14 DAY TRIAL // With the release of the iOS 11.4 software update hitting the streets at the end of May 2018, Apple has now stopped signing the previous iOS 11.3.1 firmware to block downgrades and jailbreaks.
Those who managed to upgrade their iPhone, iPad or iPod touch devices to Apple's latest iOS 11.4 software update will no longer be able to downgrade to the previous iOS 11.3.1 firmware as the Cupertino, California-based company has recently stopped signing this release, thus prohibiting downgrades.
This change, which is something that Apple regularly does shortly after a new iOS release is available, mainly affects jailbreakers, but it also forces iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch users to use the latest software release by not allowing them to downgrade to a previous build, as well as forcing them to upgrade directly to the latest available firmware.
iOS 11 now runs on 81 percent of supported devices
And it looks like Apple's strategy to stop signing previous iOS firmware soon after the release of a new version works as the company has reported during the WWDC 2018 developer conference that its latest and most advanced iOS 11 mobile operating system now runs on 81 percent of supported iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices.
That's a major milestone for Apple, considering the fact that the competition's latest Android Oreo mobile operating system runs on nearly 6 percent of devices. Now Apple works on a new iOS 11 release, iOS 11.4.1, which should be available at the end of June 2018, as well as on the next major iOS release, iOS 12, which is expected to hit the streets in mid-September 2018.
If you haven't updated to iOS 11.4 yet, now it's the time to do so, especially if you're using a version prior to iOS 11.3.1, which Apple no longer signs. We always recommend our readers to install the most recent software version for their devices and keep them up-to-date at all times.