Apple has stopped signing the recent iPadOS 17.7.7 update for older iPads because of app logging issues, and will re-release it later when a fix is available.
If your favorite iPad apps are logging you out, behaving as if freshly installed, you’re not alone. According to complaints on Reddit, MacRumors Forums and Apple Support Community, the problem manifests itself after updating to iPadOS 17.7.7.
MacRumors reports that Apple has now stopped signing iPadOS 17.7.7 without providing a reason for the move, but I think the reason is pretty clear. At any rate, owners of older iPads will no longer be able to install an over-the-air update until Apple resolves the app logging issue and re-releases iPadOS 17.7.7 with a fix.
Apple stops signing iPadOS 17.7.7 over app logging issues
iPadOS 17.7.7 was released on May 12, 2025, alongside iPadOS 18.5 and other updates. Apple only releases bug fixes and security patches for older devices that cannot run its latest operating systems, and this was one of such updates.
iPadOS 17.7.7 fixes more than two dozen vulnerabilities and bugs, but sometimes these updates can introduce new bugs—and that’s exactly what seems to be the case with iPadOS 17.7.7. The app logging issue affects the sixth-generation iPad, the 10.5-inch iPad Pro and the second-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
The problem appears to affect all apps, including YouTube, Wikipedia, Duck Duck Go, Letterboxd and others. Every time an app is launched, it behaves as if it were installed for the first time. In Procreate, for example, you’re greeted with example artworks. The YouTube app wants you to log in each time. You may also loose your progress in games that don’t save data in iCloud.
Are there any workarounds?
None of the standard troubleshooting fixes seem to work, including turning off Screen Time restrictions, removing configuration profiles and making sure Safari cookies and password saving are enabled.
Nuclear solutions such as reseting all settings on the device or performing a complete factory reset and setting up the device again as new (without restoring from a saved backup) also do nothing to fix or alleviate the app logging problem.
These issues are clear signs that iPadOS 17.7.7 is reverting apps back to their initial screens. As a result, the app doesn’t remember your progress and acts like it’s freshly installed, requiring you to log in each time you open it.
Why does Apple sign software updates?
Apple cryptographically signs all its software, including operating system updates. This enables it to perform verification before you update your device. If a server-side check fails, the update doesn’t show up in the Software Update interface.
The system was designed to prevent installation of unsigned software. In other words, whenever Apple stops signing a specific iOS version, anyone who has updated to a newer version is no longer able to downgrade to the pulled update.