Apple on Wednesday halted code signing of iOS 13.1.2 and iOS 13.1.3 following public release of iOS 13.2, ensuring users are running the most up-to-date version of the mobile operating system.
As usual, Apple ceased code signing just over one week after issuing iOS 13.2 at the end of October.
The latest iOS revision, which launched alongside iPadOS 13.2, delivers support for AirPods Pro, Apple's new noise-cancelling earbuds. In addition, the current iOS version includes a collection of 70 new emoji characters, a setting to opt in or out of the Siri grading program, Deep Fusion for iPhone 11 and 11 Pro, HomeKit Secure Video and various bug fixes.
With the change, users can no longer download iOS 13.1.2 or 13.1.3 from Apple servers.
Apple routinely stops signing legacy code after the release of a new iOS build in part to protect customers from nefarious actors attempting to take advantage of newly discovered vulnerabilities. In addition to security, preventing users from downloading older code allows Apple to keep more iOS devices on the latest, feature-rich software.
Apple is currently testing a first beta version of iOS 13.3, which delivers a handful of minor tweaks and fixes to the platform.
While not confirmed, the forthcoming update could rectify apparent app multitasking issues introduced with the latest iOS 13.2. Users have reported system management issues that force apps to shut down or refresh in the background despite only moderate foreground RAM usage.