Apple releases iOS 12.5.6 for iPhone 5S and 6, phones released over 8 years ago

The release of iOS 16 is expected in just a few days, but Apple never forgets about its older devices. Even though the iPhone 5S and iPhone 6, as well as some older iPad models, have remained “locked” to the iOS 12 version of the operating system, they recently received a new software update to version 12.5.6, which adds some security improvements for recently discovered vulnerabilities. Most likely, these are 0-day vulnerabilities already fixed in more recent versions.

The two models received iOS 12.5.6, an update for an operating system four years old

The iPhone 5S was released nine years ago and was the first Apple smartphone to include a fingerprint sensor. It was the iPhone 6, released a year later, that brought “large” screens to the iPhone, with the 5.5″ Plus variant. These phones were the last to run out of software support in 2018, as all models released after them are currently up to date with updates. Only this year, the iPhone 6S and 7 will be “out of date” after the release of iOS 16.

Thus, phones that haven’t received regular updates in over four years received the new iOS 12.5.6 update. It would fix just one of the major issues Apple fixed on iOS 15, relating to a vulnerability in WebKit, the engine behind iOS browsers, through which a hacker could take control of devices, with the ability to run unsigned code and access users’ personal data.

In addition to the two generations of phones getting this update, we also have four tablets on which this update should be installed: the first-generation iPad Air, iPad Mini 2 and iPad Mini 3. The process is as simple as ever. The update can be found in Settings under General and Software Update.