Apple Releases iOS 17.6.1 With Advanced Data Protection Bug Fix

Apple today released iOS 17.6.1 and iPadOS 17.6.1, minor updates to the iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 operating system updates that came out last year. Apple is making iOS 17.6.1 and iPadOS 17.6.1 available a week after the launch of iOS 17.6 and iPadOS 17.6.

iOS 17
iOS 17.6.1 and iPadOS 17.6.1 can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple has also released an iOS 16.7.10 update for devices that are unable to be upgraded to iOS 17.

According to Apple's release notes, the iOS 17.6.1 update addresses an issue that could prevent the enabling or disabling of Advanced Data Protection.

This update includes important bug fixes and addresses an issue that prevents enabling or disabling Advanced Data Protection.

The Advanced Data Protection bug impacted a small number of users. Those who tried to turn Advanced Data Protection on and weren't able to get it enabled saw an error message and it was clear it wasn't active. Affected users who tried to turn it off saw it disabled in the interface, though it was actually still active for iCloud data.

Both of those bugs have been fixed in the update. iPhone users who had the bug that prevented Advanced Data Protection from properly turning off will see a notification that asks them to confirm the decision to turn the feature off after installing iOS 17.6.1. Apple says that the few users who experienced this bug had an expected level of security or more, in the situation where ADP did not turn off as expected.

Related Forums: iOS 17, iPadOS 17

Popular Stories

iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
duolingo ad live activity

Duolingo Used iPhone's Dynamic Island to Display Ads, Violating Apple Design Guidelines

Friday January 2, 2026 1:36 pm PST by
Language learning app Duolingo has apparently been using the iPhone's Live Activity feature to display ads on the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island, which violates Apple's design guidelines. According to multiple reports on Reddit, the Duolingo app has been displaying an ad for a "Super offer," which is Duolingo's paid subscription option. Apple's guidelines for Live Activity state that...
Clicks Communicator Feature

'Clicks Communicator' Unveiled — Will You Carry This With Your iPhone?

Friday January 2, 2026 6:35 am PST by
The company behind the BlackBerry-like Clicks Keyboard accessory for the iPhone today unveiled a new Android 16 smartphone called the Clicks Communicator. The purpose-built device is designed to be used as a second phone alongside your iPhone, with the intended focus being communication over content consumption. It runs a custom Android launcher that offers a curated selection of messaging...
Low Cost MacBook Feature A18 Pro

Low-Price 12.9-Inch MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Reportedly Launching Early This Year

Friday January 2, 2026 9:08 am PST by
Apple plans to introduce a 12.9-inch MacBook in spring 2026, according to TrendForce. In a press release this week, the Taiwanese research firm said this MacBook will be aimed at the entry-level to mid-range market, with "competitive pricing." TrendForce did not share any further details about this MacBook, but the information that it shared lines up with several rumors about a more...
Low Cost A18 Pro MacBook Feature Pink

Apple's 2026 Low-Cost A18 Pro MacBook: What We Know So Far

Friday January 2, 2026 4:33 pm PST by
Apple is planning to release a low-cost MacBook in 2026, which will apparently compete with more affordable Chromebooks and Windows PCs. Apple's most affordable Mac right now is the $999 MacBook Air, and the upcoming low-cost MacBook is expected to be cheaper. Here's what we know about the low-cost MacBook so far. Size Rumors suggest the low-cost MacBook will have a display that's around 13 ...
Apple Fitness Plus hero

Apple Announces New Fitness+ Workout Programs, Strava Challenge, and More

Friday January 2, 2026 6:43 am PST by
Apple today announced a number of updates to Apple Fitness+ and activity with the Apple Watch. The key announcements include: New Year limited-edition award: Users can win the award by closing all three Activity Rings for seven days in a row in January. "Quit Quitting" Strava challenge: Available in Strava throughout January, users who log 12 workouts anytime in the month will win an ...
Mac Pro Feature Blue

What's Happening With the Mac Pro?

Wednesday December 31, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Mac Pro since 2023, and according to recent rumors, there's no update coming in the near future. In fact, Apple might be finished with the Mac Pro. Bloomberg recently said that the Mac Pro is "on the back burner" and has been "largely written off" by Apple. Apple apparently views the more compact Mac Studio as the ideal high-end pro-level desktop, and it has almost...

Top Rated Comments

Account25476 Avatar
19 months ago
One week after iOS 17.6 and four betas later… If the bugs were so important, it’s surprising they weren’t noticed during the last 2 months and half. If it was just a security fix, well, they invented Rapid Security Responses for that. Maybe they forgot about it.

Either way, I don’t get it.⬤
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Reverend Benny Avatar
19 months ago
I just wish Apple would give a bit more details than the regular (like many other companies do) "important bugfixes".
Glad they haven't jumped on the hype to add pointless info like "contains sunshine and love".

Will be interesting to see if there are any CVE's listed..
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ifxf Avatar
19 months ago
I guess Apple has abandoned Rapid Security Response.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
xpxp2002 Avatar
19 months ago

One week after iOS 17.6 and four betas later… If the bugs were so important, it’s surprising they weren’t noticed during the last 2 months and half. If it was just a security fix, well, they invented Rapid Security Responses for that. Maybe they forgot about it.

Either way, I don’t get it.⬤
I gotta be honest. I don't think releases like 17.6 get much beta feedback or testing compared to builds that come out before the next major OS betas.

There is very little in iOS 18 that appeals to me, but so little to change between 17.5.1 and 17.6, that I almost considered briefly hopping on the beta bandwagon to get the bug fix for iCloud Tabs in Safari.

Other than that, I can understand why nobody was running the betas. They were either already on iOS 18 or holding off entirely.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dapsol Avatar
19 months ago

Their focus is on the next big iOS, so the risk of a lower quality release in the existing software seems higher.
The risk is much lower, because these bugfix releases only modify a tiny little bit of code, compared to the “major” versions with new features…
So the impact is minimal.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JosephAW Avatar
19 months ago
I always feel more safe after the .1 updates. :p
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)