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Apple iOS 14.1 is here, bringing new features and lots of fixes, following the (surprisingly problematic) version of iOS 14.0.1. Unfortunately, it also reintroduces a family flaw. Here is everything you need to know.
Tip: Bookmark this page because I’ll keep it updated if / when new issues are found. I will give my final verdict in a week.
Apple iOS 14
For whom?
Apple iOS 14.1 has been released for all iOS 13 compatible devices. That means the newest, 7th-generation iPhone 6S and iPod touch. An update notification should arrive automatically, but if not, you can activate it manually by navigating to Settings> General> Software update. Beta testers, if you are running iOS 14.2 (see ‘The way ahead’ section at the end), you need to unregister your iPhone for iOS 14.1 for it to appear.
IPad owners, Apple has moved it to iPadOS. This is not an iPadOS-centric guide, but I will address pertinent issues in these guides.
The Deal Breakers
Jailbreakers, stay away. Unc0ver is still stuck on iOS 13.5 at press time and while checkra1n is jailbroken from iOS 14 (not iOS 14.1), it is currently restricted to Apple devices running A9 (X) and earlier chipsets.
Perhaps the biggest deal breaker in iOS 14.1, however, is that it reintroduces a variant of the bug in iOS 14 where your choice of default mail and browser apps is reset. First seen on Twitter and confirmed by The Verge, after installing iOS 14.1, whenever third-party email and browser apps are updated, your selections will be removed and you will revert to Apple Mail and Safari. There is no easy fix for this, and Apple will need to issue another iOS update to fix it.
Other than this, some iOS 14.0.1 bugs supposedly fixed in iOS 14.1 continue to affect users, including sending emails from wrong alias, WiFi performance issues, broken widgets and Apple Music crazy. There are also more reports than usual about battery drain. It’s important to remember that iOS / iPadOS updates cause increased battery drain for a few days after the update while they reindex the device, but I’ll keep an eye on this.
So what do you get?
Apple lists the following updates and fixes for iOS 14.1:
- Adds support for 10-bit HDR video playback and editing in Photos for iPhone 8 and later
- Fixes an issue where some widgets, folders, and icons appeared reduced in size on the home screen.
- Fixes an issue where dragging widgets onto the Home Screen could remove apps from folders
- Fixes an issue where some emails in Mail were sent from the wrong alias.
- Fixes an issue that could prevent incoming calls from displaying region information.
- Addresses an issue on some devices where selection of expanded display mode and an alphanumeric passcode could cause the emergency call button on the lock screen to overlap with the text entry box
- Addresses an issue where some users were occasionally unable to download or add songs to their library while viewing an album or playlist.
- Fixes an issue that could prevent zeros from appearing in the Calculator.
- Resolves an issue where the resolution of the video stream might be temporarily lowered at the start of playback
- Addresses an issue that prevented setting up a family member’s Apple Watch for some users.
- Resolves an issue where the Apple Watch case material was displayed incorrectly in the Apple Watch app
- Addresses an issue in the Files app that could cause some MDM-managed cloud service providers to incorrectly display content as unavailable
- Improves compatibility with Ubiquiti wireless access points
This is a curiously light update for a ‘major point’ release and several of the fixes (as noted above) don’t work for everyone. Surprisingly, iOS 14.1 is also not listed on Apple’s official security page, so it is unclear if there are no security patches at launch or if the company has been late in updating the page. I will update this article if it appears.
Apple iOS 14.1 Verdict: Stay Away
iOS 14.1 fixes several bugs, but also (re) introduces a widespread one by resetting third-party browser and users’ default email apps. Those who stick to Apple Mail and Safari may still want to take the plunge, but if they already enjoy a mostly bug-free experience, there is no real gain in upgrading to iOS 14.1. I will update this guide in a week with my final verdict.
The road ahead
Apple iOS 14.2 is currently in its fourth beta version and introduces new emojis, music recognition for the Control Center (think: built-in Shazam), a redesigned Now Playing widget, an improved interface for AirPlay (optimized for multi-device streaming) Improved, Apple card features and support for the upcoming HomePod intercom functionality.
That being said, unless iOS 14.2 is released in the next few weeks, I would expect iOS 14.1.1 to quickly crawl to fix third-party email and browser issues. Look at this space.
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