New iOS Update Kills Off Emulation

The next update to the iOS operating system will disable the use of emulators.

Currently in beta form, iOS 8.1 removes what is known as the 'date trick,' a workaround which allows non-jailbroken Apple devices to run unsigned software, namely emulators.

The date trick works by allowing users to log on to a website through the in-built Safari browser, then when installing an emulator app, the device's clock is set back by at least two months, which creates a loophole allowing for the installation of emulators.

GBA4iOS - a popular GameBoy Advance emulator - tester Dario Sepulveda writes that iOS 8.1 closes this loophole, in effect killing off any chances of emulation for Apple users unwilling to risk modifying their device.

'iOS 8.1 beta was seeded to developers yesterday and it's already causing panic among some iOS emulator aficionados,' says Sepulveda.

'It was reported to me almost immediately by a source that the date trick wasn't helping at all in installing GBA4iOS 2.0 - that's when worry started to set in and I decided to investigate.

'Unsurprisingly so, this was a long-time coming; we knew this would one day arrive. After the 'Date Trick' became famous earlier last year, our panic subsided and we learned to live a period of peace knowing that even though some of our favorite emulators' certificates were revoked by Apple, we could still install these emulators by rolling our date back - many came to believe it was something that would last. Developers like Riley Testut didn't lose any motivation knowing that their updates and hard work could still be acknowledged. Apple, it seems, had other plans.'

Sepulveda had hoped the removal of the exploit wasn't a permanent fixture. However, since testing out the latest version of the beta, Sepulveda believe the removal is here to stay.

'iOS 8.1 Beta 2 is out and I can confirm that it continues to block the date trick for emulator installations. Well, I guess this is it, guys!

'It's a hard thing to live in the complicated, often misunderstood gray area of things and watch the things you love being killed. As of now, there is nothing we can do to prevent that but use what we have learned, try to adapt and move on.'

Wesley Copeland is a freelancer news writer, but you probably already guessed that. For more obvious statements, you should probably follow him on Twitter.