Here’s How Long the iOS 12.5.6 Update Takes

The iOS 12.5.6 update is a small point upgrade, but it could still take awhile to download, and install, on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

Apple’s iOS 12.5.6 update comes with a short list of changes for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch models left behind on the company’s iOS 12 operating system.

If you’re moving your device from iOS 12.5.5 to iOS 12.5.6 you’ll get the shortest change log and the smallest download size.

If you’re moving your phone or tablet from an older version of iOS, the list of changes on board iOS 12.5.6 could be much larger. You may also see a larger download size. That’s because the features from the updates you skipped are baked into your version of the update.

While some of you might want to hold off on downloading iOS 12.5.6, most people will probably want to upgrade today or sometime in the near future.

If you decide to install iOS 12.5.6 on your device you’ll want to set aside some time to get the job done. Moving from one version of iOS to another can cause problems so you’ll want to monitor the download and installation as they make progress.

We can’t tell you exactly how long it will take to download and install iOS 12.5.6 because the process will vary based on your current version of iOS and your device.

That said, we can help you approximate how much time you should set aside when you decide to download and install iOS 12.5.6 on your phone or tablet.

If you’ve prepared for the iOS 12.5.6 update and you’re connected to fast Wi-Fi, it should take less than 15 minutes to complete. If you haven’t prepared, it’ll take longer.

Pre-Installation

Before you initiate the iOS 12.5.6 download you’ll want to prepare yourself and your device. A few minutes of prep can prevent issues and headaches.

If you don’t know how to properly prepare for iOS updates, you’ll want to dig into our pre-installation guide for tips. It highlights what we typically do before we install an update of this size.

Most of you should be able to complete these steps in 30 minutes or less, but everything depends on your skill level and the current state of your device.

If you haven’t backed up your data or researched the changes on board the latest versions of iOS 12, the pre-installation process could take a lot longer.

You don’t need to follow every single step, but we definitely recommend making sure all of your important data is backed up before you start upgrading to iOS 12.5.6.

Data loss issues are rare these days, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

iOS 12.5.6 Download

Once you’re prepared, it’s time to start the iOS 12.5.6 download. Again, the exact download size will depend on your device and the current version of iOS.

If you’re currently running iOS 12.5.5 you’ll, again, see the smallest download size. It should be just a few megabytes for most models.

If you’re on a fast Wi-Fi network, the download could finish up in under five minutes. Our download took a little less than five minutes over a high-speed Wi-Fi connection.

If you’re running an older version of iOS, your download will be much bigger and it could take 10 minutes or more to download the firmware.

iOS 12.5.6 Installation

When your device is done pulling iOS 12.5.5 from Apple’s servers you’ll have to initiate the installation process. This will likely take longer than the download.

If you’re moving from iOS 12.5.5 to iOS 12.5.6, the installation might seven minutes or so to complete. If you’re moving from an older version of iOS, it could take a lot longer. The installation took about seven minutes to complete on an iPhone 5s.

If for some reason you’re moving from iOS 11 to iOS 12 for the first time, you can expect your installation to take even longer. Perhaps as long as 20-30 minutes.

Your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch might reboot itself once or twice as the installation process starts finishing up, but don’t be alarmed.

This is perfectly normal and your device will boot up normally once the installation finishes.

Post-Installation

After it’s finished, you might need to spend time setting up Apple Pay, logging into your iCloud account, or signing into your device’s various apps and services.

We recommend spending time checking your important data (photos, music, etc). Make sure everything is where it was before you installed iOS 12.5.6.

We also recommend testing your core apps and services to make sure they’re working normally. Major updates have a tendency to break some apps so you’ll want to poke around make sure they’re good. You might need to install an iOS 12 support update.

You’ll also want to be on the lookout for bugs and keep an eye on your device’s performance in key areas like battery life, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.

iOS updates aren’t supposed to ruin your device’s performance, but there’s always a chance something goes wrong. If you do run into an issue with iOS 12.5.6, take a look at our list of fixes for common iOS 12 problems.

Install iOS 12.5.6 for Better Security

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If you're on the fence, here's one of the best reasons to install iOS 12.5.6 right away. iOS 12.5.6 has a vital security patch on board and it will protect your device(s) from harm. If you want the details, head over to Apple's website. If you missed the iOS 12.5.5 update, it brought three security patches to your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. You can learn more about the trio on Apple's security site.  If you missed iOS 12.5.4, you'll get that update's important security upgrades with your iOS 12.5.6 update. If you're interested in the particulars, head on over to Apple's website for more. If you skipped iOS 12.5.3, you'll get its security patches with your upgrade. Both of its patches were related to WebKit. If you want to learn more about them, head on over to Apple's security site.  If you skipped iOS 12.5.2, you'll also get its security patch with your upgrade. You can read more about it over on Apple's website.  If you also skipped iOS 12.5, you'll also get its patch with your upgrade. Apple's outlined the update's patch in detail on its security site.  If you missed iOS 12.4.9, you'll also get its four security patches with your upgrade. You can read more about those right here.  If you skipped iOS 12.4.7, you also get the update's three security patches (two for the Mail app and one for Wi-Fi) with your upgrade to iOS 12.5.6. If you're running software that's older than Apple's iOS 12.4.4 update, you'll want to download iOS 12.5.6 in the near future because it brings iOS 12.4.4's security patch to your device. You can read about it right here. If you're running software older than iOS 12.4.2, you'll get an its patch with your upgrade. You can read about the security contents of iOS 12.4.2 right here.  If you're on software that's older than iOS 12.4.1, you'll get iOS 12.4.1's security patch with your iOS 12.5.6 update. You can read about that patch right here.  If you're on software that's older than iOS 12.4, you get iOS 12.4's patches with your iOS 12.5.6 update.  iOS 12.4 brought 19 security patches to the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. If you're interested in the specifics, you can read about them on Apple's security site.  If you're running software older than iOS 12.3, your iOS 12.5.6 update carries iOS 12.3's security patches on board. The iOS 12.3 update brought 23 patches and you can read about all of them right here on Apple's site.  If you're on software that's older than iOS 12.2, you'll get iOS 12.2's security patches with your version of iOS 12.5.6. iOS 12.2 brought a whopping 41 security patches to iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. You can read more about the iOS 12.2's patches over on the company's website.  It's important to note that Apple's iOS 12.2 update patched up an exploit that allowed websites to use motion sensors to "fingerprint" devices. The exploit, discovered by researchers in Europe, uses JavaScript to snag data from a device's accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer when the user visits an infected website. If the attack is successful, a device can be tracked around the internet.  Fortunately, Apple's patched up the issue. If you skipped it, you'll probably want to move to iOS 12.5.6 soon. If you're on software older than iOS 12.1.4, you get four important security patches including fixes for a widespread FaceTime eavesdropping bug that lets you call someone via FaceTime and hear the audio coming from their phone before they pick up the phone. If you're on software older than iOS 12.1.3, you get some additional patches with your version of iOS 12.5.6. Again, they're baked into your upgrade. Apple lists a grand total of 23 patches on board iOS 12.1.3 and you can read about all of them over on Apple's website.  If you're on software older than iOS 12.1.1, you should install the iOS 12.5.6 update on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch today.  The iOS 12.1.1 update brought 17 patches for potential security exploits. They'll will help protect your phone. You can read about them here. If you're running software older than iOS 12.1, you'll get 24 patches from that update with your version of iOS 12.5.5. If you're on software that's older than iOS 12.0.1, your iOS 12.5.6 update brings two additional patches. Both patches are for potential lock screen exploits. Long story long, if you store sensitive data on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, you have some really good reasons to upgrade to iOS 12.5.6 today.

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