iOS 15.6 Problems, Issues? Should I Update? New Features?
Last updated on August 3rd, 2022 at 06:26 pm
Posted in News by Patricia on July 27, 2022
iOS 15.6 update
Apple has released iOS 15.6 build number 19G71. It comes with enhancements, bug fixes and security updates. However, new versions can also include fresh issues and iOS 15.6 problems reported are pilling up! Check our extended review and contribute with your own feedback.
iOS 15.6 Problems
New issues spotted in this release are listed below:
- Battery drain issue has been reported by Dejan “iOS 15.6 extreme battery drain.
With normal use for 4 hours, 30% less battery.”Update: Similar battery draining problems have been reported by Jack, and Gaurav.
Important: iPhone will reindex data after an iOS update. Accentuated battery drain for the first 24 hours after the update isn’t uncommon. If this issue continues after a couple of days, a battery draining issue can be invoked.
Tip: If you also feel that iOS 15.6 is draining iPhone battery faster than iOS 15.5, please report it in the comments. Also, check out the troubleshooting options provided here.
- Storage full bug still occurring according to reports by Linda and Mike. iPhone still claiming that the storage is full although there’s capacity available on the device.
- SIM Card not recognized after iOS 15.6 update for Andrew (iPhone 6S), SMA (iPhone 11), Simon (iPhone 12 Pro), Yazer (iPhone 7) and others.
Fact: We got so many reports regarding this iOS 15.6 problem and decided to write a separate article dedicated to it. Please check it out here: SIM card not working on iPhone after update.
- iPhone keeps restarting after iOS 15.6 update for Justin and Hussain.
- Hearing aids not pairing with iPHone in iOS 15.6. Reported by Rick.
Workaround: Unpair, reboot and re-pair hearing aids!
- iPhone won’t turn On after updating to iOS 15.6. Reported by Nick
Workaround: Try connecting iPhone to Mac or Windows computer.
- iPhone front camera and flashlight stopped working after update. Reported by George.
Are you also encountering this iOS 15.6 problem? Please detail it in the comments.
- To be updated!
iOS 15.6 Features
Apple’s release notes only mention an enhancement that’s related to the TV app. You can now restart a live sports game that’s already in progress. Pause, rewind and fast-forward playback controls are also available.
If you notice other changes please mention them in the comments and we will update them here:
- To be updated!
iOS 15.6 Bug Fixes
The update log mentions three issues that have been fixed:
- iPhone storage bug: when device showed storage full although capacity was available has been fixed.
- Braille devices bug: that was causing them to stop working when navigating text in Mail has been fixed.
- Safari bug: when a tab would revert to the previous page has been fixed.
- To be updated!
Other fixes not mentioned in the release notes:
iOS 15.6 Should I Update?
This is probably Apple’s latest update to iOS 15, as we’re only weeks away from the public release of iOS 16, which is currently beta tested.
If you’re ok with iOS 15.5 I would wait a couple more days to see if any new issues are reported!
The undisputed benefits are the security updates included in iOS 15.6, as well as the above mentioned improvements and bug fixes.
However, reports for iOS 15.6 problems are continuing to pile up in the comments. Check them out and see what ‘surprises’ might show up after updating.
Is iOS 15.5 Still Signed?
Yes, at the time of writing iOS 15.5 is still signed, this means that you can downgrade to this previous version if you’re not satisfied by iOS 15.6.
Update: iOS 15.5 not signed anymore! Apple has stopped allowing downgrades from iOS 15.6
Tip: You can check the real-time iOS 15.5 signing status on ipsw.me
Have you updated to iOS 15.6? What’s your feedback? Did you encounter any new issues worth mentioning? Share them in the comments and we’ll try to replicate them and find workaround or troubleshooting options.
Related: iOS 15.6 comes along iPadOS 15.6 (19G71), watchOS 8.7 (19U66), macOS 12.5 (21G72), tvOS 15.6 (19M65) and HomePod 15.6.
Update 15.6 did not fix the problem of error message that out of storage. I have iPhone 11.
That’s strange. Thanks for informing us Linda. Anyone else experiencing the same?
I am experiencing the same problem. In fact, everything was fine until I installed 15.6. Now, I get a message that I can’t save iMovie projects because I only have 2 gb left on my phone. I in fact have more than 60gb available…. Hulk angry! Smash stupid iPhone!
Thanks for confirming it Mike. We will send another feedback report regarding this.
Downloaded 15.6 and phone is overheating and draining battery extremely fast. Played solitaire for 20 minutes and phone extremely hot and battery went from 97% to 42% Using brand new S E phone also keep getting storage full. I have 40 gig of usable space
Thanks for the feedback Jack. Are you within 24 hours since updating? iOS will reindex data after updates and thus the first battery cycle might deplete faster than usual. Let us know if this happens after more than 48 hours since updating. Thanks.
Battery is draining too fast after 15.6 update pls solve the issue I am fed up
Thanks for the feedback. Please wait it out a bit. If this happens in the first 24 hours after update it’s ‘normal’ because iOS reindexes data after updates and this drains battery faster than usual.
the battery charges very slowly, I have to turn the phone off and on and then it shows the percentage of charge.
Thanks for reporting. What iPhone model is this happening on?
I have an iPhone 6S. Just replaced the battery and it has still been working well. Downloaded IOS 15.6 software update last night and now the phone won’t read the SIM card and I have no service. I swapped SIM cards with another phone and the SIM card is OK. I also checked with my service provider and the account is OK. The phone has just stopped reading any SIM since I downloaded 15.6. Wifi still works.
Thanks for reporting this Andrew. That’s serious. I just checked an iOS 15.5 isn’t signed anymore which means that you can’t downgrade and are stuck with this version. Do you have an Apple store nearby where you could ask for help?
Yes, there is an Apple store nearby. It could be a coincidence and the phone might have died anyway. I assume if it’s an issue with 15.6 other people will have the same problem
Yeah, let’s see if someone else reports the same! Would be interesting to know what caused it though. Inform us if anything changes.
Hi Andrew. SMA (iPhone 11) also reported SIM card not working problem. It might be no coincidence after all.
I HAVE THE SAME ISSUE! I have tried 4 new sim cards, the iphone is a brand new iphone 11 pro nothing seem to work. The iPhone sounds like not wanting to read ANY sim card.
Thanks for confirming Zak. Try to ask your carrier to switch you on eSIM, instead of the physical SIM.
Another option would be download the iOS 15.6 IPSW file on your Mac or Windows computer and reinstall iOS 15.6 on your phone.
Hi, Same issue here. iPhone 12 Pro. Phone wont read the sim card.. I don’t know what to do. Looking for a cheap replacement until Apple sends out an update for this.
Thanks for reporting Simon. How old is your SIM card? I’m asking because I also experienced SIM card failure a while ago and I had to go to my carrier store and replace it, to make it work again.
Just trying to cover all angles here before labeling this as an iOS 15.6 SIM card bug. Would appreciate a follow up.
Sim card is only a few months old and worked perfectly up until this update. I have talked to my carrier and they didn’t have any solutions other than waiting for Apple to release an update to solve the problem.
I have tried to reset settings.
Thanks for the follow up Simon. What about the eSIM option? Isn’t your carrier able to switch you on an electronic SIM? According to Apple this is possible if the carrier is supporting the feature. Here are more details.
Same here! Brand new iphone 11 pro not wating to read ANY sim card after trying 4 new sim cards. This happened straight after upgrading to 15.6.
This must be annoying. Ask your carrier to switch for eSIM, or try to reinstall iOS 15.6 using IPSW file and a computer, or backup your iPhone and reset it to factory default. More tips available here: https://www.iphonetricks.org/sim-card-not-working-on-iphone-after-ios-15-6/
Let us know if you manage to fix it.
Same network issue in my i phone 7 .after updating in to 15.6
Thanks for confirming Yazer. We’ve opened a separate thread for this Sim Failure issue here: https://www.iphonetricks.org/iphone-not-recognizing-sim-card-ios-15-6/
Please confirm it there too as we’ve included the post in our feedback report sent to Apple. The more confirmations the better.
My safari isn’t loading some sites ever since I updated to iOS 15.6 please help
Thanks for the feedback Olamide. Can you provide some examples of websites? I’ll try to load them on our iOS 15.6 devices.
