Downgrade

One week after releasing iOS 14.8, Apple stops signing iOS 14.7.1

Anthony Bouchard ∙ September 20, 2021

Apple released iOS & iPadOS 14.8 last Monday to patch serious vulnerabilities that could have been weaponized by hackers to run malicious code on others’ iPhones and iPads via iMessage. Most owners of these devices were advised to update without hesitation, except perhaps jailbreakers, given the gravity of what these vulnerabilities could have entailed.

Now that it’s been a week since that software update, it may come as no surprise that Apple has officially closed the signing window for iOS & iPadOS 14.7.1, the firmware that pre-dated iOS & iPadOS 14.8.

Apple stops signing iOS 14.7, hindering downgrades from iOS 14.7.1

Anthony Bouchard ∙ August 2, 2021

In a somewhat predictable fashion, Apple closed the short-lived signing window for iOS & iPadOS 14.7 on Monday, almost one full week after unleashing iOS & iPadOS 14.7.1 upon the general public with important bug fixes and security patches for its mobile devices.

Apple no longer signing iOS 14.6 following the launch of iOS 14.7 (& iOS 14.7.1)

Anthony Bouchard ∙ July 26, 2021

Following a lengthy beta testing period involving developers and volunteer participants, Apple officially released iOS & iPadOS 14.7 to the public last week with a long list of new features and improvements for iPhones and iPads alike. But no software update from Apple comes without the bitter aftertaste.

Just as Apple always does after releasing a major software update, the company closed the signing window for iOS & iPadOS 14.6, which makes it substantially more difficult for iPhone and iPad users to downgrade to the older firmware version if they’ve already updated the device(s) to iOS or iPadOS 14.7, or perhaps the newer yet iOS or iPadOS 14.7.1.

How to downgrade macOS 12 beta to macOS Big Sur

Siddharth Suvarna ∙ Updated June 8, 2023

We recently published a guide on how to install the all new macOS 12 developer beta on your Mac. Now, if you aren't happy with the upgrade and have come across problems, you probably want to downgrade. As a beta, you may face issues with third-party apps, stability issues, and so on. The new macOS 12 brings several new features and improvements, but isn't a major leap in terms of user interface.

Apple stops signing iOS 14.5.1, thwarting downgrades from the newer iOS 14.6

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated September 21, 2021

Apple released iOS & iPadOS 14.6 to the public in May with some improvements for the company’s mobile operating systems, and as we know with most of Apple’s mobile software updates, they typically come closely trailed by the un-signing of the previous version.

That’s the case this evening, as it appears that Apple has officially stopped signing iOS & iPadOS 14.5.1. With this move, iPhone and iPad owners will no longer be able to easily downgrade from the newer iOS & iPadOS 14.6 using traditional methods.

Apple halts downgrades to iOS 14.5 following last week’s iOS 14.5.1 release

Anthony Bouchard ∙ May 10, 2021

In a typical Apple fashion, the Cupertino-based iPhone and iPad manufacturer has stopped signing both iOS & iPadOS 14.5 after the newer iOS & iPadOS 14.5.1 firmware has been available to the general public for one week.

Apple’s decision to stop signing iOS & iPadOS 14.5 means that those who’ve upgraded to iOS or iPadOS 14.5.1 can no longer easily downgrade to the previous firmware. Likewise, those using even older versions of iOS or iPadOS will be compelled to upgrade to version 14.5.1 instead of being able to manually install 14.5 via Finder or iTunes.

Apple stops signing iOS 14.4.2, preventing downgrades from newer firmware

Anthony Bouchard ∙ May 3, 2021

After officially launching the highly anticipated iOS & iPadOS 14.5 update a week ago with support for Face ID authentication while wearing a mask and 5G connectivity whilst utilizing dual SIM mode among other things, it should come as no surprise to anyone that nearly one week later the Cupertino-based company is pulling the plug on the previous iOS & iPadOS version — 14.4.2.

Apple’s decision to stop signing iOS & iPadOS 14.4.2 means that iPhone and iPad users will be unable to downgrade to this particular version of Apple’s mobile operating systems under most circumstances, with the lone exception being that users have their .shsh2 blobs saved from a time when that firmware was being signed.

Apple closes signing window for iOS & iPadOS 14.4.1, halting downgrades

Anthony Bouchard ∙ April 2, 2021

Apple released iOS & iPadOS 14.4.2 last Friday alongside iOS 12.5.2 for older devices that don’t support iOS & iPadOS 14 in an effort to remedy a WebKit-based security vulnerability that the company had knowledge of being actively exploited in the wild to maliciously impact its user base.

Given the amount of time that has passed since the release of those updates, we’re unsurprised to learn that Apple has officially stopped signing iOS & iPadOS 14.4.1 this evening. It’s a move on the company’s part that bars the majority end users from voluntarily downgrading their handset’s firmware to the previous version.

Apple halts downgrades to iOS 14.4 after releasing iOS 14.4.1

Anthony Bouchard ∙ March 20, 2021

Apple released iOS & iPadOS 14.4.1 last Monday alongside similar updates for macOS and watchOS with security vulnerability patches. But as many already know with Apple’s rather frequent software updates, it’s never long after a release before the company stops signing the previous version of its mobile operating system(s).

Such is the case with iOS & iPadOS 14.4, which Apple stopped officially signing just this evening. This move on the Cupertino-based tech giant’s part means that iPhone, iPad, and even iPod touch users will no longer be able to downgrade their firmware from iOS or iPadOS 14.4.1 to the older iOS or iPadOS 14.4 release.

New FutureRestore GUI makes unsigned iOS downgrades and upgrades more approachable

Anthony Bouchard ∙ March 9, 2021

Excellent news for those who’ve been wanting to take advantage of futurerestore to downgrade or upgrade to an unsigned version of iOS or iPadOS – you’re no longer limited to using command line interfaces (CLI) to do so.

On Monday, the community was pleasantly surprised by the release of a new user-friendly and Java-based futurerestore application for macOS dubbed FutureRestore GUI (GUI of course stands for graphical user interface).

Guide to futurerestore: Introduction

Joaquim Barbosa ∙ March 8, 2021

This is an introductory article which explains what futurerestore is and how it works, as well as how to follow our futurerestore guides to upgrade/downgrade your device.

Before attempting any of the guides, everyone should read this article. It explains whether the guides apply to you, and if they do, which ones you should follow, as well as making sure that you fulfil the requirements for it to work. Not everyone can use futurerestore.

Guide to futurerestore Part 1: How to set a generator

Joaquim Barbosa ∙ March 8, 2021

This is Part 1 of a two-part guide on how to use futurerestore.

Before attempting this guide, everyone should read the introductory article, Guide to futurerestore: Introduction. It will explain whether this guide applies to you, as well as making sure that you fulfil the requirements for it to work.

If you currently have a jailbreak and you want to move to a different firmware with futurerestore’s generator mode, you must follow this guide first before following Part 2.

If you currently have no jailbreak, and you want to move to a different firmware with futurerestore’s Apnonce collision mode, you can skip this guide and head straight to Part 2. This method does not apply to most users.