Apple iOS Update to Fix iPhone 12 Radiation Levels Approved by French Regulators

Apple has had its software update for iPhone 12 devices in France approved by regulators, after the country threatened to suspend sales of the phones earlier this month due to radiation levels (via Reuters).

purple iphone 12 and 12 mini
In early September, France ordered Apple to halt ‌‌iPhone‌‌ 12 sales and "fix" existing devices to bring them into electromagnetic radiation compliance with European standards. The increase in emitted electromagnetic radiation observed over time by regulators appears to have been the result of successive software updates issued by Apple, and was not present when the ‌‌iPhone‌‌ 12 was launched in 2020.

The ANFR ordered Apple to "remove the ‌‌‌iPhone‌‌ 12‌ from the French market from September 12 due to the model exceeding the limit" for electromagnetic absorption by the body. The agency also told Apple to recall every ‌‌‌iPhone‌‌ 12‌ it has ever sold in the country. Ministers later said that though the radiation level was above the accepted standard, it was not dangerous and people were safe to continue using the phones, local media reported.

Apple later said it would issue a software update for ‌iPhone‌ 12 users in France to address the radiation concerns. The French regulator ANFR responded by saying it would test the software update. If it made a difference to the electromagnetic waves the device emitted, ANFR said it would bring the model into compliance with European standards applied in France, and the marketing withdrawal order would be lifted.

Tag: France

Popular Stories

M3 iPad Air

Apple's Next Two Products Are Coming Soon

Thursday February 12, 2026 11:17 am PST by
Apple plans to release an iPhone 17e and an iPad Air with an M4 chip "in the coming weeks," according to the latest word from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "Apple retail employees say that inventory of the iPhone 16e has basically dried out and the iPad Air is seeing shortages as well," said Gurman. "I've been expecting new versions of both (iPhone 17e and M4 iPad Air) in the coming weeks."...
Apple Sales Coach App

Apple Launching New 'Sales Coach' App

Friday February 13, 2026 2:01 pm PST by
Apple plans to launch a rebranded "Sales Coach" app on the iPhone and iPad later this month, according to a source familiar with the matter. "Sales Coach" will arrive as an update to Apple's existing "SEED" app, and it will continue to provide sales tips and training resources to Apple Store and Apple Authorized Reseller employees around the world. For example, there are articles and videos...
m5 macbook pro deal

Why You Shouldn't Buy the Next MacBook Pro

Tuesday February 10, 2026 4:27 pm PST by
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models as soon as early March, but if you can, this is one generation you should skip because there's something much better in the works. We're waiting on 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, with few changes other than the processor upgrade. There won't be any tweaks to the design or the display, but later this...
Coffee Burgundy and Purple iPhone 18 Pro Mock

Five iPhone 18 Pro Features Revealed in New Report

Friday February 13, 2026 8:43 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are still seven months away, an analyst has revealed five new features the devices will allegedly have. Rumored color options for the iPhone 18 Pro models In a research note with investment firm GF Securities on Thursday, analyst Jeff Pu outlined the following upgrades for the iPhone 18 Pro models: Smaller Dynamic Island: It has been rumored...
macbook air prime day 2025

M5 MacBook Air: Release Date, Features, and Performance Predictions

Wednesday February 11, 2026 3:36 am PST by
The MacBook Air is Apple's most popular laptop – a thin, fanless machine that wields quiet power thanks to the efficiency of Apple silicon. While the M4 model isn't exactly old, attention is already turning to its successor. Apple doesn't telegraph new product launches ahead of time, but we can draw a surprisingly clear picture of what to expect by looking at Apple's silicon roadmap,...

Top Rated Comments

jonnysods Avatar
31 months ago
We call it “Low Emit”, and we think your cranium is going to love it.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Populus Avatar
31 months ago
Wait, wait… is this update is only available in France? So, people in other countries using their iPhone 12 will keep being exposed to higher levels? Unless the allowed radiation levels are abnormally low in France, I think this update should have been available to everyone else.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MathersMahmood Avatar
31 months ago
How does a software update fix radiation? Bit silly really. we may end up seeing performance throttling.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
31 months ago

How does a software update fix radiation? Bit silly really. we may end up seeing performance throttling.
They turn on the lower radiation feature flag ;)

Joking aside if this wasn't present at launch and was later found then at some point Apple's boosted the power of the radios probably to improve signal strength. That pushed them over the limit and now I guess they are going to dial it back down so French iPhone 12 users should expect worse signal.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
31 months ago

How did this even get through? surely someone at Apple must have known this was coming and they could have pro-actively applied a software update and avoided all of this 'bad' publicity...

Despite the levels of radiation still being safe, there will be some people who will over react to this.
Apple probably didn’t believe that the French regulator would be so stupid as to measure the radiation from a closer distance (closer than the EU regulation specifies) while expecting the same amount of radiation. Of course, if you measure from a closer distance, you get a higher value. A child in kindergarten could predict the result of this basic science experiment. But the French doubled-down in their scaremongering campaign and I guess it would be worse for Apple if they don’t respond. But don’t be fooled. The iPhone is within spec according to all other EU nations, all other countries in the world, and independent testing. This is nothing more than the French government trying to drum up fear.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LV426 Avatar
31 months ago

How does a software update fix radiation? Bit silly really. we may end up seeing performance throttling.
In this context, radiation means electromagnetic radiation (radio). The strength of the radio transmitter can be controlled by the operating system. If, over the years, the control mechanism has upped the strength of the radio output, I can't say I'm entirely surprised that it went unmissed.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)