Apple
5 Things to Know About the iOS 15.3 Update
Apple’s released its iOS 15.3 update for iPhone and the firmware brings several important changes with it.
iOS 15.3 is compatible with all iOS 15-powered phones, a list that 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 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, and the iPhone 13 series.
Unlike iOS 15.2.1, iOS 15.3 is a milestone upgrade (x.x) though it’s much smaller than your typical milestone release. It doesn’t have any known features on board though it does include important security patches and bug fixes.
With that in mind, we want to take you through everything you need to know about Apple’s new iOS 15.3 update for iPhone.
In this walkthrough we’ll take you through all of iOS 15.3’s changes, the software’s performance, iOS 15.3 problems, the iOS 15.3 jailbreak status, and more.
We’ll start with some quick thoughts on iOS 15.3’s performance.
iOS 15.3 Review
If your iPhone is currently running iOS 15.2.1, you’ll see the smallest download size.
For iOS 15.2.1 users, the iOS 15.3 download is fairly large. It’s a 972.5 MB download for iPhone 12 Pro users moving up from the previous version of iOS 15.
The iOS 15.3 download size depends on your iPhone model and the version of iOS it’s currently running. So if your iPhone is running an older version of iOS, you’ll probably see a bigger download because your iOS 15.3 update includes the changes from iOS updates you skipped.
The installation process should take less than 10 minutes to complete. It took about seven minutes to install on an iPhone 12 Pro that was previously running iOS 15.2.1.
For more on the iOS 15.3 download and installation, take a look at our guide.
We’ve been using iOS 15.3 on a few iPhone models for several days now and here’s what we’ve learned about the software’s performance thus far:
Connectivity
- Battery life is currently 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, Podcasts, and Calendar are also stable.
Speed
- iOS 15.3 feels as fast as iOS 15.2.1.
If you’re running into bugs or performance issues on iOS 15.2.1, iOS 15.2, or an older version of iOS, you might want to install the iOS 15.3 update on your iPhone right now.
If you need help making a decision, please check out our reasons to, and not to, install iOS 15.3.
iOS 15.3 Problems
iOS 15.3 is causing problems for some iPhone users. Some of these problems are brand new, others have carried over from iOS 15.2.1 older versions of iOS.
The current list includes installation issues, UI lag, Exchange issues, problems with first and third-party apps, hotspot problems, touchscreen issues, issues with Touch ID and Face ID, charging issues, and stuttering.
If you run into problems on iOS 15.3, take a look at our list of fixes for the most common iOS 15 problems. We’ve also released tips that could help you improve your phone’s performance and tips that could help fix bad iOS 15 battery life.
Apple has stopped signing on iOS 15.2.1 which means you can’t drop your phone’s software back to the previous version of iOS 15 in an effort to improve its performance. You can’t downgrade to anything older than iOS 15.2.1 either.
Keep this in mind if you’re having a good experience on iOS 15.2.1 or an older version of iOS. Once you make the move to iOS 15.3, you won’t be able to go back.
For more on the downgrade process, check out our guide.
iOS 15.3 Features: What’s New
Apple’s milestone updates almost always bring new features, security patches, and under-the-hood improvements to iPhone users, but again, iOS 15.3 isn’t your typical milestone release.
We aren’t aware of any new features on board, but Apple’s latest software does bring a couple of important bug fixes to iPhone users.
iOS 15.3 should patch up an issue with Safari that leaked users browsing history and Google ID, an issue that was first discovered by FingerprintJS.
According to MacRumors, iOS 15.3 also fixes an issue where HomeKit camera thumbnails were failing to refresh within the Home application.
iOS 15.3 also has 10 new security patches on board and you can read all about those over on the company’s security site.
iOS 15.3 Jailbreak
If you still jailbreak your iPhone, make sure you avoid the iOS 15.3 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. They don’t support 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 yet.
The newest version of unC0ver is compatible with newer iPhones including the iPhone 12 series. That’s big news if you’ve been waiting to jailbreak your new phone. 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.
What’s Next
Apple’s confirmed a new version of iOS 15 and iOS 15.4 is currently in beta testing.
The company hasn’t confirmed a specific iPadOS 15.4 release date, but it should drop sometime next month. Apple is reportedly gearing up to launch new hardware on March 8th.
Apple will almost certainly launch a new iPad Air and a new iPhone SE and we expect new software to accompany these devices to shelves.
If your problems on iOS 15.3 (or older iOS software) are really bad, you might try downloading the iOS 15.4 beta onto your iPhone right now.
For more on iOS 15.4 and the beta, have a peek at our walkthrough. For more about the iOS 15.4 release date, check out our guide.
[slides postid=490676]
