Apple

5 Things to Know About the iOS 16.6 Update

Published

3 weeks ago

08/16/2023

The beta is over and Apple’s pushed its iOS 16.6 update to iPhone users around the world.

iOS 16.6 is a milestone release, but it’s much smaller than a typical one as the software brings under-the-hood enhancements to compatible iPhone models.

With that in mind, we want to walk you through everything you need to know right now about Apple’s brand new iOS 16.6 software for iPhone.

Table of Contents

In the walkthrough below we’ll take you through iOS 16.6’s changes, the software’s performance, the current list of iOS 16.6 problems, the iOS 16 jailbreak status, and more.

We’ll start with some quick thoughts on iOS 16.6’s performance.

iOS 16.6 Review

If your iPhone’s currently running iOS 16.5.1, you’ll see the smallest iOS 16.6 download size. Unless your device is really low on storage, you won’t have to make room for the download.

The iOS 16.6 installation should take in and around 10 minutes to complete. It took about nine minutes to install on an iPhone 12 Pro.

We’ve been using iOS 16.6 on an iPhone 12 Pro for several weeks now and here’s what we’ve learned about the software’s performance thus far:

Battery Life & Connectivity

Battery life is stable. We haven’t seen any major issues yet.
Wi-Fi connectivity is fast and reliable.
Bluetooth is working normally.
GPS and cellular data are working properly.

App Performance

Third-party apps including Netflix, Twitter, Slack, Gmail, Chrome, and Spotify are all working fine at the moment.
First party apps like Safari, Podcasts, and Calendar are also running fine right now.

Speed

iOS 16.6 feels as fast as iOS 16.5.1 and we haven’t run into any abnormal lag, lockups, or freezes.

If you’re dealing with bugs and/or performance issues on iOS 16.5.1, or an older version of iOS, you might want to install the iOS 16.6 update on your iPhone today.

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

iOS 16.6 Problems

The iOS 16.6 update went through a lengthy beta, but the software is causing problems for some iPhone users. Some of these problems are brand new, others have carried over from older versions of iOS.

The current list of iOS 16.6 problems includes abnormal battery drain, Bluetooth issues, Wi-Fi issues, installation issues, Exchange issues, and problems with first and third-party apps. We expect the list to grow as we push away from the software’s release date.

If you run into a problem with iOS 16.6, 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 fix bad battery life.

Apple’s no longer signing on iOS 16.5.1 which means you can’t drop your iPhone’s software back to older software if iOS 16.6 starts causing problems on your iPhone. You can’t drop back to older iOS software either.

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

iOS 16.6 Features

Apple’s milestone updates (x.x) typically deliver new features, enhancements, security patches, and bug fixes to iPhone users. Again, iOS 16.6 is different from most milestone upgrades.

The iOS 16.6 change log doesn’t highlight any outward facing features nor does it specify any bug fixes. Instead, Apple says it brings unspecified bug fixes in addition to security updates to iPhone users.

iOS 16.6 carries 16 security patches on board, including two for actively exploited issues. You can learn more about iOS 16.6’s security contents over on Apple’s security site.

iOS 16.6 Jailbreak

If you still jailbreak, make sure you avoid the iOS 16.6 update.

Developers have released a new jailbreak that works with iOS 15.0-iOS 16.2. Unfortunately, the jailbreak doesn’t work with iOS 16.5 and it’s only compatible with the iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus.

We’ll let you know if that changes.

What’s Next

With iOS 17 on the way, don’t expect Apple to bring new features to the operating system down the road. That being said, we could see a new iOS 16.7 update land in September alongside Apple’s new operating system.

iOS 16.7 is reportedly in testing behind the scenes. The same source claims Apple won’t release an iOS 16.6.1 update for iPhone.

The company will push iOS 17 to the iPhone later this year, probably sometime in mid-September. 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.

4 Reasons Not to Install iOS 16.6.1 & 11 Reasons You Should

Install iOS 16.6.1 for Better Security

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If security is important to you, think about installing Apple's iOS 16.6.1 update on your iPhone right away.

iOS 16.6.1 isn't a huge upgrade, but it does have two important security patches for your device on board. If you're interested in what they patch up, here's Apple's guide.

As for older software, the iOS 16.6 update delivered 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 16.6.1. 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.