I updated to 15.6 and my phone started restarting by itself when I use some apps. The restart happens sometimes when the phone is idle.
Thanks for sharing this Hussain. What iPhone model are you talking about? Can you provide some examples of apps that are causing the restart? Are those apps also updated to the latest version in the App Store?
I am facing this same problem. I have an iPhone 12 pro. When I use certain apps like Snapchat, Instagram or Notes, it seems to restart more often, but it also restarts while on idle as well. It tends to restart a few times and then is fine, but the problem persists in varying time intervals. My iPhone as well as all of my apps have been updated to the latest version
Thanks for sharing this Anu. That must be annoying indeed. You can try to Reset Network Setting and see if it helps. However, I am afraid that you have to go for the extreme method and clean install iOS 15.6:
1. Perform a full backup of your device on computer using Finder or iTunes
2. Download the iOS 15.6 ipsw file from here:https://ipsw.me/product/iPhone
3. Reset your iPhone to factory settings from Settings -> General -> Transfer Or Reset iPhone -> Erase All Content And Settings.
4. In Finder or iTunes use the Restore iPhone button.
If that’s too complicated you might have to be patient until the next update, or go for the iOS 16 Public Beta (which has its own share of bugs).
Let us know if you have any breakthrough.
after update 15.6, When I play any high volume sound, I noticed some pixel flick problems in display
That’s really strange. Can you mention the iPhone model please? Are the same pixel flickering or it’s random?
My iPhone keeps restarting, and my Bluetooth is off and I have no way to turn it back on. It’s just a loading signal. Same with Wifi. Can’t click the turn on button. Tried everything to clear it, nothing works
Thanks for reporting this Justin. Just to be clear, everything started right after the iOS 15.6 update? What iPhone model is this happening on?
The display brightness gets reduced to less than half in bright daylight, which renders the display unreadable. This very annoying bug appeared in the second last update, disappeared in the last, but is now back.
Thanks for sharing this Gregar. Can you please confirm the following aspects:
1. Is the iPhone hot when this happens?
2. Is the Low Power mode enabled?
iOS will automatically lower brightness if the device is overheated, to cool it down. The same goes for Low Power Mode, if enabled it will try to save battery.
If you can eliminate these causes, yes we might be dealing with a bug or with an issue of the ambient light sensor on your device. Would appreciate a follow up.
After updating, the app age limit selections under content restrictions in screen time changed the country to Brazil. All other info on phone says region is United States, except in this screen time section. It’s allowing my children to access some apps and content i don’t want them to have access to and I can’t change it.
Thanks for sharing this issue Charysse. If you’re using Family Sharing you could edit these Screen Time settings from your Mac, if you own one. They’re available in System Preferences -> Screen Time. Let me know if it helps.
Hi! After updating 15.6, my sim card is not recognised, my password icloud account is not recognised, even my password wi-fi is not recognised. Never a ios updating gave me so must problems, now i don’t have a phone.
Thanks for reporting and sorry to hear about your problems. Can you please mention your iPhone model?
it’s a iphone 11. The SIM card isn’t reconise since 15.6 update.
Thanks for confirming. You might have to visit your carrier and ask for a SIM card replacement. You might own an older version, or by coincidence the SIM started failing right after the update. We do have a similar report from Andrew (iPhone 6S).
After IOS 15.6 update I cannot get my calls to go through and if I do happen to get it to go through I lose my volume about a minute in. I can not hear anyone nor can they hear me .
Sorry to hear this Casie. Are you talking about regular cellular calls, correct? What about WhatsApp, FaceTime and similar VoIP calls? They’re fine?
Same problem on two phones of my on-laws. Both are Xs Max freshly updated to 15.6 – sounds gets lost on Phone calls – not on WhatsApp and other VOIP.
Thanks for confirming this Victor. Are the calls dropped or just the sound is lost at both ends and the call appears to remain connected as the call stopwatch continues to run?
Have you tried to:
1. Enable speakerphone to see if it makes any difference.
2. Use AirPods or some other headphones during calls to check if the same behavior occurs?
iPhone 12
1. Keyboard pops up when other side’s “typing” indicator shows.
2. No “read” indicator.
3. Battery draining very fast even when device is idle. My screen on time is around 3-4 hours only. Earlier it lasted around 2-2.5 days on a single charge.
