A software program replace designed to stop points with older iPhones connecting to Triple Zero is stopping some Apple units from reaching Telstra’s community, together with for emergency calls.
Issues started after Apple launched software program updates for a number of of its iPhone and mobile Apple Watch fashions on Tuesday, which included units as outdated as 2014’s iPhone 6.
The updates have been designed to stop points with calls to emergency companies, and included different bug fixes.
Tesltra introduced on Wednesday it was investigating “a difficulty stopping some older Apple units from connecting to our community, together with calls to 000”.
Probably impacted units included the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X, when up to date to Apple’s newly launched iOS 16.7.13 software program, in accordance with Telstra.
Delay updates
The telecommunications big mentioned it was working with Apple and advisable prospects delay making use of software program updates on their units.
Apple on Wednesday pulled the software program updates it had launched for its older units, which included iOS 16.7.13, in addition to iOS 18.7.4, iOS 15.8.6, and iOS 12.5.8.
Telstra introduced simply earlier than noon AEDT on Thursday that Apple had “recognized a repair”, which might be launched in an upcoming software program replace.
Apple didn’t reply by deadline to a request for remark.
Each Optus and TPG mentioned their respective networks weren’t affected by the difficulty.
Camp-on delays
Apple inspired customers with an iPhone 12 or older to replace their software program earlier this week, to stop “the uncommon occasion” through which some older units could also be unable to contact emergency companies via various networks if their standard one will not be out there — a course of referred to as ‘tenting on’.
Camp-on points occurred throughout a deadly Optus Triple Zero outage in September 2025, and comparable points occurred with older Samsung units which required updating or changing.
The Western Australia Police Drive mentioned on Wednesday it had recognized “some telephone customers might expertise a 20 to 30 second delay when dialling triple-0″, earlier than it was knowledgeable by Telstra that some older iPhones have been experiencing points.
In a Thursday morning replace relating to the difficulty with sure iPhone fashions, Telstra informed prospects, “It will possibly take a while (eg. one minute) for the impacted machine to hook up with the choice cellular community when one is offered.”
An impartial overview of Optus’s September Triple Zero outage discovered units might take 40 to 60 seconds to attach to Triple Zero when ‘tenting on’, and urged Optus to tell prospects about this.
The overview discovered “individuals are unlikely to hold on for this size of time, particularly when the one response they’re getting is silence on the road”, and pushed for higher business collaboration to deal with the difficulty.
“This delay is one thing that prospects in any respect telecommunications firms needs to be knowledgeable about,” report writer Kerry Schott wrote.
Carol Bennett, CEO of the height shopper advocacy group for the communications business, ACCAN, mentioned it was “enormously regarding” that emergency camp-on calls typically took as much as a minute to attach.
“A minute is a very long time for somebody calling emergency companies, who might be in misery,” she mentioned.
“The [Triple Zero] Custodian and the continuing Senate inquiry into Triple Zero service outages ought to take an in depth take a look at this subject.”
Apple had urged customers of older iPhones to replace their units earlier this week. Picture: Tom Williams / Data Age
Customers informed older iPhones ‘not affected’
Apple’s iOS 26.2 software program replace in December 2025 included a repair for iPhone 12 fashions to stop them from operating into a difficulty connecting to Triple Zero.
Whereas Apple didn’t specify what that subject was, Australian telcos mentioned testing had proven iPhone 12 units might not be capable to camp-on to various networks.
Apple explicitly said on the time that older fashions the iPhone XS, iPhone XR, and iPhone 11 — in addition to iPhone 13 and newer — have been “not affected” by this subject.
The corporate’s stance on which fashions have been affected appeared to vary when it launched its newest software program updates this week.
The tech big informed customers of units from the iPhone 12 to the iPhone 6 their telephones “is likely to be impacted by this community subject”, and so they have been “inspired to replace” their units to the most recent software program model.
The affected iPhone fashions have been:
- iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus
- iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus
- iPhone SE (1st era)
- iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus
- iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus
- iPhone X
- iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max
- iPhone XR
- iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Professional, iPhone 11 Professional Max
- iPhone SE (2nd era)
- iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Professional, iPhone 12 Professional Max
Apple didn’t reply by deadline to a request for touch upon the expertise of customers of older iPhones who had been urged to replace their units on Tuesday, just for these updates to be pulled on Wednesday.
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