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After releasing iOS 15 to the general public, Apple stops signing iOS 14.8

Downgrade iOS 15

A couple of Mondays ago, Apple officially released iOS & iPadOS 15 to the general public with a slew of new features for Apple’s mobile device lineup following an extensive beta period throughout the Summer months.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Apple’s move to launch a new firmware version for its platforms has now been complemented with the unsigning of the previously current firmware — iOS & iPadOS 14.8.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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.