iPad Pro iPadOS 16 updates have stopped in a post-17 world?

[mattspace]

I just noticed my iPad Pro (current gen 11") hasn't been receiving the security updates for iOS 16 since 16.7.2, and they're not listed as available in settings. I was under the impression that Apple had changed policy to stop using security updates as a way to push people to newer full-version OS updates.

Is that not the case? Or, is there a nuance to it I hadn't discovered?

 

[Digitalguy]

what do you mean, you can't update to iPadOS 17(.3)?

 

[Jim Lahey]

I would just stick with 16.7.2 and roll the dice. With the absolute clear and present danger of the EU's Chat Control and the UK's pending amendments to its Investigatory Powers Act currently in the House of Lords, we aren't far away from government being a far greater risk to our privacy than the likelihood of being targeted by hackers. The UK aims to become the worldwide arbiter of big tech software updates, with additional power to secretly veto security patches that it doesn't like.

https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...ecretly-veto-global-user-protections.2417840/

 

[FeliApple]

Apple has not changed policy. They still disallow this.

 

[mattspace]

what do you mean, you can't update to iPadOS 17(.3)?

No, as it it's not listing 16.7.3 onwards as update options. There were several 16.x updates released after 17 that people with 17 compatible devices could use, if they didn't want to move to the newer feature-update OS.

 

[mattspace]

Apple has not changed policy. They still disallow this.

This:

Apple is going to let you stay on older versions of iOS longer

Not ready to upgrade to iOS 15 yet? Not a problem!

www.androidpolice.com

is the policy to which I was referring.

 

[Jim Lahey]

No, as it it's not listing 16.7.3 onwards as update options. There were several 16.x updates released after 17 that people with 17 compatible devices could use, if they didn't want to move to the newer feature-update OS.

I’m maxed out at 16.7.2 on iPhone. Next available listed update is 17.3 👍

 

[FeliApple]

This:

Apple is going to let you stay on older versions of iOS longer

Not ready to upgrade to iOS 15 yet? Not a problem!

www.androidpolice.com

is the policy to which I was referring.

That is temporary. They temporarily allow both, but they later disallow staying on the same major version.

If the whole point of that is “security”, then it’s pointless, in my opinion.

I’d just keep your iPad on its original iOS version, it’ll work fine forever.

 

[chrfr]

I’d upgrade. 17.3 works very well on iPads. There are no performance negatives to being on 17, especially so for devices that have M1 and M2 processors.

 

[Digitalguy]

This:

Apple is going to let you stay on older versions of iOS longer

Not ready to upgrade to iOS 15 yet? Not a problem!

www.androidpolice.com

is the policy to which I was referring.

As already mentioned by FeliApple, this policy has long been abandoned... So if you care about security you have to update (I don't but I updated because of features). I only stayed on 16 (or 15) for now with devices with 4GB RAM or less, but updated anything with 6GB or 8GB. No major issues. Again I don't do it for security, I couldn't care less about security on iPadOS, risks are virtually 0.

 

[mattspace]

I’d upgrade. 17.3 works very well on iPads. There are no performance negatives to being on 17, especially so for devices that have M1 and M2 processors.

my concern is more breaking edge case stuff - for example, my ipad when connected via sidecar, even if its screen is locked, allows old pre-subscription versions of SketchUP to show dimensions correctly oriented on my mac.

Yes it's weird, but just connecting to sidecar changes the way OpenGL works on a Mac, so measurements in SketchUP aren't backwards and upside-down.

 

[darngooddesign]

I just noticed my iPad Pro (current gen 11") hasn't been receiving the security updates for iOS 16 since 16.7.2, and they're not listed as available in settings. I was under the impression that Apple had changed policy to stop using security updates as a way to push people to newer full-version OS updates.

Is that not the case? Or, is there a nuance to it I hadn't discovered?

My 2015 9.7" iPad Pro recently received the 16.7.5 security/bugfix update.

 

[mattspace]

My 2015 9.7" iPad Pro recently received the 16.7.5 security/bugfix update.

yeah, it seems 16.x updates are till being made available for devices that don't support 17.

 

[darngooddesign]

yeah, it seems 16.x updates are till being made available for devices that don't support 17.

Its fun to think that every action is nefarious, but really the truth is much simpler.

Apple security releases - Apple Support

This document lists security updates and Rapid Security Responses for Apple software.

support.apple.com

 

[winxmac]

I have both iPhone 11 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro Max running iOS 16.7 and was hoping to be able to download minor updates to iOS 16 but that is no longer possible and the reason I decided to keep my iPhone 14 Pro Max instead of selling it for some cash...

They should have limited iOS 17 for A14 Bionic devices and newer while iPadOS 17 for A12 Bionic devices and newer...

