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Apple has surprised long-time users by releasing an update for older iPhones, keeping them functional nearly a decade after launch. Alongside iOS 26.2.1, the company rolled out iOS 12.5.8 for devices still running iOS 12, eight years after the original release.
The update is available for the iPhone 5s and iPhone 6, extending support for these models 13 and 12 years after their debut. The iPhone 5s launched in September 2013, while the iPhone 6 arrived in September 2014. With iOS 12.5.8, Apple ensures essential features like iMessage, FaceTime, and device activation continue to work beyond January 2027.
Apple’s release notes confirm the update extends the certificate required for these functions. Without it, some certificate-limited features would have stopped working once the certificate expired. Now, users of the older iPhones can continue using core features for years to come.
Before this, the iPhone 5s and iPhone 6 last received software updates in January 2023, when Apple addressed critical security issues. While Apple promises at least five years of security updates for every iPhone, it often provides fixes well beyond that period.
For comparison, the iPhone 6s, released 11 years ago, received a security update as recently as September 2025 with iOS 15.8.5. Today, it also received the iOS 15.8.6 update, which adds the same certificate extension as the older models.
Along with these updates, Apple also released new versions of iOS 18 and iOS 16, keeping current devices up to date while supporting its oldest iPhones.
