The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max both have Apple’s Crash Detection feature. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
Apple has just released iOS 16.1.2, and the company is calling out two key updates in its patch notes: “improved compatibility with wireless carriers” and “Crash Detection optimizations on iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models.”
The Crash Detection enhancements could be particularly notable, as there have been some issues with inadvertent activations since the feature launched. Crash Detection is designed to activate Emergency SOS and alert emergency services if it thinks you’ve been in a car crash, but the feature has also triggered for people safely riding rollercoasters, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. Based on the vague iOS 16.1.2 patch notes, it’s unclear if the update addresses these sorts of mistaken alerts, but we’ve asked Apple if it can clarify.
A recent iOS 16.2 beta also added a way to report accidental Emergency SOS activations; if the feature is included in the public iOS 16.2 release, the reports could help Apple cut down on inadvertent alerts in the future.