 

[Member2010]

I'd say that this is "classic" Apple forced obsolescence software garbage, but the phenomenon is actually somewhat recent (since Jobs left the company, at least).

 

[mattspace]

Its fun to think that every action is nefarious, but really the truth is much simpler.

View attachment 2345771

Apple security releases - Apple Support

This document lists security updates and Rapid Security Responses for Apple software.

support.apple.com

That doesn't explain anything.

That just states the situation - Apple is refusing to provide 16.x updates for devices that are 17.x capable, despite the fact they were doing it up to 16.7.2 (which post-dated the release of 17), which is now 3 point versions of security updates out of date.

So your choice is update to 17 and risk edge-case breakage, for which there isn't a rollback option, or sit on an insecure OS version (with that passive-aggressive red dot on the setting app icon).

 

[IngoX]

I'd say that this is "classic" Apple forced obsolescence software garbage, but the phenomenon is actually somewhat recent (since Jobs left the company, at least).

Well, as long as Jobs were here you actually had to buy every major Mac OS X release if you wanted to update your computer, remember? Last one was 10.8 Mountain Lion for $19 in 2012, so it is an even more recent phenomenon to get major updates for free… 😛

Regarding iOS, what I can recall it has always been that Apple wants to push out the latest major version software to all units that are compatible, but also have had a good track record providing critical security updates to units stuck on older iOS-versions.

Problem is for those who voluntarily want to stick to older versions.

 

[Reverend Benny]

my concern is more breaking edge case stuff - for example, my ipad when connected via sidecar, even if its screen is locked, allows old pre-subscription versions of SketchUP to show dimensions correctly oriented on my mac.

Yes it's weird, but just connecting to sidecar changes the way OpenGL works on a Mac, so measurements in SketchUP aren't backwards and upside-down.

I've been using 17.3 for a while and it works fine but you state a good case for looking into it a bit further before upgrading.

I can imagine (guessing here) that features like sidecar works better with every new OS version, just as Stage manager has developed. But having said that, I wouldn't have a clue how that affects pre-subscription versions SketchUP.
Maybe its something you can email the SketchUP and hopefully get a proper answer from?

I don't use the sidecar but I can imagine that it's prob a good idea to also update the Mac to the latest version if you are going for that on the iPad.

 

[Member2010]

Well, as long as Jobs were here you actually had to buy every major Mac OS X release if you wanted to update your computer, remember? Last one was 10.8 Mountain Lion for $19 in 2012, so it is an even more recent phenomenon to get major updates for free… 😛

Regarding iOS, what I can recall it has always been that Apple wants to push out the latest major version software to all units that are compatible, but also have had a good track record providing critical security updates to units stuck on older iOS-versions.

Problem is for those who voluntarily want to stick to older versions.

I'm actually fine with that if the alternative is cutting off support for older models arbitrarily early and making the development tools incapable of compiling for anything but the most recent 2-3 versions of OSX. It's just exhausting.

As for iOS, I don't care much about the "security" stuff. What irks me is that they don't readily provide newest-compatible-versions of software on the official outlet as a means to encourage people to replace devices unnecessarily.

 

[darngooddesign]

...

 

[FeliApple]

Regarding iOS, what I can recall it has always been that Apple wants to push out the latest major version software to all units that are compatible, but also have had a good track record providing critical security updates to units stuck on older iOS-versions.

Problem is for those who voluntarily want to stick to older versions.

Yeah, this has always been the case, sadly. With iOS’ obliteration policy coupled with the inability to freely downgrade, it’s not a good solution.

Luckily, Apple allows those of us who value performance, stability, and battery life to stay behind without too much hassle.

 

[bw44]

My wife’s older IPad Pro was eligible for upgrading to iPadOS 17; the updates appeared under Settings.
No updates appeared for 16 after 16.7.2 until sometime in the last month or so. Now the ONLY update available is 16.7.5; 17.3.1 isn’t an option under Settings.

Why is it not showing an update to 17.3.1 being available? Will I be able to update it to 17.3.x if I update it to 16.7.5 first? (I know I could just try it, but would like to know what the possibilities are!)

 

[IngoX]

Which iPad Pro model is it?

The original 12.9” and 9.7” model were only compatible with iPadOS 16 while the 2nd gen 12.9” and 10.5” model can take the current iPadOS 17.

 

[darngooddesign]

My wife’s older IPad Pro was eligible for upgrading to iPadOS 17; the updates appeared under Settings.
No updates appeared for 16 after 16.7.2 until sometime in the last month or so. Now the ONLY update available is 16.7.5; 17.3.1 isn’t an option under Settings.

Why is it not showing an update to 17.3.1 being available? Will I be able to update it to 17.3.x if I update it to 16.7.5 first? (I know I could just try it, but would like to know what the possibilities are!)

Yes, you will be able to update to the latest 17.3.x if you update it to 16.7.5 first.