Latest iOS, iPadOS updates break popular iPhone, iPad dongle

Late last week Apple released iOS 16.5 and iPadOS 16.5 which added a Sports tab to the Apple TV app, brought additional wallpaper options to iPhone users, and more. But there is some bad news for those who have already downloaded the latest iOS and iPadOS builds on their devices. The updates break iPhone and iPad compatibility with Apple’s Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter dongle. The accessory connects to an iPhone or iPad through the charging port and carries a USB-A port for connecting accessories to your phone or tablet.

The dongle also includes a built-in Lightning port that allows the user to charge his iPhone or iPad while using the dongle to run an accessory. The updates to iOS 16.5 and iPadOS 16.5 have broken compatibility with both ports. On Reddit, several users wrote about how their dongle stopped working after they installed the iOS 16.5 update.

For example, Redditor FIFanatic writes, "I am having the exact same issue, only with my digital audio setup - my DAC (Schiit Modi+) worked fine with this adapter connecting my iPhone to it up until I upgraded to iOS 16.5 this morning - now it just gives a "draws too much power" error message and doesn't even charge my phone anymore, let alone communicate to the DAC."

On the Apple Community site an iPad owner with the handle "Coyle235" tells his sad tale. "Updated to 16.5 today. My 7th gen iPad is used for midi music apps. I have an Apple USB lightning camera adapter with charging. The charging port will not work for the iPad anymore. I’ve tried several different Apple cables. The adapter will allow charge-through to my iPhone, so it’s not a hardware issue. I’ve done several restarts /reboots on the iPad. Still no success. Charging only occurs with direct connection and NOT through the adapter. Any other solutions available?"

Apple refers to the accessory as a camera adapter and in the online Apple Store Apple writes that "After you connect the Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter, your iPad Pro automatically opens the Photos app, which lets you choose photos and videos to import, then organizes them into albums." But iPhone and iPad users purchase the dongle to connect USB-A accessories to their devices.

Apple will most likely rush out a pair of updates, iOS and iPadOS 16.5.1, to fix this issue. By the way, Apple charges $39 for the Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter.