iPhone and iPad users hanging on to older devices will no longer be able to restore or downgrade to several older iOS versions starting today. Here are the details.
Only older iPhones and iPads affected
As spotted by Aaron Perris on X, Apple stopped signing over-the-air (OTA) and direct IPSW installs for several older iPads and iPhones:
This means that starting today, Apple will no longer validate:
- IPSW installs of iOS 10.3.3 on the GSM and CDMA iPhone 5c;
- OTA installs of iOS 8.4.1, and IPSW installs of iOS 9.3.5 and iOS 9.3.6 on the iPad mini Wi-Fi + Cellular;
- OTA installs of iOS 6.1.3 and iOS 8.4.1, and IPSW installs of iOS 9.3.5 and iOS 9.3.6 on the CDMA iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G;
As a reminder, Apple split iOS and iPadOS starting with iPadOS 13, which means that iPads running older system versions ran iOS. Interestingly, iOS 10.3.4 came out only for the iPhone 5, while the iPhone 5c topped out with iOS 10.3.3. So it is possible that the iPhone 5 is also affected by today’s signing changes.
While it is more common for Apple to stop signing more recent versions of iOS and iPadOS, generally days after releasing important security fixes for newer releases, the company also occasionally stops signing older versions for legacy devices.
Of course, this move affects a relatively small percentage of its user base. However, it still closes off restore and install paths for users who keep legacy devices around for testing, app compatibility, or preservation.
Do you still own any of the affected devices? Let us know in the comments.
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