Users of iPhone can no longer downgrade their mobile phones from iOS 12.1.3 as Apple announced today, February 6, that they will stop signing iOS 12.1.2 and iOS 12.1.1. This is just one of Apple's regular actions of stopping signing older versions of iOS to ensure their users that they will have the up-to-date builds for the phone's stability and security.
In an article published by 9to5Mac, the American multinational device company usually stop signing older releases of iOS within a few weeks of an update's release. The article explained that Apple wants to prevent downgrades that may hamper the phone's stability.
This update by Apple can greatly affect jailbreak users especially if they updated their iPhone to the latest iOS version.
Apple released iOS 12.1.2 back in December 2018 to fix some issues like the eSIM bug. This is also their way to address certain patents of American multinational semiconductor and telecommunications equipment company Qualcomm in China.
The iOS 12.1.3 was released by Apple two weeks ago and it addresses issues and bugs in iPad Pro, Messages, and CarPlay. iPhone users can see that iOS 12.1.3 is the current public stable version of their phone.
The iOS 12.1.3 is compatible with the following Apple devices: iPhone5s or later, iPad mini 2 or later, and iPod touch 6th generation or later. The update weighs up to 300 MB, according to Forbes, but it will still vary depending on the user's device and which version of iOS will the phones be upgrading from.
Forbes also reported that Apple fixed the issues of photos having striped artifacts after being sent from the Share sheet and audio distortion when using external audio input devices on iPad pro. The update also fixed the bugs of HomePod like accidental restart and Siri stop listening to the user.
However, Forbes warned iPhone users that the Apple iOS 12.1.3 is not that pleasant and effective. They reasoned out that they have not seen any social media users who reported that the bugs were finally fixed.
They also reported that Apple has yet to fix problems of persistent notifications and dodgy WiFi. However, Forbes noted that these cases of issues are mostly isolated cases.
Apple is currently conducting a beta test on iOS 12.2. Reports said that the incoming iOS update is testing the new Animoji characters, enhanced TV functionality in HomeKit, and Apple News support in Canada.
There are also reports of Apple releasing iOS 12.1.4 this week. The update is expected to restore Group FaceTime functionality.
