Following the release of iOS 14.4.2 last Friday alongside iOS 12.5.2 for older devices that don’t support iOS & iPadOS 14, Apple has stopped signing iOS 14.4.1. This means you can no longer downgrade your iPhone from iOS 14.4.2 if you have already installed iOS 14.4.1.
Anyone who owns an Apple-made device shouldn’t be surprised to learn of this news, as the company routinely stops signing older firmware versions after a newer build has been released. This behavior helps ensure that most of Apple’s user base uses the latest version of iOS or iPadOS, which benefits not only the company, but in many cases the end user as well.
iOS 14.4.2 was the second minor update released to the public in March. This update also patched a critical bug found in the Webkit, which could have allowed malicious web site to perform activate arbitrary cross-site scripting. According to Apple, the vulnerability had been exploited in the wild.
Apple patched this exploit on all of its operating systems, as the company rolled out macOS 11.2.4 and watchOS 7.3.3, along with iPadOS and iOS updates. iOS 14.4.2 release was followed by iOS 14.4.1 release in early March.
For anyone experiencing issues with iOS 14.4.2, it seems that they will need to wait until Tim Cook’s company publicly releases iOS 14.5. Apple is currently testing iOS and iPadOS 14.5 with internal and external testers, which means that it’s only a matter of time until it’s deemed fit-for-prupose.
Until then, if you are running iOS 14.4.1 and need to stay there for any specific reason, it’s advised to stay away from iOS 14.4.2 as you won’t be able to go back. If you don’t need to be running iOS 14.4.1, then you should upgrade immediately to benefit from the recent XSS patch that will keep you and your device safe.
Are you excited about Apple’s next major update, the iOS 14.5? Let us know in the comments section below!