Resolved Is iOS 16 still supported?

[bogdanw]

iOS 16.7.3 released for devices that don't support iOS 17, with fixes for CVE-2023-42917 and CVE-2023-42916 https://support.apple.com/HT214034
Between 30 November 2023 and 11 December 2023, Apple left iOS users that can not upgrade to iOS 17 with actively exploited vulnerabilities in their devices.

 

[Dylan33x]

Yes, they are nudging the iOS 17 update at the moment.

I am again pretty pissed amgered by Apples actions. I had iOS updates and download settings disabled on all my family devices - I just enabled security related updates.

They reset this setting to factory with iOS 17.1.1 and pushed it with hourly popups for installation with a nudigng second screen to do it later on.

My daughter got caugjt and updated because of this. Battery live and performance tanked on her iPad.

What model iPad? I don’t doubt it, just curious.

 

[Dylan33x]

iOS 16.7.3 released for devices that don't support iOS 17, with fixes for CVE-2023-42917 and CVE-2023-42916 https://support.apple.com/HT214034
Between 30 November 2023 and 11 December 2023, Apple left iOS users that can not upgrade to iOS 17 with actively exploited vulnerabilities in their devices.

Oddly enough, check this out

 

[bogdanw]

Oddly enough, check this out

It doesn't say that iOS 16.7.3 is available for iPhone 8 and later. The fixes for the vulnerabilities are available for those models, but in different versions of iOS.
iPhone X, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus get the fixes in iOS 16.7.3. Other models, like my iPhone SE 2, get them in iOS 17.2.

 

[GoofyCyborg]

It doesn't say that iOS 16.7.3 is available for iPhone 8 and later.

Yes it does!

1. Name and Information link: iOS 16.7.3 iPadOS 16.7.3
2. Available for: iPhone 8 or later, iPad Pro (all models)...

Clearly a mistake though.

 

[bogdanw]

Yes it does!

1. Name and Information link: iOS 16.7.3 iPadOS 16.7.3
2. Available for: iPhone 8 or later, iPad Pro (all models)...

Clearly a mistake though.

Just bad copy-paste It's not the first time in Apple's release notes.

 

[imagineadam]

I have the tvOS beta profile installed on my 14 pro to avoid the update notifications for iOS 17… do you think anything weird will happen to my phone tomorrow since this certificate is due to expire?

 

[bogdanw]

I have the tvOS beta profile installed on my 14 pro to avoid the update notifications for iOS 17… do you think anything weird will happen to my phone tomorrow since this certificate is due to expire?

I don’t think so, make sure you have automatic updates turned off.

When I was using iOS 16.7.2, I was able to get rid of the notification by switching to iOS 16 public or developer beta from the iOS menu. But I don’t remember exactly if I was signed into Apple ID or not.

After the release of iOS 16.7.3, I have updated my iPhone to iOS 17.2

 

[Reverend Benny]

I have the tvOS beta profile installed on my 14 pro to avoid the update notifications for iOS 17… do you think anything weird will happen to my phone tomorrow since this certificate is due to expire?

Just curious, tvOS on an iPhone? And why are the update notifications an issue?
Or are you a software developer testing stuff on different OS versions or something similar?

 

[bogdanw]

Just curious, tvOS on an iPhone?

tvOS profiles are used on iOS to hide OTA updates, so you don't see the red notification on the Settings icon.
I used iCareFone last year https://www.tenorshare.com/iphone-tips/how-to-block-ios-updates.html

 

[ios3]

After the release of iOS 16.7.3, I have updated my iPhone to iOS 17.2

How are you finding iOS 17.2 so far? Are you experiencing the bugs that are listed in the iOS 17 forums?

 

[bogdanw]

How are you finding iOS 17.2 so far? Are you experiencing the bugs that are listed in the iOS 17 forums?

So far, I had only minor issues. Notifications for Yahoo Mail were not working, I fixed them by turning them off and on again a few times from inside the app, not from iOS settings. An app that was working in iOS 16 is now unusable, it closes itself when accessing menus. As it’s WebKit based and hasn’t been updated in more than 3 years, I would say it’s the developer’s fault, not iOS 17 to blame.

But I don’t think my experience is relevant for the vast majority of iOS users. I made a clean install: erased my iPhone, use Apple Configurator to install the full ipsw, set up the phone as new.

 

[bogdanw]

Apple has fixed the description for iOS 16.7.3 and iOS 16.7.4, it no longer says “and later”
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201222
"iOS 16.7.3 and iPadOS 16.7.3
iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPad 5th generation, iPad Pro 9.7-inch, and iPad Pro 12.9-inch 1st generation"

"iOS 16.7.4 and iPadOS 16.7.4
iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPad 5th generation, iPad Pro 9.7-inch, and iPad Pro 12.9-inch 1st generation"

 

[Reverend Benny]

So are we just guessing here or are 16.7.4 not offered to Iphone users on iOS 16 that can upgrade to 17?

