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Apple stops signing iOS 14.8 for some devices, blocking downgrades from iOS 15 [U]

Apple today stopped signing iOS 14.8, which is currently the latest version of iOS 14 available to users. That means users who have updated their devices to iOS 15, iOS 15.0.1, or iOS 15.1 beta can no longer downgrade to iOS 14.8.

While iOS 14.8 is no longer signed for devices like iPhone X, iPhone XR, and iPad Air 3, the same build is still signed for other iPhone and iPad models — at least for now. This time, however, things are a bit different. That’s because Apple will now continue to provide security updates for users who chose to stay on iOS 14 rather than upgrade to iOS 15.

Update: Apple has now stopped signing iOS 14.8 for all iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch models.

The fact that Apple stopped signing iOS 14.8 even when there is no other iOS 14 update available may hint that the company will soon release a new security update for iOS 14 users. It’s worth noting that iOS 14.8 was released on September 13 with a major security update that fixed a zero-day vulnerability that bypassed Apple’s BlastDoor security system.

Reverting to older iOS builds is often used by those who jailbreak their iPhones. Restoring an iPhone or iPad to a previous version of iOS can also sometimes be helpful for users who experience significant bugs after upgrading to the latest version of iOS.

If you have experienced any serious issues with iOS 15 or even the recently released iOS 15.0.1, unfortunately, you’ll now have to wait until a future update rather than downgrading to iOS 14.8.

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Avatar for Filipe Espósito Filipe Espósito

Filipe Espósito is a Brazilian tech Journalist who started covering Apple news on iHelp BR with some exclusive scoops — including the reveal of the new Apple Watch Series 5 models in titanium and ceramic. He joined 9to5Mac to share even more tech news around the world.