Following the successful rollout of iOS 9.3.1, tech giant Apple recently announced that it will stop code signing iOS 9.2.1. This means that the company will no longer allow users to downgrade their devices to the older version of its operating system.
After a successful operating system upgrade, Apple routinely stops code signing older versions of iOS, according to Apple Insider. The company understands that these older operating systems are already obsolete and it is also part of the company's effort to provide the best user experience and protect its users from security vulnerabilities and bug exploits that are unpatched in older operating systems.
When Apple released iOS 9.3.1, it also patched a faulty web link which causes some apps to crash or freeze. Prior to the release, tech experts discovered an association's file in travel app Booking.com which was blamed for a number of runtime failures that affected Mail, Messages and Safari, as well as third-party web browsers.
The data overflow caused by the Booking.com app prompted Apple to patch its operating system since uninstalling the corrupted app is not enough to fix the issues.
Since its release in March, iOS 9.3 was bugged with several problems. The first major problem to surface following the release was the Activation Lock bug that renders old devices completely unusable after upgrading to the new operating system. Apple immediately pulled the update for older devices before finally releasing a fix last week.
The most recent iOS 9.3 bug to surface affects iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus devices. Reports claim that an obscure security exploit allowed malicious hackers to access user contact and photo data without using a passcode. A closer investigation of the bug reveal that hackers exploited the unpatched bug by using a combination of 3D Touch, Siri and a some system settings. Despite the seriousness of the problem, Apple claims that the bug only affects a tiny fraction of its massive user base.
Apple recently confirmed that the Siri exploit was fixed. An Apple representative confirmed to the Washington Post that the issue was fixed and that most consumers should have received the patch with the need for a software update.