Apple no longer signing iOS 7.1.2, closing the downgrade window

iOS 7.1.2

Apple has finally ceased signing iOS 7.1.2 today, notes hacker iH8sn0w, more than a week after releasing iOS 8 . This means that you can no longer downgrade to the older firmware from iOS 8.x, or upgrade to it from older versions.

This is a big deal for jailbreakers, as 7.1.2 is the latest firmware that can be jailbroken, and there won’t be one on iOS 8 for the foreseeable future. But it also affects average users too, as those not happy with iOS 8 can no longer revert.

For those unfamiliar with the process, Apple typically stops signing older firmware shortly after releasing updates. This helps ensure that users are running the latest version of iOS, which lessens fragmentation and plugs security holes.

That Apple continued signing iOS 7.1.2 for more than a week is a bit unusual—given that last year the window after iOS 7 was released only lasted 3 days. We can’t say that it was too surprising though, given the issues with iOS 8 and 8.0.1.