iPhone users not on iOS 16.1 can now update their handset to iOS 15.7.1. Apple says it “provides important security updates.” It closes almost 20 security holes in the OS.
There’s also iPadOS 15.7.1 that does the same for iPad.
iOS 15.7.1 is here for to close security holes
Apple doesn’t abandon older versions of its operating systems when new ones come out. It keeps fixing security problems in them for years. It recently patched a dangerous security hole in iOS 12, for example.
iOS 16.1 and iPadOS 16.1 launched this week, but that didn’t deter the release of iOS 15.7.1 and the iPad equivalent. They contain no new features, of course, as the official release notes for the iPhone version simply state that, “This update provides important security updates and is recommended for all users.”
But the new versions include a lengthy list of security fixes – 17 of them. There are five in the Kernel, and the rest are scattered around the OS, from FaceTime to Wi-Fi.
iOS 15.7.1 is primarily aimed at those still packing an iPhone 6S or iPhone 7 series that can’t upgrade past iOS 15.x. Anyone running iOS 16.1 or iPadOS 16.1 already has these fixes.
Get these iOS and iPadOS updates now
iPhone and iPad users can install iOS 15.7.1 or iPadOS 15.7.1 with an over-the-air update.That’s accomplished by opening the Settings app and going to General > Software Update. Alternatively, connect the device to a Mac, or to a PC running iTunes.
