Google hasn’t updated the vast majority of its iOS services since December. These applications are now displaying messages from “This application is out of date” when trying to sign in to Google.
Update: About an hour after this problem came up, Google removed the warning. All login attempts go immediately to the password entry field.
You must update this application. The version you are using does not include the latest security features to keep you protected. Continue only if you understand the risks.
This notice (identified by Spencer Dailey) appears after you enter your email address in apps that haven’t seen an update since mid-December. This includes Gmail, YouTube, Google Search, Maps, Photos and Drive. Users can “Continue” to enter their password, but many after seeing the message would be inclined to visit the App Store and look for a new version.
At the end of last month, we reported that the company updated three applications (Fiber, Play Movies & TV and Translate). In these Google applications, there is no “out of date” notice, while Google Workspace / G Suite addresses do not generate this error.
The problem today probably has more to do with Google’s system of accounts flagging older versions of these apps than with a real security issue.
The lack of updates comes amid speculation that Google was not updating its iOS apps to avoid Apple’s app privacy label. As of December, iPhone and iPad developers are required to list their privacy practices on the App Store.
Google on two occasions this year has reiterated that it would add privacy labels to all of its applications as new versions are released. Disclosures are available on more than a dozen applications today, including YouTube.
As Google’s iOS apps are updated with new features or to fix bugs, you’ll see updates on our list of app pages that include the new App Privacy Details. These labels represent the maximum categories of data that can be collected – that is, if you use all the features and services available in the application.
More about Google on iOS
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