Users of some older iOS devices have been warned that they must update to the latest iOS release by November 3rd or risk losing access to the app store, web browser, and more.
Apple has announced that users of the iPhone 5, iPhone 4s, and some iPads will need to update to a newer version of iOS by November 3 in order to maintain access the App Store, iCloud, email, and web browsing. It says that this is due to a "GPS time rollover issue that began affecting GPS-enabled products from other manufacturers on April 6, 2019" and will affect services that require the correct time to use.
Updating before the deadline is particularly critical because the over-the-air update and iCloud backup functions themselves will also be affected on November 3rd, after which time the only way to fix it will be to connect your phone to a PC or Mac and use the backup and restore feature.
The devices affected are:
- iPhone 5
- iPad (4th generation)
- iPhone 4s
- iPad mini (1st generation)
- iPad 2 (CDMA models only)
- iPad (3rd generation)
The iPhone 5 and 4th generation iPad will need to be updated to iOS 10.3.4, while the others will be updated to iOS 9.3.6. Users have been urged to always keep their devices up to date anyway as updates and security patches are regularly released to close exploits and loopholes that can be used to hack your phone and steal your data.
A vulnerable device is not just a threat to your own information security but also to others, as hacked devices connected to the internet can be used as part of a denial of service attack to shut down other users. As millions of new smartphones and smart devices come online every year, old devices without key security updates now pose a significant security risk.
Source: Apple Support, BBC News
