By AppleInsider Staff
Tuesday, June 27, 2017, 05:16 pm PT (08:16 pm ET)

Apple on Tuesday stopped signing code for iOS 10.3.1, halting downloads and installations of the legacy operating system in favor of iOS 10.3.2.

As usual, the move comes over one month after Apple issued iOS 10.3.2 in May. The most recent iOS revision was released publicly after a month-long beta period, and contains only minor bug fixes and performance improvements.

Apple regularly stops signing code to prevent users from installing old iOS versions following the release of a new OS release. The strategy is employed as a security measure, ensuring users have the most up-to-date software running on their iPhone, iPad and iPod device. A halt to code signing also helps ease potential compatibility issues with new features and software.

After today, users can only download and install iOS 10.3.2 from Apple’s servers.

Apple is already well into testing of its next iOS 10 version, iOS 10.3.3, which will deliver the usual bug patches to consumers prior to this fall’s launch of iOS 11.

Unlike recent maintenance updates, iOS 11 incorporates a bevy of user-facing improvements and backend enhancements to Siri, Apple Pay, Photos and other first-party apps and services. The upcoming release packs in a boatload of new features for iPad, including drag-and-drop multitasking, deeper Apple Pencil integration and more.

For more information on iOS 11, make sure to check out AppleInsider’s “Inside iOS 11” series.