Apple released iOS & iPadOS 17.0 as 2023’s major new software upgrade for iPhones and iPads, which as you can probably guess, means that Apple really doesn’t want people downgrading back to the older iOS & iPadOS 16 firmware.
As a result, Apple has officially stopped signing iOS & iPadOS 16.6.1 this week in a move that prevents firmware downgrades from the newer iOS & iPadOS 17 firmware. Users attempting firmware downgrades via Finder on macOS or iTunes on Windows will instead find themselves greeted by a pop-up prompting them to restore and update instead.
It’s worth noting that A11 and older devices can’t install iOS 17, except for a small subset of iPads, so those devices will remain on iOS 16 indefinitely regardless of this change.
The unsigning process that Apple imposes on prospective firmware downgrades is certainly an unfortunate one, but there are workarounds. For example, A11 and older devices can take advantage of futurerestore to downgrade their device, while those seeking to upgrade from an older firmware to a newer unsigned firmware can use the DelayOTAmethod to do exactly that within 90 days of being unsigned.
Firmware downgrades are typically performed by those seeking to install firmware susceptible to exploits or jailbreaks, which might be one of the most significant driving factors in why Apple blocks them, but it’s worth noting that several legitimate reasons so exist for software downgrades, such as returning to stable firmware after a software update introduces bugs that impact the user experience. Examples of these happening recently include:
- iOS 16.0 over-prompting users on clipboard access when pasting copied content into another app
- iOS 14.7 breaking the Apple Watch’s ability to be unlocked with the host iPhone’s Touch ID sensor
- iOS & iPadOS 13.2 imposing incredibly aggressive background management on backgrounded apps
For what it’s worth, a jailbreak hasn’t been released for newer iOS & iPadOS 16 devices yet, so forcing people to iOS & iPadOS 17 doesn’t impact jailbreakers as much as you might think. Still, people generally stay on the lowest possible firmware when awaiting a jailbreak since these are the most likely versions to receive exploits and jailbreaks as opposed to the latest versions with the best security patches.
At iDB, we think users should be able to downgrade their version of iOS or iPadOS just like they can downgrade their version of macOS on their computer. Unfortunately, Apple prevents these moves in what can only be considered a heavy-handed control over its users, and we look forward to the day that legislation turns this around.
For now, you can look to see what version(s) of iOS or iPadOS are being signed for your device(s) by using the IPSW.me online utility. You can also visit our downloads page to get any firmware file you might need for your uses.
Are you upset to see that Apple has killed downgrades to iOS & iPadOS 16 following the new iOS & iPadOS 17 release? Let us know in the comments section down below.