14 DAY TRIAL // Apple launched iOS 14.5 with much fanfare only a few weeks ago, and now the company has stopped signing iOS 14.4.2, essentially blocking the downgrades to the older version of the operating system.
In other words, once you install iOS 14.5 on your iPhone, there’s no way to go back to an earlier version of iOS, as older releases are no longer signed.
Lots of improvements in iOS 14.5
iOS 14.5 is the biggest iOS update since iOS 14, as it comes with plenty of new features, including support for unlocking iPhones with a paired Apple Watch.
This means that people wearing a mask can now unlock their devices without supplying the passcode or removing the mask, as the Apple Watch on their wrists can now take control of everything.
iOS 14.5.1 already live
At the same time, iOS 14.5 is the update that brings into effect the new App Tracking Transparency policy that forces developers to obtain consent from users to track them across other apps and websites.
“Starting with iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5, and tvOS 14.5, you’ll need to receive the user’s permission through the AppTrackingTransparency framework to track them or access their device’s advertising identifier. Tracking refers to the act of linking user or device data collected from your app with user or device data collected from other companies’ apps, websites, or offline properties for targeted advertising or advertising measurement purposes. Tracking also refers to sharing user or device data with data brokers,” Apple explains.
Earlier this week, Apple has also released iOS 14.5.1 to resolve an App Tracking Transparency bug and to also introduce new patches for vulnerabilities already exploited in the wild. iPhone 6s and newer can therefore download the latest security updates from General > Software update on their devices, and given important flaws are being resolved, they should do this as soon as possible.