As is par for the course, Apple has opted to stop signing a previous version of its iOS mobile operating system following the public launch of a newer version.

Late on Tuesday, Apple officially stopped signing iOS 11.4 following the public launch of iOS 11.4.1. With the company no longer signing the older version of iOS, it means that users will not be able to downgrade to that particular release. For folks who like to jailbreak their devices, being aware of which versions of the operating system that Apple is no longer signing can be an important detail.

Meanwhile, iOS 11.4.1 was released to the public on July 9. That particular version of the software is not a major update by any means, but it did include a few improvements to things like Find My AirPods. The HomePod also received a corresponding update on the same date.

Looking ahead, Apple is currently in the beta testing process of its next major software update for its mobile operating system, with iOS 12 set to launch to the public sometime later this year. iOS 12 is a major software update, adding new features like Memoji and more. There is no word right now if Apple intended on launching other versions of iOS 11 ahead of the iOS 12 launch later this year. If it does not, that means iOS 11.4.1 would be the last iOS 11 version for the public, and once iOS 12 launches it would stop signing that version of the OS.

Our Take

Jailbreaking will remain a popular venture for a lot of folks out there, so being aware of when Apple stops signing older versions of the mobile OS can be worth being aware of.

Do you jailbreak your iOS devices?