Apple stops iOS 14.3 downgrades as upgrade numbers soar

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iOS 14 adoption. It’s a good thing.
iOS 14 adoption has climbed past 82%.
Photo: Apple

Apple stopped signing iOS 14.2 and iOS 14.2.1 this week, meaning users who upgraded to iOS 14.3 can no longer go back again. The same goes for iPadOS 14.3 and those who installed it.

iOS/iPadOS 14.3 added support for Apple Fitness+ and AirPods Max. For users with an iPhone 12 Pro, it also allowed them to take photos in the Apple ProRAW format. In addition, the updates included new privacy information and an assortment of bug fixes.

All these additions made iOS 14.3 a big update, which is why Apple doesn’t want people rolling back to an earlier version. Stopping users from reinstalling older versions encourages as many people as possible to use the latest software updates. This broadens the number of people who can, for instance, access Apple Fitness+, the company’s new subscription service. It also plugs any potential software vulnerabilities Apple fixed.

This proactive strategy pays off for Apple. Adoption figures for iOS are far higher than those for recent versions of Android, resulting in a far less fragmented user experience. According to Mixpanel, iOS 14 currently has an adoption level of more than 82%. That’s pretty extraordinary for an operating system Apple released in September.

What have been your impressions of iOS 14 so far? Let us know in the comments below.

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