Updated ,first published
At least three iPhone models have been left unable to take or make phone calls on the Telstra network after receiving an Apple software update intended to ensure older iPhone devices can contact Triple Zero when their primary network is unavailable.
By Thursday morning, a day after it first announced the issue, Telstra’s customers appeared to still be unable to use their own network to make calls to emergency services, with an update from the company stating such calls would have to rely on rival networks.
The company said that if affected customers saw “SOS calls” appear on their device, they would now be able to make calls to Triple Zero by automatically connecting to an alternative mobile network if available.
“It can take some time (e.g. one minute) for the impacted device to connect to the alternative mobile network when one is available,” Telstra said in an update on Thursday morning.
Apple issued the software update to the iPhone 12 and other older models on January 26, but iPhone 8, 8 Plus and X users soon began reporting connection issues.
Telstra confirmed on Wednesday afternoon that it was investigating an issue with the phones connecting to its network, including to Triple Zero.
“We’re working on this as a priority with Apple and will share updates as we have them,” the company said on its website. “We recommend customers using these devices delay updating the software on their device until we confirm the issue is resolved.”
Telstra said Apple had paused the software update while it was investigating.
The reliability of Triple Zero services has come under scrutiny since a major outage at Optus last year was linked to three deaths, which are under coronial investigation. In that incident, many phones that should have connected to another network to reach Triple Zero when Optus’ service failed were unable to switch. Similar failures separately affected older Samsung phones last year.
The Apple update this month was intended to stop that type of problem happening in other situations to users of its phones.
“In the rare event that these exceptional circumstances affecting mobile operators’ networks were to happen again, some older mobile phones might still encounter the same issue reaching emergency services through an alternate available network,” the company said in a post on its website.
“Software updates are available for the following iPhone and Apple Watch models that might be impacted by this network issue. You are encouraged to update your devices to the latest software version.”
Apple was contacted for comment.
One user posted on Reddit that the update had left their phone “being near useless”.
“Even after trying all of the troubleshooting and calling my carrier, I found that I was only able to connect to Wi-Fi,” the social media user said. “No calls, no SMS, no data. My phone can only be used on Wi-Fi.
“And to top it off, it’s even killed the ability to call 000 – the entire reason the update was released in the first place.”
Spokespeople for Optus and TPG, which also operates the Vodafone brand, said the Apple issue was not affecting their customers.
Associate professor Mark Gregory, a telecommunications expert from RMIT University, said vendors, successive governments and the Australian Communications and Media Authority had all dropped the ball on Triple Zero over the past 15 years, and called for regulatory reform.
“There needs to be tightening of the regulations. To ensure that the vendors understand fully what their role is in making handsets available for use by consumers in Australia,” he said.
“There needs to be performance measures within the legislation, and there needs to be penalties. And we need the government to step up and do something about it. But, you know, at the moment, it’s crickets.”
Gregory said that changing technologies, such as rolling out upgrades from 4G to 5G, required specific oversight to ensure telcos didn’t break critical infrastructure in the process.
Federal opposition communications spokeswoman Melissa McIntosh said Telstra had urged customers not to install the update until it had been fixed and advised people to find an alternative way to communicate.
“Once again, I am giving the public service announcement on an important issue impacting the safety of our citizens when it should be the Albanese Labor government,” she said in a statement.
A spokesman for Communications Minister Anika Wells said Telstra and Apple had advised the government they were working to fix the issue urgently.
“People affected should contact Telstra as their service provider if they are concerned or have special needs,” the spokesman said.
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Nick Bonyhady is the business editor of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. He is a former deputy federal editor, technology editor and industrial relations reporter.Connect via X or email.
Elias Visontay is a National Consumer Affairs Reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via email.
Tim Biggs is a writer covering consumer technology, gadgets and video games.Connect via X or email.