.7.4 Jailbreak

If you still jailbreak your iPhone(s), avoid the iOS 16.7.4 update.

Developers have released a jailbreak that works with older versions of iOS. Unfortunately, the jailbreak doesn’t work with iOS 16.7.4.

That could change down the road so keep your eyes peeled.

What’s Next

We expect Apple to push new iOS 16 software to iPhone in the months ahead. Again, these updates will almost certainly focus on patching up security issues. Again, we don’t expect future iOS 16 releases to bring new features to iPhone.

Apple will release new iOS 17 software in early 2024. Don’t be surprised if new iOS 16 software rolls out alongside the next milestone upgrade for iOS 17.

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