Apple releases iOS 12.4.9, third-generation Apple TV update for older devices

Credit: Apple

Users on older iOS devices can download the software updates over-the-air by heading to Settings, General and Software Update. Third-generation Apple TV users can find their new update in the System menu of the Settings app.

Both software updates appear to be minor in scope and to only contain bug fixes and under-the-hood improvements. Apple last updated its iOS 12 operating system in July 2020 with the release of iOS 14.4.8. The new iOS and Apple TV updates come on the same day as iOS 14.2 and tvOS 14.2.

Although Apple's new iOS 14 update supports all of the same devices that iOS 13 did, it still leaves out older models like the iPhone 6 and iPhone 5S, which are stuck running iOS 12.

Apple periodically releases updates for its older operating systems to fix major bugs, performance flaws, and security issues. The updates typically do not introduce new features to the software, though one update for the third-generation Apple TV in May 2019 introduced the Channels functionality to the software.