Why you should install iOS 15.5 now | ZDNet

Apple released iOS 15.5 on Monday, and while we already knew what new features this release brought with it before it was released, there were a few things we didn’t know that have since become clear.

First, we have information on the security contents of the release.

This is a big pile of patches — over two dozen. To make matters more serious, quite a few of these can be triggered remotely, and some through malicious websites.

And while none of the patched vulnerabilities seem to be actively exploited by attackers at this time, it makes sense to get those installed as soon as possible so that you’re protected.

Better to be safe than sorry.

You can check out the security information for iOS 15.5 here, and for all Apple updates here.

Must read: Not seeing iOS updates? Check these settings

One of the reasons that people quote for not updating promptly is a worry that the update is going to cause more harm than good. While Apple certainly has had more than its fair share of flakey updates over the years, I’m happy to report that this doesn’t seem to be one of them.

The testing I’ve carried out suggests that battery life following this update is good — it’s certainly no worse than the previous update — and so there are no nasty shocks coming your way in this department.

I’ve also been testing performance, and overall usability, and again, nothing showstopping has unveiled itself. If anything, I feel like my iPhone is a little more responsive following this update, although such small changes are hard to measure.

On the benchmarking front, iOS 15.5 seems to be on par with iOS 15.4.1.

No better, but also no worse.

And that’s a win.

To check what version of iOS your device is running, tap on Settings > General, then on Software Update. Here you will not only be able to see what version of iOS your iPhone is running, but you can also download and install any updates you’ve missed.

And it doesn’t take long. On a half-decent internet connection, your iPhone will be done in under 30 minutes.

And it’s not just your iPhone that will need updating — there are also updates for iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, and macOS out the past few days.

So get busy updating!