Apple Releases iOS 12.5.6 Update for Older iPhones and iPads With Vulnerability Fixes - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple Releases iOS 12.5.6 Update for Older iPhones and iPads With Vulnerability Fixes

by

Apple today released an iOS 12.5.6 update for older iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad models that are not able to run the current version of iOS, iOS 15.

iphone6plus
The update can be downloaded over-the-air by opening up the Settings app, tapping on "General," and selecting the "Software Update" option.

The iOS 12.5.6 update fixes a major vulnerability that was actively exploited, so it's worth updating right away if you have an older device. The WebKit vulnerability was already fixed in the iOS 15.6.1, iPadOS 15.6.1, and macOS Monterey 12.5.1 updates.

Devices that cannot be updated past iOS 12 include the iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPod touch 6, original iPad Air, iPad mini 2, and ‌iPad mini‌ 3.

Popular Stories

iphone duo

Apple Announces Foldable 'iPhone Duo'

Wednesday September 9, 2026 10:56 am PDT by
Apple today announced the "iPhone Duo," a new kind of iPhone featuring two screens and a foldable inner display. The two halves of the iPhone Duo connect into a single continuous frame with the same aspect ratio across both displays, and Apple said the transition between open and closed is designed to feel fluid. When fully open, Apple says it is the thinnest iPhone ever made, with an...
Read Full Article • 712 comments
Surprise and Shine Live Coverage Article

Apple Event Live Blog: iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro, and More

Wednesday September 9, 2026 9:10 am PDT by
Apple's "Surprise and Shine" event kicks off today at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, where we're expecting to see the foldable iPhone Duo, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 models, new AirPods 5 earphones, and perhaps some other announcements. Apple is providing a live video stream on its website, on YouTube, and in the company's TV app across various platforms. We...
Read Full Article • 1304 comments
iOS 27 Feature Dark

Apple Announces iOS 27 Release Date

Wednesday September 9, 2026 10:46 am PDT by
At its event today unveiling the iPhone 18 Pro, AirPods 5, Apple Watch Series 12, and more, Apple announced that iOS 27 will be released later this month. iOS 27 has already been available as a developer beta since June and as a public beta since July, and Apple today said that the update will be released for all users with a compatible iPhone model on Monday, September 14. iOS 27 is...
Read Full Article • 40 comments

Top Rated Comments

G
geartau
53 months ago
and people accuse Apple of planned obsolescence…
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
M
max2
53 months ago
Cool! Way to go Apple!
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
oneMadRssn Avatar
oneMadRssn
53 months ago
This is actually pretty incredible. iPhone 5s came out 9 years ago, and it's still receiving security updates.

The Google Nexus 5 came out the same year - and Google ended security updates in in 2016, just a few years later. To say nothing of the third-party Android OEMs at the time that offered even less support.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
adrianlondon Avatar
adrianlondon
53 months ago
My iPad mini, stuck on iOS 9, is now a hacker magnet!

Luckily, it runs so slowly that they won't be able to do anything once they gain access.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
L
Lounge vibes 05
53 months ago
Wow, was not expecting this. Almost 4 years after iOS 12 was introduced.
And this should lay to rest the concerns of the iPhone 7 and 6S just being abandoned after iOS 16’s release.
If they continue at this pace, those devices should still be getting security updates at least until 2025
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sir_Macs_A_Lot Avatar
Sir_Macs_A_Lot
53 months ago
Apple, my iPhone 6 Plus thanks you. Now to go rummage it out of the bottom of a drawer, charge it...
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments