GroundControl Compatibility with iOS 14

Created: Modified: Knowledge Base

Imprivata  GroundControl 4.10.2 includes limited support for iOS 14. Customers with dedicated servers prior to 4.10.1 can test this new version on our UAT environment.

This update includes  enhancements to support Apple iOS 14 and other bug fixes. Release notes for 4.10.1+ are available on the Imprivata Support Portal.

Launchpad Support Matrix for iOS 14
Workflow Actions 4.10 - Mac4.10 - Win4.10.1 - Mac4.10.1 - Win4.10.2 - Win
Erase devices
Provision erased devices
Check In/Out
Upgrade to iOS 14✔*✔*
Recovery Mode✔*✔*

*Requires MobileDevice update.

Preparing for iOS 14

Due to incompatibility, GroundControl will prevent Launchpads 4.10 and older from unintentionally upgrading devices to iOS 14. Workflows that include an iOS Update action will skip the Update iOS action, and the workflow will succeed ignoring the iOS update.

Please note Apple is no longer signing iOS 13.7, so downgrades are no longer possible.

In order to properly support iOS 14, we suggest customers take the following actions:

  1. Avoid iOS 14 until Launchpad 4.10.1 is installed.
  2. Set your MDM to delay over the air updates for 90 days.
  3. Upgrade your Macs to use the latest MobileDevice.
    •  Do not upgrade iTunes for Windows until you upgrade your Launchpads to 4.10.2.
  4. Test your workflows with the 4.10.1 and 4.10.2 Launchpads.
  5. Familiarize yourself with the known issues, below.
How to Access GroundControl Betas

If you would like to test a beta version of our Launchpad software in an isolated, sandbox environment, please contact Imprivata support to gain access to our UAT environment.

As always, we encourage you to test early and test often!

Known Issues with GroundControl 4.10.1
  • Recovery Mode and upgrades to iOS 14 are not yet supported on Launchpad 4.10.1 for Windows. This will be supported with Launchpad 4.10.2.
  • The latest Windows iTunes 12.10.9.3 (released September 16th, 2020) is not compatible with Launchpad 4.10 or 4.10.1. If you have updated to this version of iTunes or MobileDevice components, you will need to fully uninstall it and roll back to 12.10.8.5 or earlier. See more information about iTunes and MobileDevice requirements here.
  • We have seen both GroundControl and Apple Configurator fail to fully dismiss setup screens when provisioning iOS 14 devices. Devices occasionally remain on the “Hello” screen and fail to load MDM apps. We have reported this to Apple and continue to research. Tapping the screen allows provisioning to proceed. If you require unattended provisioning we recommend remaining on iOS 13 for now.
Other Changes

Imprivata GroundControl no longer supports restore from backup on iOS 14 DEP devices.

Resolved in 4.10.2 — Windows Only
  • Support for iTunes 12.10.9.3 or later
  • Support for recovery mode and upgrading devices to iOS 14