Ten months after the start, iOS 16 will now receive what is expected to be the last update. Apple is now fully focused on developing the next version, which is set to launch with the iPhone 15.
After a two-month beta phase, iOS 16.6 is now available for download for all owners of a compatible iPhone. The update brings a number of bug fixes and patches for critical security vulnerabilities.
iOS 16.6 comes with numerous security patches and bug fixes
TECHBOOK has no information about new features in iOS 16.6. No wonder, after all, Apple has been working on iOS 17 since the WWDC developer conference in June. For this update, the company has therefore focused primarily on eliminating problems.
According to the support site, it includes patches for as many as 25 vulnerabilities in iOS. These mainly affect the kernel level of the operating system and in some cases allow hackers to run malicious code. Apple’s WebKit browser engine, the basis for iPhone apps such as Safari, Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, also had security gaps that will be closed with iOS 16.6. The “Where is?” app is also affected, which according to Apple was able to read personal location information. Of all the vulnerabilities fixed, Apple is aware of two that may have been actively used for attacks. You can find an overview of all the details on the support page.
There are also a few bug fixes in the iOS 16.6 release notes. However, these are not named in any of the documentation.
TECHBOOK recommends
“In general, you should install security updates like iOS 16.6. one is to install as soon as possible. Otherwise there is a risk of security weaknesses. Since Apple rolled out further updates for the previous year’s systems – iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 – as well as for macOS Monterey and macOS Big Sur, the gaps seem to have been larger. Based on the current state of knowledge, TECHBOOK therefore also recommends an immediate installation of the update.” – Marlene Polywka, editor
Also interesting: These iPhones will no longer get an update to iOS 17
Should you install the update right away?
Due to the large amount of security content in iOS 16.6 alone, users should not delay the update for too long. TECHBOOK has already tested the update in advance and could not find any problems. One of the reasons for this is that Apple took its time to minimize errors.
Older iPhones that did not get iOS 16 are also provided with an update that contains the security patches. Specifically, iPhone 7/7 Plus and older receive the iOS version 15.7.8.
Simultaneously with iOS 16.4, iPadOS 16.6, tvOS 16.6, watchOS 9.6 and macOS 13.5 are also available for download. These updates also contain the security patches – if they affect the respective device.
The latest iOS 16 update
As a rule, there are about one and a half to two months between larger subsequent updates, which are marked with numbers after the first dot – for example iOS 16.1, 16.4 and now 16.6. Since Apple plans to introduce new iPhones in September 2023, no follow-up update for iOS 16 is planned. Apple made an exception last year with iOS 15.7, which users could download to delay installing iOS 16.
Now we continue directly with iOS 17. The beta version of the new operating system has been publicly available since July 11th. You can find out how the installation works here: Be the first to try new iOS versions on iPhone.