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Apple Stops Signing iOS 11.3.1 Following iOS 11.4 Release

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Following the release of iOS 11.4 on May 29, Apple has stopped signing iOS 11.3.1, the previous version of iOS that was available to consumers.

iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch owners who have upgraded to iOS 11.4 will no longer be able to downgrade to earlier versions of iOS.

Apple routinely stops signing older versions of software updates after new releases come out in order to encourage customers to keep their operating systems up to date.

iOS 11.4 is now the only version of iOS 11 that can be installed on iOS devices by the general public, but developers can download iOS 12, the next-generation version of iOS that's in beta testing ahead of a fall release.

Article Link: Apple Stops Signing iOS 11.3.1 Following iOS 11.4 Release
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2018/06/07/apple-stops-signing-ios-11-3-1/
1050792 said:
Perhaps people are having issues with the new updated version and giving a choice to go back would be a life saver for them? Oh I forgot it's Apple... choices... :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

So they should leave a security risk there for the 0.000000001% of users, potentially opening more problems by leaving those gates open? Got it.
 
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OldSchoolMacGuy said:
So they should leave a security risk there for the 0.000000001% of users, potentially opening more problems by leaving those gates open? Got it.
Click to expand...
That would be pretty much the percentage of the users who would even know about something like downgrading in general or more specifically would even bother try to figure out how to do it in iOS, let alone actually go through with it. Leaving it signed would more than likely be a effectively moot as far as it causing any realistic issues.
 
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C DM said:
That would be pretty much the percentage of the users who would even know about something like downgrading in general or more specifically would even bother try to figure out how to do it in iOS, let alone actually go through with it. Leaving it signed would more than likely be a effectively moot as far as it causing any realistic issues.
Click to expand...


Exactly. It should be the same concept as someone installing an older OS on their Mac.
 
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1050792 said:
Perhaps people are having issues with the new updated version and giving a choice to go back would be a life saver for them? Oh I forgot it's Apple... choices... :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
Can you share what kind of problems people are having with 11.4 that going back to 11.3.1 is the only "life saving" choice?
 
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pika2000 said:
Can you share what kind of problems people are having with 11.4 that going back to 11.3.1 is the only "life saving" choice?
Click to expand...

iOS 11.4 has a widespread drain battery issue. People around me want to downgrade and our IT admin advised us not to upgrade to 11.4.

I have not come to this website for several years and I just came here to enquire about this issue. I am surprised no one writes about it.
 
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Caezar said:
iOS 11.4 has a widespread drain battery issue. People around me want to downgrade and our IT admin advised us not to upgrade to 11.4.

I have not come to this website for several years and I just came here to enquire about this issue. I am surprised no one writes about it.
Click to expand...
So, is it widespread, or just anecdotal or specific to certain custom profiles?
I mean if it's that widespread, then more people would've posted about it (like bendgate).

And Apple stopped signing the update doesn't affect those who have not updated. So take the advice given by your IT admin.
 
pika2000 said:
So, is it widespread, or just anecdotal or specific to certain custom profiles?
I mean if it's that widespread, then more people would've posted about it (like bendgate).

And Apple stopped signing the update doesn't affect those who have not updated. So take the advice given by your IT admin.
Click to expand...


Here’s a start for “more people posting about it”; there are more, both on MR and other sites:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/11-4-se-fast-battery-drain.2120873/unread

My anecdotal scenario with battery drain has to do with iCloud messages. It simply would not sync (“Retrieving messages from the cloud” displayed constantly in the Messages app). Battery drain on my 7+ was roughly 5% every 10 minutes and the phone ran insanely hot while the app was trying to sync. Turning it off seems to fix the problem.

It appears iCloud messages may not yet be ready for wide release and play significant role in the battery drain issue.
 
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blodyholy said:
Here’s a start for “more people posting about it”; there are more, both on MR and other sites:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/11-4-se-fast-battery-drain.2120873/unread

My anecdotal scenario with battery drain has to do with iCloud messages. It simply would not sync (“Retrieving messages from the cloud” displayed constantly in the Messages app). Battery drain on my 7+ was roughly 5% every 10 minutes and the phone ran insanely hot while the app was trying to sync. Turning it off seems to fix the problem.

It appears iCloud messages may not yet be ready for wide release and play significant role in the battery drain issue.
Click to expand...
So going back to 11.3.1 is not as "life-saving" as the original post I replied to made it sound like.
 
witherwings said:
Funny that they stoped signing 11.3.1 the same time after jailbreak for that version was released :rolleyes:
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I just restored my 6S to 11.3.1 early Thursday morning. I had a felling they were going to stop signing it this week. Although the devs aren't really there for this version of the JB (iOS 11), I will give it some time to see what happens. I was on the 10.1.1 JB on this phone and decided to restore to 11.3.1.
 
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OldSchoolMacGuy said:
So they should leave a security risk there for the 0.000000001% of users, potentially opening more problems by leaving those gates open? Got it.
Click to expand...
You are also open to security risks in the current OS the difference is that those security flaws haven’t been public yet ;)
 
OldSchoolMacGuy said:
So they should leave a security risk there for the 0.000000001% of users, potentially opening more problems by leaving those gates open? Got it.
Click to expand...
What’s the benefit of a security or any other update if it cripples your device to the point it takes an inordinate amount of time to do the simplest of tasks like registering keystrokes from someone who is already a slow typist.
 
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I keep waiting for this policy to change. This is how they reach there goal of so many % are now on the latest iOS. I also did not agree with there bragging at WWDC of 95% satisfaction in iOS 11. I would tend to agree with more of 80-85% mark.
 
locoboi187 said:
Exactly. It should be the same concept as someone installing an older OS on their Mac.
Click to expand...

I like this. Make it like Mac OS and keep the final updates to the prior 2 major versions getting security updates and folks with older iPhones could fall back if they wanted to for better performance etc. - that would be useful for everyone.

Apple's PR department wouldn't be able to pound on the "current version" as much, but it would be useful to their user community with older iPhones.
 
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1050792 said:
Perhaps people are having issues with the new updated version and giving a choice to go back would be a life saver for them? Oh I forgot it's Apple... choices... :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
witherwings said:
Funny that they stoped signing 11.3.1 the same time after jailbreak for that version was released :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Yep, 11.3.1 to 11.4 very few new features and for some people battery drain or something, some crushing bugs, could make one happy enough with what an earlier version offers potentially

And JB isn’t actually out, just the exploits for it to happen soon hopefully... but in apple’s defense, it has been par for the course to unsign firmware about a week and change or so after a new version comes out. This isn’t specific to 11.3.1 and because its getting a jailbreak. That’s a misnomer a bit

Except major versions they normally let the prior major version stay signed a while for corporations/etc that have deal breaking bugs or app compatibility issues before forced adoption

having said all that, I still think this sucks and wont actually DEFEND apple doing it. It’s to ensure high adoption rate %’s
 
11.4 is another battery drainer and Apple doesn’t cares at all. They are becoming more and more preoccupied with themselves then delivering high quality products which would justify their pricing.

Instead of addressing this heads on they are closing the doors hence the class action lawsuits. People are fed up with Apple’s ignorance.
 
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