iOS 16.1.2 is now live for iPhones and it brings some key updates according to Apple’s notes (opens in new tab). This includes “improved compatibility with wireless carriers” and “Crash Detection optimizations on iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro.”
Crash Detection is one of Apple’s new and notable safety features introduced this year with the iPhone 14 series. The feature is supposed to activate Emergency SOS and alert emergency services in case you’ve been in a car crash. But many users have reported that the feature has been set off inadvertently on roller coaster rides and now, even while skiing.
There have been multiple reports of Crash Detection getting activated at amusement parks. But now, ski resorts in Utah have suddenly seen an uptick in activating emergency services without a crash. Summit County dispatchers in Utah see three to five emergency calls from Apple devices per day, and so far, none have been activated on purpose. Reddit users (opens in new tab) also reported that skiing can trigger a crash false alarm and in fact, some reported that even at a moderate pace down a slope, the feature was set off.
But it looks like Apple could finally fix this Crash Detection glitch with the new update, although the company does not specifically mention it.
Apple’s notes only mention Crash Detection “optimization” but hopefully it includes fixing this aspect of the safety feature.
Recently iOS 16.2 beta added a way to report accidental Emergency SOS activations as well. This will be the next major update to iOS 16 after iOS 16.1 and is expected to launch in December. iOS 16.2 will also bring a new Freeform whiteboard app, a revamped HomeKit architecture, lock screen widgets for sleep and medication tracking and Live Activities updates as well.
To download the latest version of iOS, open “Settings” on your iPhone, tap on “General” and then on “Software Update” and next on “Download and Install.”
Check out some of our other iOS tutorials like how to set up Medications on your iPhone in iOS 16 or how to find your iPhone’s download folder and how to turn on the Clean Energy Charging feature added with the iOS 16.1 update. We’ve got an iOS 16 features guide that can help you get more out of Apple’s latest software update for iPhones.