Apple has released iOS 16.1.1 and iPadOS 16.1.1 for all iPhone and iPad owners. It arrives just two weeks after iPadOS and iOS 16.1 (as expected), but it is also frustratingly mysterious. Here’s everything you need to know.
Apple iOS 16
Who Is It For?
Apple iOS 16.1.1 has been released for all iOS 16 compatible devices, aka the iPhone 8/iPhone X and newer. iOS 16 dropped support for the iPhone 6S and 7 ranges and the iPod Touch. iPadOS 16.1.1 is compatible with iPad Pro (all models), iPad Air (3rd generation onwards), iPad and iPad Mini (both 5th generation onward).
With Apple admitting to auto-update delays, the update can be triggered manually by navigating to Settings > General > Software Update. If you are running newer beta software (see ‘The Road Ahead’ section at the end), you must unenroll your device before the update appears.
Note: this guide is not focused on older iOS updates or iPadOS, but I will touch upon pertinent issues in these guides. You can read my iOS 15.7.1 Upgrade Guide here.
The Deal Breakers
The first 24 hours for iOS 16.1.1 are promising. There are reports of bugs with phone call volume and high battery drain, but they are currently isolated cases. Ongoing issues do remain, with the Copy/Paste permissions bug returning for some, ongoing user interface jank (though it is better for others), and Apple Music is still full of bugs.
That said, while numerous iOS 16 bugs remain, there are no new deal breakers here. There are some quiet fixes as well (more below).
So What Do You Get?
iOS 16.1.1 focused solely on bug and security fixes. That said, Apple has chosen not to specify any of the former in its release notes, saying only:
“This update includes bug fixes and security updates and is recommended for all users.”
Checking the community, I have identified some of the bugs squashed with users reporting a fix for iMessage and Facetime activation issues and camera zoom jitter. That said, it is still unclear whether Apple fixed a widespread WiFi bug that causes repeated disconnections. Apple has also promised fixes for an advertising-related bug, but it doesn’t appear to have made it into iOS 16.1.1.
Apple needs to be more transparent with its release notes. Users should not be left having to poke around the system to see what now does or still does not work.
iOS 16.1.1 Security
Apple’s official security page lists patches for two vulnerabilities tracked as CVE-2022-40303 and CVE-2022-40304. Apple states that “A remote user may be able to cause unexpected app termination or arbitrary code execution” in both cases, making them significant risks.
There were no known exploits for either vulnerability before the patches were released in iOS 16.1.1, and Apple is unlikely to release further details for several months to give users time to update.
Apple iOS 16.1.1 Verdict: Upgrade
iOS 16.1.1 follows the promising pattern of recent iOS 16 updates: it doesn’t fix a lot and plenty of bugs remain, but it doesn’t create any significant new problems. On the flip side, iOS 16.1.1 is only 24 hours old so cautious users may prefer to wait, which is understandable. I will deliver my final verdict here in one week.
The Road Ahead
Apple is already beta testing iOS 16.2, a feature-focused release, which includes the collaborative Freeform whiteboard app, a new Home app architecture, and more (join the Apple Beta Software Program if you want to test it out). iOS 16.2 should launch before Christmas, but I’d expect more dedicated bug fixes before then (read: iOS 16.1.2 at the very least) because iOS 16 still has a long way to go.
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