Skip to Content

Apple Stops Signing iOS 14.4.2 After Releasing iOS 14.5.1 With Fix for Actively Exploited Security Issues

by

Following today's release of iOS 14.5.1 and last week's release of iOS 14.5, Apple has stopped signing iOS 14.4.2, the previously available version of iOS 14 released on March 26. With iOS 14.4.2 no longer being signed, it is not possible to downgrade to iOS 14.4.2 from iOS 14.5 or iOS 14.5.1 if you've already updated your iPhone or iPad.

iOS 14
Apple routinely stops signing older versions of software updates after new releases come out in order to encourage customers to keep their operating systems up to date.

iOS 14.4.2 was a security update that addressed a vulnerability where processing maliciously crafted web content could lead to universal cross-site scripting. iOS 14.5 released last week addressed a number of security issues, and today's release of iOS 14.5.1 addresses another pair of WebKit issues that may have been actively exploited, so those who have not yet updated should do so.

Popular Stories

MacBook Neo Feature Pastel 1

First MacBook Neo Benchmarks Are In: Here's How It Compares to the M1 MacBook Air

Thursday March 5, 2026 4:07 pm PST by
Benchmarks for the new MacBook Neo surfaced today, and unsurprisingly, CPU performance is almost identical to the iPhone 16 Pro. The MacBook Neo uses the same 6-core A18 Pro chip that was first introduced in the iPhone 16 Pro, but it has one fewer GPU core. The MacBook Neo earned a single-core score of 3461 and a multi-core score of 8668, along with a Metal score of 31286. Here's how the...
Read Full Article • 342 comments
MacBook Neo Feature Pastel 1

Apple Announces $599 'MacBook Neo' With A18 Pro Chip

Wednesday March 4, 2026 6:15 am PST by
Apple today announced the "MacBook Neo," an all-new kind of low-cost Mac featuring the A18 Pro chip for $599. The MacBook Neo is the first Mac to be powered by an iPhone chip; the A18 Pro debuted in 2024's iPhone 16 Pro models. Apple says it is up to 50% faster for everyday tasks than the bestselling PC with the latest shipping Intel Core Ultra 5, up to 3x faster for on-device AI workloads,...
Read Full Article • 1355 comments
Multicolored Low Cost A18 Pro MacBook Feature

Apple Accidentally Leaks 'MacBook Neo'

Tuesday March 3, 2026 7:00 am PST by
Apple appears to have prematurely revealed the name of its rumored lower-cost MacBook model, which is expected to be announced this Wednesday. A regulatory document for a "MacBook Neo" (Model A3404) has appeared on Apple's website. Unfortunately, there are no further details or images available yet. While the PDF file does not contain the "MacBook Neo" name, it briefly appeared in a link...
Read Full Article • 402 comments

Top Rated Comments

Populus Avatar
Populus
63 months ago

These articles don’t need to exist.
I disagree, I appreciate to know when I can downgrade or not.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
N
now i see it
63 months ago
Months and months of iOS 14.5 betas totaling six - then when it finally releases they've got to scramble to fix a security flaw a week later
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jack Neill Avatar
Jack Neill
63 months ago
I just downed a iPhone 8 to 14.4.2 yesterday because of some issues I was having. Phew just made it.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BaltimoreMediaBlog Avatar
BaltimoreMediaBlog
63 months ago

This is another thing that should be dragged to court, OS downgrade limitations.
I totally agree. I've been saying this for years. The IOS 10 to 11 upgrade cost me nearly 50 free 32 bit games, and there was no way to go back and because Apple forced the upgrade on me as my iPhone was in repair at Apple. Basically, they damaged the unit in my opinion. This is one thing that should be a class action lawsuit that rarely anyone ever mentions. Oh, of course Apple did return my iPhone in full working condition as they call it, but not in the condition I sent it to them, but with only half of my apps functional.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
S
sparkinstx
63 months ago
I haven't seen any news about it, but WatchOS 7.4.1 was released today. I'm installing it now.

Update: Build is 18T201. Mine is a Series 4.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
D
doboy
63 months ago

wondering how restore from backup works in this instance. i had a brand new 2020 iPad pro that i returned after learning of the new M1 model. It was not yet on 14.5 when I returned it, so presumably it was on 14.4.2 when I last did an icloud backup before returning it. When receive my new iPad pro, does restore from backup also attempt to install an older SW version, or is it just profile, settings, apps, etc?
No it'll just load your data on top of whatever iOS it comes with.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments