What you need to know
- Apple has stopped signing iOS 14.8.
- Users will no longer be able to install iOS 14.8 on their iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
- The only version of iOS that is now available to be installed is iOS 15.
Apple has stopped signing iOS 14.8 and iPadOS 14.8 for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. This means that anyone who wants to install iOS or iPadOS must install iOS 15 or iPadOS 15 on their device.
Apple is known to quickly stop signing older versions of iOS and iPadOS to ensure that users are running the latest version of Apple's software. Newer versions of each software not only include new features but bug fixes, performance improvements, and security updates.
Now, anyone who attempts to restore an iPhone will have only iOS 14.8 as an option. Those who are on the developer and public beta train can, of course, still install the iOS 15 betas.
While some do enjoy the option of downgrading to an earlier version of iOS or iPadOS as a backstop to issues with a newer version of the software, that opening is usually short. If you are running iOS 15 and experiencing issues, you'll need to hold tight until Apple releases an update with the fix you may need.
Apple did recently release iOS 15.0.1 which fixed a notable bug with how the iPhone 13 and Apple Watch worked together. When users got their hands on their new iPhone 13, they noticed that the "Unlock with Apple Watch" functionality, which is handy when using your iPhone with a mask, was not working. With iOS 15.0.1, Apple restored this functionality for those with both an iPhone 13 and Apple Watch.
