Apple’s latest slate of updates — iOS and iPadOS 15.6, macOS 12.5, watchOS 8.7, and tvOS 15.6 — are starting to show up for some users. Given the next versions of the OSes are likely due out in a few short months (and beta testers are already using them), it’s not a surprise that Wednesday’s updates are all relatively light on features. According to the release notes, here’s what’s new:
- iOS and iPad OS 15.6 adds the ability to pause, rewind, restart, and fast forward a live sports game in the TV app and fixes a few bugs in Settings, Mail, and Safari
- macOS 12.5 also gets the update to the TV app and a bug fix for Safari
- watchOS 8.7 “includes improvements, bug fixes, and important security updates”
- tvOS 15.6 “includes general performance and stability improvements”
The updates also include a laundry list of security updates, some of which patch relatively scary-sounding problems. While Apple doesn’t mention that any of the issues have been actively exploited like it has in the past, it’s probably still a good idea to get all your devices up to date as soon as you can.
iOS 15.6 could be the beginning of the end for this version of the OS
The elephant in the room for these releases is a familiar one: as with any updates that come out after WWDC, it’s very possible they could be the last releases before the next version. While we could see a few more minor updates just to fix bugs, I’d be very surprised if we see new point releases like iOS 15.7 or macOS 12.6. For people still using an iPhone 6S, 7, or first-gen SE, this could be one of the last updates you ever receive for that device — Apple isn’t supporting them on iOS 16.
You can download iOS or iPadOS 15.6 by going to Settings > General > Software Update.
You can download macOS 12.5 by going to the Apple Menu > System Preferences > Software Update.
Your Apple TV and Watch will likely automatically update. If not, you can manually update by following Apple’s instructions, which you can find here for tvOS and here for watchOS.
It can take a while for the updates to become available for everyone, so if you don’t see them, just check back on the screen in an hour or two.
