Australia’s woes with connecting to emergency services continue, as Apple launched the iOS 26.2 update with a specific reference to iPhone 12 models.
Buried between various feature updates, the official release notes for iOS 26.2 mention the following:
“Addresses a mobile network issue for iPhone 12 models when establishing a connection to emergency services in Australia.”
It suggests that Apple’s 2020 iPhone range encountered similar issues to various older Samsung devices, although it’s not clear whether the update addresses the exact same problem.
In October, Telstra confirmed that multiple Samsung handsets were unable to connect to emergency services when the primary network was unavailable. An update pushed to some handsets resolved the issue, while other devices needed to be replaced entirely.
Per Australia’s Emergency Service Call Determination, all phones must be able to connect to emergency services. This includes connecting via other networks when a user’s primary network (i.e. the network they are a customer with) cannot be used. If a phone fails to connect, Australia’s network operators are required by law to block its access to all networks.
Are any other iPhones affected?
According to a dedicated support page on Apple’s website, the company claims that only iPhone 12 users are affected. It directs users with an iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12 Pro or iPhone 12 Pro Max to update to iOS 26.2.
“If it is determined that any earlier iPhone models are impacted, customers will receive additional information and guidance directly from their mobile operator,” Apple’s support page reads.
A separate notice issued by Vodafone lists additional devices, ranging from iPhone 6 to iPhone X, that need the latest iOS software to make emergency calls. In some cases, users also need to enable VoLTE, which is found in Settings > Mobile > Mobile Data Options > Enable 4G > Voice & Data. 5G-compatible devices already have VoLTE on by default.
To update your iPhone, open Settings > General > Software Update and follow the instructions. If you don’t have automatic updates enabled, make sure to download and install the software manually. Older phones, like the iPhone X, aren’t compatible with iOS 26. As long as they have the latest compatible software, they should still work as normal.
Multiple connectivity issues with emergency services have impacted Australians throughout 2025. In addition to the reported problems with older Samsung phones, a technical issue in September resulted in Optus customers being unable to call triple-zero, which was linked to the loss of life.
Update 15 December at 2:30 PM AEDT: Added further information from Apple about the iPhone 12 update, and Vodafone’s advice about older iPhones.