 

[ios3]

So are we just guessing here or are 16.7.4 not offered to Iphone users on iOS 16 that can upgrade to 17?

I would assume not since we didn't get 16.7.3.

It seems around the .2 release of the current iOS that Apple stops supporting the old iOS on newer devices.

 

[bogdanw]

So are we just guessing here or are 16.7.4 not offered to Iphone users on iOS 16 that can upgrade to 17?

We are guessing because Apple doesn’t consider it should inform its customers about this.

But it’s an educated guess, based on what happened last year with iOS 15 and the currently updated release notes.

 

[chrfr]

So are we just guessing here or are 16.7.4 not offered to Iphone users on iOS 16 that can upgrade to 17?

The security notes above your post are the indication that devices which can run iOS 17 will no longer get any iOS 16 updates. Users who have devices which are not iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPad 5th generation, iPad Pro 9.7-inch, and iPad Pro 12.9-inch 1st generation and who wish to apply any security updates will need to move to 17.

 

[Reverend Benny]

We are guessing because Apple doesn’t consider it should inform its customers about this.

But it’s an educated guess, based on what happened last year with iOS 15 and the currently updated release notes.

Will have a look at some of my family's devices when I meet them for christmas, dealing with IT issues, updating devices and telling them "NO, ITS NOT A GOOD THING TO HAVE THE SAME PASSWORD EVERYWHERE" is part of the tradition.
I'm pretty convinced some of them will be on iOS 16 on iOS 17 enabled devices.

 

[FeliApple]

Will have a look at some of my family's devices when I meet them for christmas, dealing with IT issues, updating devices and telling them "NO, ITS NOT A GOOD THING TO HAVE THE SAME PASSWORD EVERYWHERE" is part of the tradition.
I'm pretty convinced some of them will be on iOS 16 on iOS 17 enabled devices.

I just find it a little funny that I instruct my family to do exactly the opposite: nobody in my immediate family has iOS 17 on an iOS 17-compatible device. In fact, nobody has iOS 16, myself included. The newest iOS version we have is iOS 15, among several iOS (or iPadOS) 17-compatible devices.

 

[FeliApple]

I would assume not since we didn't get 16.7.3.

It seems around the .2 release of the current iOS that Apple stops supporting the old iOS on newer devices.

It’s been a while since my iPad Air 5 saw iPadOS 16 as an option IIRC. I’ll have to double-check and I can’t right now, but I think it only offers iPadOS 17.2.1 (from iPadOS 15).

Funnily enough, my iPhone Xʀ allows... nothing:

 

[bogdanw]

Funnily enough, my iPhone Xʀ allows... nothing:

It appears to be in Low Power Mode, maybe that's why it doesn't allow Download and Install.

"Use Low Power Mode to save battery life on your iPhone or iPad" https://support.apple.com/HT205234

 

[FeliApple]

It appears to be in Low Power Mode, maybe that's why it doesn't allow Download and Install.

"Use Low Power Mode to save battery life on your iPhone or iPad" https://support.apple.com/HT205234

It doesn’t allow it because it’s on iOS 12, too old. I’m not updating though, ever!

 

[Reverend Benny]

Seems like you are right on the iOS/iPadOS 17 only route for iOS/iPad 17 enabled devices.
Now, I can’t verify iOS but since iPadOS are pretty much the same i’d guess its the same.

My family are all on auto update and the iPhone devices that can runt iOS 17 had been automatically updates to iOS 17.1.2.
The iPad 9 was still on 16.6.1, couldn’t see an option for iPad OS 16.7 or any later so had to update it to 17.2.
The iPad Pro was on 16.7, so applied 16.7.4

Now, it anlways turns into a guessing game asking the family what they have done, if they have updated on purpose or what notifications they have acted on. But most likely they haven’t done anything, the result above is a result of automatic updates.

 

[FeliApple]

Seems like you are right on the iOS/iPadOS 17 only route for iOS/iPad 17 enabled devices.
Now, I can’t verify iOS but since iPadOS are pretty much the same i’d guess its the same.

My family are all on auto update and the iPhone devices that can runt iOS 17 had been automatically updates to iOS 17.1.2.
The iPad 9 was still on 16.6.1, couldn’t see an option for iPad OS 16.7 or any later so had to update it to 17.2.
The iPad Pro was on 16.7, so applied 16.7.4

Now, it anlways turns into a guessing game asking the family what they have done, if they have updated on purpose or what notifications they have acted on. But most likely they haven’t done anything, the result above is a result of automatic updates.

Keeping automatic updates on is a sure-fire way of obliterating every iOS device they have with 100% certainty of the result.

 

[FeliApple]

I would assume not since we didn't get 16.7.3.

It seems around the .2 release of the current iOS that Apple stops supporting the old iOS on newer devices.

I can confirm that my iPad Air 5 on iPadOS 15 doesn’t see iPadOS 16 anymore. It only offers the latest version of iPadOS 17 now.