Use an iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, or iPhone 6 Plus? Grab the iOS 12.5.8 Update to Keep iMessage & FaceTime Working

You are not hallucinating, and you did not step into a time machine; yes, this is really an article about iOS 12 updates on the iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus!

If you or a loved one have an older model iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, or iPhone 6 Plus, or original iPad Air, iPad mini 2, iPad mini 3, or iPod touch 6th gen, you’ll want to fire up Software Update and install the latest available system software version on those devices so that they will be able to continue using core device features.

Specifically, iOS 12.5.8 and iPadOS 12.5.8 include updated certificates to allow older iPhone and iPad models to continue using iMessage, FaceTime, and device activation features, after January 2027. Without installing these updates, those core features will stop working at the beginning of next year as the necessary certificate in prior versions then expires.

The iOS 12.5.8 update is available for iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPad Air, iPad mini 2, iPad mini 3, and iPod touch 6th generation.

Large numbers of people around the world continue to use older model iPhone and iPad hardware, so Apple taking the time to release an update for these devices to continue allowing them to use and access core features like iMessage and FaceTime is considerate. These are 12 and 13 year old devices, after all! But despite being older hardware, in many cases, these iPhone models still work perfectly fine, and have proven incredible longevity.

I personally know several people in the USA who still use iPhone 6 and iPhone 7 models as their daily cell phone, since many people simply do not care about the latest shiny device or features, and simply want a cell phone to be able to communicate with family and friends for phone calls, iMessages, and FaceTime calls. This is particularly common with the older generations and elderly Americans, who don’t all have the same enthusiasm about getting a new device and learning new technology. There’s also a growing trend of people intentionally using older model iPhone devices for their eye-friendly LCD displays, more simplicity, and to prevent doom-scrolling and social media usage since many of those social apps do not support older devices.

While the iOS 26.2.1 update appears mostly forgettable (unless you want to use the 2nd gen AirTags), the same would not be said for these, so again, if you or anyone you know uses an iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPad Air, iPad mini 2, iPad mini 3, and iPod touch (6th generation), get to it and install these updates on those devices.