iOS 16.1.1 should fix a longstanding iPhone Wi-Fi bug, battery drain and more.

In addition to fixing the iPhone’s random Wi-Fi disconnection, iOS 16.1.1 may fix the issue of slow Spotlight searches and officially launch Emergency SOS via satellite into orbit.

• What is happening? Apple is currently testing what will become the iOS 16.1.1 update, which could potentially fix the iPhone’s persistent Wi-Fi bug.
• Why care? It’s bug season, and we’re still waiting for fixes for iPhone battery drain, slow Spotlight searches, and other issues in iOS 16.
• What to do? Report bugs at developer.apple.com/bug-reporting.

iOS 16.1.1 should fix a longstanding iPhone Wi-Fi bug

Apple recently started testing iOS 16.1.1 at its headquarters, so people have started speculating whether the upcoming software includes fixes for a few problematic issues not resolved in iOS 16.0.1, iOS 16.0.2, iOS 16.0.3, and iOS 16.1.

One of them is the annoying iPhone Wi-Fi issue that reared its ugly head shortly after the public release of iOS 16.0. This bug was driving people crazy by causing the phone to randomly disconnect from the Wi-Fi network.

Posts on the Apple support forums suggest that this happens when the device is idle, such as when charging overnight. Common solutions like rebooting, resetting all network settings on the phone, and reinstalling iOS don’t seem to work. Read: Steps to troubleshoot iPhone Wi-Fi hiccups

Other Bugs iOS 16.1.1 May Fix

MacRumors suggests that iOS 16.1.1 may bring fixes for other teething issues in iOS 16, such as slow Spotlight searches, iPhone battery drain, and slow animations on iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pros when exiting apps.

The publication claims that iOS 16.1.1 will solve the problem with ads present in iOS 16.1. According to Apple’s system status page, this issue started on November 3rd. The problem is related to WeAdNetwork, a system that allows advertisers to measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns in terms of app installs.

Will there be an emergency SOS call via satellite in iOS 16.1.1?

The iPhone 14 and ‌iPhone 14 Pro have built-in satellite radio to communicate with low-orbit satellites for emergency communications.

Apple calls it “Satellite SOS Emergency Call”and it’s only available on the latest iPhone 14 family, but it’s not yet available. This is one of those features that Apple left out from the early releases of iOS 16.0. MacRumors suggests that iOS 16.1.1 could officially launch Emergency SOS via satellite feature on the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pros.

Emergency SOS via satellite is not intended for phone calls. Instead, the feature is limited to sending emergency text messages and automatically kicks in when you try to call emergency services when there’s no Wi-Fi or cell networks nearby. An emergency SOS service via satellite will be launched first in the US and Canada, with other countries rumored to follow in 2023.

This is a paid service with the first two years at Apple. After that, you will need to subscribe to continue using Emergency SOS via satellite.

Apple hasn’t revealed pricing yet.

When will iOS 16.1.1 be released?

iOS 16.1 was released on October 24, 2022, bringing battery percentage to all iPhones, support for live performances, and more. We know that Apple is testing future updates because iOS 16.1.1 has now appeared in MacRumors website analytics.

Mark Gurman of Bloomberg learned that iOS 16.2 could be released in mid-December. Since iOS 16.1.1 will need to launch before iOS 16.2 arrives, expect it in the next couple of weeks. Keep an eye on this space as we’ll keep you updated.

Speaking of upcoming releases, iOS 16.3 is due out between February and March 2023, coinciding with new Mac laptops and desktops.