Apple Confirms It Has Stopped Security Updates for iOS 14

Apple has stopped rolling out security updates for iOS 14. The company points out that it previously indicated that the updates were “offered on a temporary basis,” though it did not say when the offer would expire.

Last week, MacRumors and 9to5Mac, among others, noted that Apple had stopped making security updates available for iOS 14. The only update available is the upgrade to iOS 15.2. For example, phones running 14.8 and wanting to update can no longer download the security update 14.8.1, but only upgrade to iOS 15.2. Although the new operating system was released four months ago, it is on 72 percent of all iPhones four years or younger. This is presumably because Apple continued to release security updates for iOS 14, which has now stopped.

Apple tells Ars Technica that it has always been intended that the security updates for iOS 14 would be temporary. In doing so, the company points to a support page that was published in September 2021. However, Ars Technica notes that Apple has not been clear about when the security updates would no longer be available. It is not clear why Apple is already stopping the rollout of security updates for iOS 14. The company offers no explanation for this.

Apple will only stop updates to iOS 14. An older version of the operating system, iOS 12, will continue to receive security updates. All devices running iOS 14 can also run iOS 15. That is all iPhones up to the iPhone SE from 2016 and the tablets up to the iPad Air 2 from 2014.

Update, 1:17 PM: An earlier version of this article stated that iOS 13 is still getting security updates. However, the operating system is no longer provided with such updates since September 2020. The article has therefore been amended.