- Apple has stopped signing iOS 14.0.1 and iPadOS
- Apple’s move comes as a security measure against jailbreak
- iOS 14.1 was released in Oct with support for the iPhone 12 series
Apple has recently released iOS 14.1 for all its compatible devices. This update was reserved for its iPhone 12 lineup launched on October 13. It was a minor update with bug fixes and security updates. But with the release of iOS 14.1, Apple has stopped signing iOS 14.0.1. This means that iOS devices will be locked on their current versions and downgrade to a previous version is not possible.
Apple usually stops signing the older firmware a week after an update is released. Among several reasons, one is that Apple wants to keep its users to stick to the latest build. Apple has done the same with the iOS 12.0.1 update as well. It restricted users from downgrading their devices to previous versions. Though it isn’t a big deal to the users, the signing of firmware is crucial for those users who are interested in jailbreaking their iPhone or iPad.
About iOS 14
iOS 14 was released earlier this year in September post a three-month beta period. This year’s iOS update introduces a major redesign to the home screen. The new widgets feature along with the App Library, ability to change default browsers, and mail app, among others, are some new features. iOS 14.0.1 was released soon after the iOS 14, on September 24, to address some bugs. The latest update available to iOS devices is iOS 14.1, which was released last Tuesday.
The checkra1n team offers jailbreak for iOS devices and currently supports devices with A9 and A9X processors. Although the team assures that there will be support for other devices, it hasn’t been clear when. Apple’s new security measures have made the process difficult for newer devices such as iPhone 8 or iPhone X.
The iOS 14 update has been released for every iOS 13 compatible device, which means devices like iPhone 6s and newer 7th generation iPod touch. iPad users had also received the iPadOS 14 that includes similar design enhancements to iOS devices. Apple has been working on its iOS 14.2 update and released its Beta 4 recently.
While the move by Apple doesn’t affect the majority of its users, it might bother those who want to jailbreak their devices or experiencing bugs. Earlier, if the latest update had introduced a new bug in your device, you could easily revert to the previous stable iOS version. Now, unfortunately, these users have to wait for iOS 14.2 to be released and hope for a fix.
