Why a 13-Year-Old iPhone Just Got an Update

Apple released several updates on Monday, but most of them delivered only minor bug fixes and added support for the new AirTag.

There was, however, one notable exception: iOS 12.5.8 was also released. This is not a typo—it is indeed an update for a major iOS version that originally launched in September 2012. This system remains the final supported release for the 12- and 13-year-old iPhone 5s and iPhone 6.

The update introduces no new features, and the sleek, glassy interface of iOS 26 has not been brought to these near museum-piece devices. Instead, the sole purpose of this release is to ensure that essential services such as iMessage and FaceTime continue to function. In fact, even device activation now depends on this update.

The original security certificates required for these services were set to expire in January 2027, but this update extends that deadline. For how long remains unclear—but Apple has acted in time.

As MacRumors notes, the last time the iPhone 5s and iPhone 6 received an update was in January 2023, when Apple released security patches for the devices.

If you still use one of these phones, it may be worth installing the update to ensure it remains usable in the future—if only for nostalgia’s sake.