A software program replace designed to forestall points with older iPhones connecting to Triple Zero is stopping some Apple gadgets from reaching Telstra’s community, together with for emergency calls.
Issues started after Apple launched software program updates for a number of of its iPhone and mobile Apple Watch fashions on Tuesday, which included gadgets as previous as 2014’s iPhone 6.
The updates had been designed to forestall points with calls to emergency companies, and included different bug fixes.
Tesltra introduced on Wednesday it was investigating “a difficulty stopping some older Apple gadgets from connecting to our community, together with calls to 000”.
Doubtlessly impacted gadgets included the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X, when up to date to Apple’s newly launched iOS 16.7.13 software program, in accordance with Telstra.
Delay updates
The telecommunications large mentioned it was working with Apple and beneficial clients delay making use of software program updates on their gadgets.
Apple on Wednesday pulled the software program updates it had launched for its older gadgets, which included iOS 16.7.13, in addition to iOS 18.7.4, iOS 15.8.6, and iOS 12.5.8.
Telstra announced simply earlier than noon AEDT on Thursday that Apple had “recognized a repair”, which might be launched in an upcoming software program replace.
Apple didn’t reply by deadline to a request for remark.
Each Optus and TPG mentioned their respective networks weren’t affected by the problem.
Camp-on delays
Apple encouraged users with an iPhone 12 or older to replace their software program earlier this week, to forestall “the uncommon occasion” wherein some older gadgets could also be unable to contact emergency companies by way of various networks if their typical one isn’t obtainable — a course of generally known as ‘tenting on’.
Camp-on points occurred throughout a fatal Optus Triple Zero outage in September 2025, and similar issues occurred with older Samsung devices which required updating or changing.
The Western Australia Police Drive mentioned on Wednesday it had recognized “some telephone customers could expertise a 20 to 30 second delay when dialling triple-0″, earlier than it was knowledgeable by Telstra that some older iPhones had been experiencing points.
In a Thursday morning replace relating to the problem with sure iPhone fashions, Telstra instructed clients, “It may take a while (eg. one minute) for the impacted gadget to connect with the choice cell community when one is offered.”
An unbiased assessment of Optus’s September Triple Zero outage found devices may take 40 to 60 seconds to connect to Triple Zero when ‘tenting on’, and urged Optus to tell clients about this.
The assessment discovered “individuals are unlikely to hold on for this size of time, particularly when the one response they’re getting is silence on the road”, and pushed for better business collaboration to handle the problem.
“This delay is one thing that clients in any respect telecommunications corporations ought to be knowledgeable about,” report writer Kerry Schott wrote.
Carol Bennett, CEO of the height client advocacy group for the communications business, ACCAN, mentioned it was “enormously regarding” that emergency camp-on calls typically took as much as a minute to attach.
“A minute is a very long time for somebody calling emergency companies, who could be in misery,” she mentioned.
“The [Triple Zero] Custodian and the continuing Senate inquiry into Triple Zero service outages ought to take an in depth have a look at this challenge.”
Apple had urged customers of older iPhones to replace their gadgets earlier this week. Picture: Tom Williams / Data Age
Customers instructed older iPhones ‘not affected’
Apple’s iOS 26.2 software program replace in December 2025 included a repair for iPhone 12 fashions to forestall them from operating into a difficulty connecting to Triple Zero.
Whereas Apple didn’t specify what that challenge was, Australian telcos mentioned testing had proven iPhone 12 gadgets could not have the ability to camp-on to various networks.
Apple explicitly said on the time that older fashions the iPhone XS, iPhone XR, and iPhone 11 — in addition to iPhone 13 and newer — had been “not affected” by this challenge.
The corporate’s stance on which fashions had been affected appeared to vary when it launched its newest software program updates this week.
The tech large instructed customers of gadgets from the iPhone 12 to the iPhone 6 their telephones “may be impacted by this community challenge”, they usually had been “inspired to replace” their gadgets to the most recent software program model.
The affected iPhone fashions had been:
- iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus
- iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus
- iPhone SE (1st technology)
- iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus
- iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus
- iPhone X
- iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max
- iPhone XR
- iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Professional, iPhone 11 Professional Max
- iPhone SE (2nd technology)
- iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Professional, iPhone 12 Professional Max
Apple didn’t reply by deadline to a request for touch upon the expertise of customers of older iPhones who had been urged to replace their gadgets on Tuesday, just for these updates to be pulled on Wednesday.
