Apple issues urgent iPhone update after triple zero emergency call testing raises concerns

Apple has released an emergency update to iOS 26 that applies only to the iPhone 12, addressing a compatibility issue with Australia's emergency calling system.

After a week of scrutiny on the Telcos and Samsung in a Senate Committee examining failures in Australia's triple zero emergency call system, attention has now turned to Apple, with one iPhone model identified during testing as requiring an urgent software fix.

Apple has released an emergency update to iOS 26 that applies only to the iPhone 12, addressing a compatibility issue with Australia's emergency calling system - the update notification details that this new version "addresses a mobile network issue for iPhone 12 models when establishing a connection to emergency services in Australia".

The update follows extensive laboratory testing by Australian telcos after the Optus outage in September, which raised serious concerns about how mobile phones connect to emergency services during large-scale network failures.

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Earlier this year, it was revealed that 71 Samsung phone models were affected by similar issues. 

Those devices were coded to rely on the 3G network, largely due to historical limitations on Vodafone and TPG networks that did not support 4G voice calls until mid-2021.

While 1.6 million Samsung phones have since been updated to support VoLTE and emergency calls over 4G, around 98,000 devices remain active on Australian networks without the required software update.

Apple's situation is different and at this stage, the details of the issue remain largely unclear.  The company's support page for iOS 26.2 do not describe a specific fault, instead focusing on the importance of maintaining access to emergency services in Australia.

"Staying connected to emergency services is essential, especially in a country as expansive and geographically diverse as Australia," Apple's support page says.

"iPhone is designed with multiple layers of connectivity to help users reach emergency services, even when traditional cellular coverage may be limited."

Apple also encourages all users to keep their devices up to date to ensure access to the latest connectivity features.

The company acknowledges the fix follows previous incidents affecting emergency calls, including cases where phones were unable to connect via an alternate network when their primary network was unavailable.

Telcos are continuing urgent testing of handsets in controlled lab environments, where 9News understands an extreme test of network failure scenarios identified an issue with the iPhone 12.

Apple stresses the issue would only arise under exceptional circumstances.

"In the rare event that these exceptional circumstances affecting mobile operators' networks were to happen again, some older mobile phones may still encounter the same issue reaching emergency services through an alternate available network," the company said.

Importantly, Apple confirms the issue does not affect older or newer models.

According to the support page, iPhone XS, iPhone XR, iPhone 11, and all iPhone models from iPhone 13 onward are not affected.

Only the iPhone 12 has this triple zero issue, with iOS 26.2 adding support for this specific emergency calling scenario, however all compatible iPhones will get the update as it includes other minor changes.

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There is no problem with an iPhone 12 making triple zero calls under normal conditions, nor when roaming onto another available network in standard circumstances.

However, if a large-scale network failure similar to the Optus outage were to occur again, users running outdated software on an iPhone 12 could be at risk.

Apple has not disclosed how many iPhone 12 devices remain in use in Australia, but given the phone is around five years old, the number is expected to be significant.

The impact to customers differs from telco to telco.

A Telstra spokesperson told 9News: "Telstra customers with an iPhone 12 with a Telstra SIM are not impacted. However, we encourage all our customers to keep their devices up to date with the latest software."

An Optus spokesperson said: "In some very rare scenarios, Apple iPhone 12 devices may not be able to connect to another network to call triple zero if their primary network is not available. Apple has released a software update to address this issue. We encourage all customers to keep their devices up to date with the latest software.

"When we become aware of devices that are unable to correctly use the emergency services calling, we proceed with notifying customers and block devices in accordance with the Emergency Calling Services determination.

"This approach reflects our commitment to working closely with device manufacturers, regulators, and the wider industry to maintain the highest standards of safety and reliability for all Australians."

A spokesperson for Vodafone Network/TPG said: "A recent UTS lab test identified a rare scenario in which some iPhone 12 devices may not be able to connect to an alternate network to call 000 when their primary network is unavailable.

"Apple has released a software update to address and fix this scenario.

"This is a timely reminder that safety and security updates from device manufacturers should be installed promptly. Keeping your device software current helps ensure the best possible security and access to emergency services.

"We continue to work closely with industry, device manufacturers and regulators to ensure Australians can rely on 000 when it matters most."

Users are strongly advised to update immediately.

To update your phone, open the Settings app, then tap General, followed by Software Update, and install the latest version of iOS.

For all devices, it is highly recommended that you turn on automatic updates to ensure future security and safety updates are installed as soon as they are available.

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