Apple released iOS 14.2 last week, and as is traditional, Apple has now stopped signing iOS 14.1, making downgrading to that version of iOS no longer possible.
iOS 14.2 was a big update that included the following:
– Over 100 new emoji, including animals, food, faces, household objects, musical instruments, gender-inclusive emoji, and more
– Eight new wallpapers in both light and dark mode versions
– Magnifier can detect people nearby, and report their distance using the LiDAR sensor included in iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max
– Support for iPhone 12 Leather Sleeve with MagSafe
– Optimized battery charging for AirPods to slow the rate of battery aging by reducing the time your AirPods spends fully charged
– Headphone audio level notifications to alert you when audio level could impact your hearing
– New AirPlay controls to stream entertainment throughout your home
– Intercom support with HomePod and HomePod mini using iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods, and CarPlay
– Ability to connect HomePod to Apple TV 4K for stereo, surround sound, and Dolby Atmos audio
– Option to provide statistics about Exposure Notifications, without identifying you, to participating Public Health AuthoritiesThis release also fixes the following issues:
– Apps could be out of order on the Home Screen dock
– Camera viewfinder may appear black when launched
– The keyboard on the Lock Screen could miss touches when trying to enter the passcode
– Reminders could default to times in the past
– Photos widget may not display content
– Weather widget could display the high temperature in Celsius when set to Fahrenheit
– Next-hour precipitation chart description in Weather could incorrectly indicate when precipitation stops
– Voice Memos recordings are interrupted by incoming calls
– The screen could be black during Netflix video playback
– Apple Cash could fail to send or receive money when asked via Siri
– Apple Watch app may unexpectedly close when opened
– Workout GPS routes or Health data are prevented from syncing between Apple Watch and iPhone for some users
– Audio is incorrectly labeled as “Not Playing” in the CarPlay Dashboard
– Devices could be prevented from charging wirelessly
– Exposure Notifications is disabled when restoring iPhone from iCloud Backup or transferring data to a new iPhone using iPhone Migration
Apple is known to routinely stop signing older versions of operating systems after it releases a public update, as part of an effort to encourage users to keep their devices’ operating systems up to date.