Image Credit: Bethesda
Forgot password
Enter the email address you used when you joined and we'll send you instructions to reset your password.
If you used Apple or Google to create your account, this process will create a password for your existing account.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Reset password instructions sent. If you have an account with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or contact support if the problem persists.

Latest iPhone Update iOS 8.1 Will Prevent You From Running Emulators.

iOS update 8.1 will close a loophole that let you download console emulators for the platform.
This article is over 9 years old and may contain outdated information

For those of you who emulate older video games on your iPhone, Apple is putting an end to that practice. As of iOS 8.1, using emulators on your iPhone will become significantly more difficult. More specifically, this update will close a loophole that allowed people to download emulators without having to jailbreak their phones. This is despite jailbreaking being perfectly legal since 2010 (although it will void your warranty).

Recommended Videos
What is (was) the loophole?

The loophole, known colloquially as the Date Trick, involved you rolling back the date on your iPhone and then downloading emulators through Safari. The newest update will prevent this, although it’s not clear how it will work. Apple might force all iOS devices to sync themselves to a universal time, or, failing that, simply fix the bug at the root of this.

News of Apple fixing the loophole first came from the emulation community; specifically, the developers of the GBA emulator GBA4iOS. Apple releases iOS updates early for developers. Upon downloading the 8.1 beta, the GBA4iOS team wrote about the loophole fix. They write that:

“it’s already causing panic among iOS emulator aficionados… The Date Trick fuels the emulator communities nowadays… Without it, everything looks bleak.”


GameSkinny is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
Author