Apple iOS 16.6 Release: Should You Upgrade?

Apple iOS 16.6 has been released for iPhones, along with iPadOS 16.6, macOS Ventura 13.5, and watchOS 9.6, and the reason for this mass launch is they all contain critical security fixes. Here’s everything you need to know.

Tip: bookmark this page because I will keep it updated if/when new problems are found. I will deliver my final verdict in a week.

Who Is It For?

Apple iOS 16.6 is available for all iOS 16-compatible devices. That means the iPhone 8, iPhone X, and newer. iOS 15.7.8 is the most recent update to protect older devices, but Apple may yet offer an update to address the serious vulnerabilities patched by iOS 16.6 (more below).

All supported iPhones should receive an automatic update notification, but if you don’t, you can trigger iOS 16.6 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 will appear.

Note: this guide is not focused on older iOS updates, iPadOS or macOS, but I will touch upon pertinent issues in these guides.

The Deal Breakers

Despite the ‘major point’ numbering, iOS 16.6 is a relatively minor yet vital (see the Security section below) update and, as expected, it has had a largely bug-free start to life.

What I am seeing reported are bugs that have been ongoing for some time, such as screen time issues, Notification Center gripes and some isolated battery issues (though these are common 24/48h after updates). Ultimately, however, I’m seeing no show-stoppers here.

So What Do You Get?

Apple’s iOS 16.6 release notes are short and sweet:

This update provides important bug fixes and security updates and is recommended for all users.

This is a fairly generic sentence that Apple often uses with dedicated security releases, but it is not to be overlooked. We’ll go through those security details in the next section.

What is a surprise, however, is the choice of release. Despite launching its ‘Rapid Security Response’ updates, these fixes come as a standard iOS launch and a major point one at that (iOS 16.5.2 would be more in keeping with Apple’s historical way of classifying releases). But that’s something few will lose sleep over.

iOS 16.6 Security

The big reason to update to iOS 16.6 is security because it contains fixes for two zero-day security vulnerabilities. Apple acknowledges that hackers may have been able to exploit both vulnerabilities before it could release a fix.

The vulnerabilities are recorded as CVE-2023-38606 and CVE-2023-37450, and they affect the Kernel, the core of the operating system, and WebKit, the engine behind Safari, respectively. In both instances, hackers may be able to execute malicious code. The vulnerabilities affect iPhones, iPads, Macs and the Apple Watch, hence the broad release of multi-platform updates.

In addition, iOS 16.6 patches a further 23 vulnerabilities, including two in the Apple Neural Engine, 10 more in the Kernel, and a further five in WebKit. It’s a lot. Whether that is behind Apple’s decision to release this as a full iOS update is unknown, but the company may also be wary about the significant problems its iOS 16.5.1 (a then c) Rapid Security Response caused last time.

Apple iOS 16.6 Verdict: Update

Security updates and bug fixes are the most important reason to update your iPhone, and Zero-Day hacks are the most dangerous form of them. With so few issues reported by upgraders after 24 hours, I would strongly advise you to put the security of your device front and center.

For cautious iPhone and iPad owners who prefer to wait (I strongly recommend you don’t), I will deliver my final verdict in a week. So bookmark this page.

The Road Ahead

Apple iOS 17 has now hit beta 4, and the company’s focus is now squarely on its next-generation update ahead of its release in September. It will contain a new standby mode, major upgrades for Messages, Phone and FaceTime, a vastly improved autocorrect system (long overdue), drop the ‘Hey Siri’ command for ‘Siri,’ add interactive widgets, mood tracking and journaling, support for shared AirTags, and much more.

If you want to beta test major iOS updates ahead of their public release, you can sign up for the Apple Beta Software Program here.

Note: iOS 17 will drop support for iPhone X and iPhone 8 models, though security updates will continue. If you’ve held onto one of these models for this long, now might be the time to upgrade.

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