iOS 15.1.1 fixes critical iPhone bug — update now

iphone 13 pro display on laying on desk
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

You might have noticed an update for your iPhone in the last day or so. Apple put out iOS 15.1.1, which addresses a critical bug for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13. What bug you ask? Since iOS 15.1 landed last month, some users have noticed calls dropping more often than they ought to. 

That's obviously not ideal, so iOS 15.1.1 is an important update to install ASAP. Most of our iPhone 13 units received the update last night, and I noticed it was quite substantial at 2.2GB on my iPhone 13 Pro Max. So just be sure you start the update process while you're comfortably in your home or office so you don't accidentally have an inoperable phone while it updates itself.

We're not sure what caused this call dropping bug, but since it only seems to have affected the iPhone 12 and 13 series, I'd wager it has something to do with 5G. Apple hasn't disclosed what exactly occurred, so my guess could be off.

If you've experienced this bug on your iPhone 12 or iPhone 13, be sure to update to iOS 15.1.1 as soon as you can, if you haven't already. Other iPhones — including the 6S and above — will still get the point version update, but we don't know if any of the non-5G devices benefit in any way. Apple just likes to have all supported devices on the same version, which we think is best.

Hopefully, iOS 15.1.1 doesn't introduce new bugs, because it can take a few weeks to address them. As we approach iOS 15.2, whenever that is, we'll keep our eyes out for the new features you can expect. If you're still discovering all of the new features, be sure to check out our iOS 15 review to get the lowdown on everything that's new for your iPhone.

And if you're on the lookout for great discounts, check out our iPhone 13 Black Friday deals page. 

Jordan Palmer
Phones Editor

Jordan is the Phones Editor for Tom's Guide, covering all things phone-related. He's written about phones for over six years and plans to continue for a long while to come. He loves nothing more than relaxing in his home with a book, game, or his latest personal writing project. Jordan likes finding new things to dive into, from books and games to new mechanical keyboard switches and fun keycap sets. Outside of work, you can find him poring over open-source software and his studies.