4. Battery health dropped 1% a few hours after updating.
Thanks for sharing. Have you tried to force quit Messages and relaunch?
Is battery draining excessively outside the 24-28 hours timeframe after updating?
Sometimes Battery Health recalibrates after an update. Did you update from iOS 15.5 or from an earlier version?
Yes. Tried everything on messages.
Initially I thought the same about battery draining but update happened from 15.5 to 15.6 on July 22 and today’s august 1. So yes, there is actually problem. But my friend also updated from 15.5 to 15.6 yesterday and says he did not find any issue. Not even battery related.
Thanks for the follow up. That’s strange indeed. Keep us updated and let us know if anything changes.
Last night i updraded to ios 15.6. Then I noticed that i can’t view my viewers on my story in facebook till now.. Help me to fix this. Thankyou..
Thanks for sharing. Have you checked the App Store for an update available for the Facebook app? If it is install it. Also, force quit Facebook and relaunch. Let us know if the problem is still occurring after you perform these steps.
Siri is not working at all
Thanks for reporting Kassandra. Have you tried to force restart iPhone and see if it helps with Siri?
Have iphone8 and after 15.6 update my front camera and flashlight stop working. Rear camera still works ok. I also notice more battery drain then usual.
Thanks for reporting George. When you say stopped working, you mean that the Flashlight button is greyed out in the Control Center? On front camera you get black screen in the viewfinder or an error?
The front camera gets a black screen. The flashlight looks normal in the utility, it just doesn’t turn on.
Thanks for the follow up. I assume that you restarted the device without success?
Yes I have restarted iPhone, did not change anything.
Thanks for clarifying. I can recommend you to Reset All Settings if that’s not too much of a hassle. It might help:
Settings -> General -> Transfer or Reset iPhone -> Reset -> Reset All Settings
Let us know if you have any breakthrough.
After updating to 15.6 immediately my talk text was not working. It says it’s because my voice over is on but it’s not. When I turn it on to see… I can trigger it somehow to being off & allowing me to use my microphone again for any purpose it doesn’t work.
Thanks for reporting Lisa. You mean the Dictation feature isn’t working? You’re not able to input text on your iPhone with dictation?
Have you tried to reboot iPhone, to check if it makes any difference?
Also, do Siri interrogations work? Are your voice commands picked up by Siri?
I have 3 iOS devices. This morning ,after the update last night, my wifi is not being accepted on the iPad Pro that was updated. It says the number is incorrect. Tried resetting the WiFi address on it but it says it is incorrect. Meanwhile my iPad mini and my iPhone 11 are fine. Neither of these have been updated. They are still IOS 15.5.
P.S.: I’d like to add something that may or may not be significant: when I started the problem iPad, before seeing the usual startup notice, a large word appeared on the screen. I thought it might be Chinese. It started with an X. Something like Xunxei but I’m not sure of the other letters
Thanks for reporting Imelda. What do you mean with ‘the number is incorrect’? You mean Password is incorrect or what number are you referring to? There’s no need to modify the Wi-Fi password in case of a known Wi-Fi network.
What you can do is forget the network in question. Bring one of your other two devices nearby and you should be suggested to share the WiFi network. Accept and let us know if it helps.
If this still continues I would appreciate if you can provide a screenshot at: contact@iphonetricks.org. Thanks
My wife’s iPhone 11 max won’t turn on after updating. He has tried ALL the possible fixes we could find and has had it on a charger for hours since. Everything we try just returns her back to the screen that says it needs plugged in….
Thanks for reporting Nick. Have you tried to connect iPhone to Mac or Windows computer with the help of the Lightning to USB cable?
I am having trouble holding Wifi access. It will connect and then drop off if not in use. IN addition, when not on wifi, my service connection is terrible. Not in any new locations. As work where I have always had “4 bars”
Thanks for reporting Jim. Is the WiFi bad on a certain network or on all networks that you previously used. You can try to forget a network and rejoin to see if it makes any difference. Just make sure that you know the password.
Also, you can try to Reset Network Settings in Settings -> General -> Transfer or Reset iPhone -> Reset -> Reset Network Settings.
Let us know if it helps.
After updating to 15.6 my hearing aids ( iPhone compatible) won’t pair with iPhone 12 or iPad Pro.
Thanks for reporting this Rick. Have you tried to un-pair hearing aids and re-pair them?
A. How to Un-Pair: Settings -> Accessibility -> Hearing Devices -> Tap on the MFi hearing devices that show up and go for Forget this Device. Confirm your selection
B. How To Re-Pair:
1. Reboot hearing aids
Non‑rechargeable hearing aids require you to open and close the battery drawer.
Rechargeable hearing aids have to be turned off and placed in the charger until they are charging. Then remove them to power them back ON.
2. Keep your hearing aids nearby your iPhone and wait for your iOS device to detect them. It can take up to 1 minute. Tap on the detected hearing device and go for ‘Pair’.
3. Open the hearing aid app and confirm that the devices are connected.
Let us know if it helps.
Thanks for the suggestion. I have tried to Re-Pair the hearing aids several times with no luck. Once, the phone detected the hearing aids after 10-15 minutes of searching but would not connect.
Ahhh! Success. I set the hearing aids next to the phone during the searching process and I was able connect. Thanks for the help.
Great! Thanks for confirming. Happy to help.
I have phonak hearing aids and since I installed 15.6 I cannot receive phone calls nor listen to podcasts through them. On the settings it shows that the hearing aids are connected and on the phonak app it shows that the hearing aids are connected. I have disconnected and reconnected everything at least 25 times to no avail. Tapping on the MFI under the accessibility button does not work because the hearing aids do not show up.
My iPhone is an SE. MODEL NUMBER MX9m2ll/a
Thanks for reporting Claudette. We’ve created a separate post for this issue here:
https://www.iphonetricks.org/hearing-aids-disconnect-from-iphone-fixed/
You might have to Reset Network Settings on your iPhone and then reconnect to WiFi and re-pair your Phonak hearing aids.
Iphone Xr, updated to 15.6 and got “SIM Failure” error. Had the same error back with the 14.7 update too. I now have no cellular service at all, but WiFi still works.
Tried resetting network settings, restarting phone multiple times, airplane mode on/off, SIM card out/in, no success.
SIM card is good, I know that.
How did you manage to fix it after the iOS 14.7 update? Did you have to wait for the next update?
Battery drain issue 2 hours 86% to 1%.
That’s huge. Was the iPhone also hot to touch during these 2 hours?
I’m using an iPhone 13 Pro Max and updated to iOS 15.6. I’m unable to connect to WiFi. I’ve forgotten network, reset network settings, and it still doesn’t connect to WiFi. Also, a lot of my apps have stopped within and I get messages that say, “no internet connection,” “error has occurred.” This is do frustrating, I wish I could go back to the previous iOS.
Sorry to hear this Unstoppable. Unfortunately, you can’t switch back because iOS 15.5 isn’t signed anymore.
What about cellular data? Does cellular data work or it’s glitchy as the WiFi connection?
There is also the option to Reset All Settings on your device and reconnect to Wi-Fi after that. However, we can’t guarantee that this will fix the Wi-Fi issues that you have since iOS 15.6.
If you do decide to Reset All Settings, do perform a full backup before, in order to be able to revert, if needed.
Has anyone had problems with Bluetooth since the update? Since the update my Bluetooth wont connect to things that it was connected too. I’ve tried everything. Wish my phone wouldn’t automatically do updates
There have been some users that have reported problems with connecting Hearing Aids after the update. I recommend you to forget the device from the Bluetooth settings and re-pair (reconnect) them. Let us know if it helps.
P.S.: You can disable automatic iOS updates in Settings -> General -> Software Update -> Automatic Updates (Off)
Anyone had problems sending texts since the update?
Yes I have tried turning it off and on again lol
Dawn, there are plenty users the complain about SIM Card not recognized after the iOS 15.6 update, thus not being able to send text or dial/receive calls.
You only experience problems with text (regular SMS)? Or calls too?
Search for any carrier settings updates available in Settings -> General -> About.
The next step is to Reset Network Settings in Settings -> General -> Transfer or Reset iPhone. This will flush all network connections which means that you have to reinsert Wi-Fi password for your network, so make sure that you know it.