Thus, this update, though insignificant, is relevant to keep the essential services like iMessage and FaceTime operational.

Apple has unexpectedly released updates for some versions of iOS which are more than 10 years old, including iOS 12 and iOS 15.

These updates do not add new features or fix security flaws in the traditional sense, instead, they update the security certificates that allow iMessage, FaceTime, and Apple account sign-ins to continue functioning past January 2027.

A similar update was also released for iOS 18.7.4, which is unsurprising given that iOS 18 is still actively maintained on devices such as the iPhone XS and iPhone XR - however, Apple’s patching seems to have a gap. iOS 16 received a recent update, but it does not mention certificate renewal, and no equivalent patch exists for devices stuck on iOS 17.