5 Things to Know About the iOS 16.4.1 Update

5 Things to Know About the iOS 16.4.1 Update is a post by Adam Mills from Gotta Be Mobile.

Apple’s pushed a new iOS 16.4.1 update to iPhone and the software is a small upgrade aimed at patching up problems with the operating system.

iOS 16.4.1 is a point release which means it’s focused on improving iOS 16. It doesn’t have any known features on board and it’s much smaller than the previous version of iOS 16.

With that in mind, we want to walk you through everything you need to know right now about Apple’s iOS 16.4.1 software for iPhone.

Table of Contents

In the walkthrough below we’ll take you through iOS 16.4.1’s changes, the software’s early performance, the current list of iOS 16.4.1 problems, the iOS 16 jailbreak status, and more. We’ll start with some quick thoughts on iOS 16.4.1’s performance.

iOS 16.4.1 Review

If your iPhone’s currently running iOS 16.4, you’ll see the smallest iOS 16.4.1 download size. Unless you’re really low on storage, you won’t have to make room for the download.

The iOS 16.4.1 download size depends on your iPhone model and the version of iOS it’s currently running. If your iPhone is running a really old version of iOS, you may see a bigger download because iOS 16.4.1 update includes the changes from updates you skipped.

If you’re moving up from iOS 16.4, the iOS 16.4.1 installation process should take around 10 minutes to complete. It took about eight minutes to install on an iPhone 12 Pro.

We’ve been using iOS 16.4.1 on an iPhone 12 Pro for a very short time and here’s what we’ve learned about the software’s performance thus far:

Connectivity

iOS 16.4.1 battery life is stable.
Wi-Fi connectivity is fast and reliable.
Bluetooth is working normally.
GPS and cellular data are working properly.

App Performance

Third-party apps including Netflix, Twitter, Slack, Gmail, Chrome, and Spotify are all working fine at the moment.
First party apps like Safari, Podcasts, and Calendar are also running properly.

Speed

iOS 16.4.1 feels fast and we haven’t run into any abnormal lag, lockups, or freezes.

If you’re dealing with bugs and/or performance issues on iOS 16.4, or an older version of iOS, you might want to install the iOS 16.4.1 update on your iPhone today.

If you need help making a decision, check out our reasons to, and not to, install the latest version of iOS 16 right now.

iOS 16.4.1 Problems

iOS 16.4.1 is already causing problems for some iPhone users. Some problems are brand new, others have carried over from older versions of iOS like iOS 16.4.

The current list of iOS 16.4.1 problems includes abnormal battery drain, Bluetooth issues, Wi-Fi issues, installation issues, Exchange issues, problems with first and third-party apps, and more.

If you run into a problem with iOS 16.4.1, have a look at our list of fixes for the most common iOS 16 problems. We’ve also released tips that could help you improve your phone’s performance and some tips that could help fix bad battery life.

Apple’s currently signing on iOS 16.4 and iOS 16.3.1 which means you can drop your iPhone’s software back to one or the other if iOS 16.4.1 starts causing problems on your iPhone. You can’t downgrade to anything older than iOS 16.3.1.

For more on the downgrade process, check out our guide.

iOS 16.4.1 Features

Apple’s point updates (x.x.x) are typically focused on patching up problems and that’s exactly what iOS 16.4.1 aims to do. Here’s the full list of changes straight from the iOS 16.4.1 update’s change log:

Fixes an issue where the pushing hands emoji does not show skin tone variations.
Fixes an issue where Siri does not respond in some cases.

iOS 16.4.1 also includes two security patches and you can read about the pair in detail over on Apple’s security site.

iOS 16.4.1 Jailbreak

If you still jailbreak, make sure you avoid the iOS 16.4.1 update.

Developers have released a new jailbreak that works with iOS 15.0-iOS 16.2. Unfortunately, the jailbreak doesn’t work with iOS 16.4 and it’s only compatible with the iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus.

We’ll let you know if that changes.

What’s Next

Apple’s working on a new iOS 16.5 update and the software is currently in beta testing ahead of a release later this year. We expect the release to come sometime in May.

For more about the iOS 16.5 update and the beta, have a look at our walkthrough. For more about the iOS 16.5 release date, check out our guide.

Apple will also release iOS 17 for iPhone later this year and we expect the first beta to drop in early June. For more about iOS 17, have a look at our guide.

4 Reasons Not to Install iOS 16.4.1 & 11 Reasons You Should

Install iOS 16.4.1 for Better Security

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If security is important to you, think about installing Apple's iOS 16.4.1 update on your iPhone right away.

iOS 16.4.1 includes two security upgrades and they're important if you want to keep your iPhone protected from harm. You can learn more about the pair here.

As for older software, Apple's iOS 16.4 update had a substantial number of patches on board. You can read about them in detail over on Apple's security site.

The iOS 16.3.1 update had three security patches on board including one for an actively exploited vulnerability. For more on the security contents of iOS 16.3.1, check out Apple's security page.

iOS 16.3 brought 10+ new security patches with it and you can learn more about all of those right here.

In addition, the software came with support for physical security keys for Apple ID. These will beef up your account security by requiring a physical security key as part of the two factor authentication sign in process. Learn more about the change right here.

If you skipped iOS 16.2, you'll get its changes with iOS 16.4.1. iOS 16.2 brought a ton of important security patches with it and you can dig into the details on Apple's security site.

The update also brought end-to-end encryption to iCloud, iMessage, iPhone backups, Notes, Photos, and more. If you want to learn more about it, head over to Apple's guide.

If you decided to missed iOS 16.1.2, you'll get its solitary security patch with your upgrade. Learn more about it right here.

If you skipped iOS 16.1.1, you'll get its security patches when you upgrade. You can learn more about them right here.

If you missed the iOS 16.1 update, it brought 19 security patches to the iPhone and you can learn about the particulars of those over on Apple's website.

If you failed to download iOS 16.0.3, it had one security patch on board, a fix for a potential exploit within the Mail app. For more about the fix, check out Apple's security site.

If you're still running iOS 15 your iPhone, you'll get a bunch of other patches when you upgrade.

iOS 16.0 brought a ton of security patches to the iPhone. If you're interested in the exact nature of these improvements, you can read about them over on Apple's security website.

In addition to those patches, iOS 16 brings some additional enhancements to privacy and security including Safety Check which, according to Apple, will help "people in domestic or intimate partner violence situations review and reset the access they’ve granted others."

The feature also resets system privacy permissions for apps and restricts Messages and FaceTime to the device on hand.

Apple's also made some improvements to Passkeys in Safari. iOS 16 brings a brand new sign-in method that's end-to-end encrypted and safe from phishing and data leaks.