
Apple's decision to stop signing iOS 7.1.2 is not unusual, as the company often stops signing prior versions of iOS shortly after the release of a new version of iOS. iOS 8, the latest Apple mobile operating system, was released to the public on September 17.
iOS 7.1.2 does, however, remain available for iPhone 4 users, as the iOS 8 operating system can only be installed on the iPhone 4s and later.
Released on June 30, iOS 7.1.2 is the latest version of iOS 7, which included minor bug fixes, security improvements, and a fix for an email attachment encryption issue.
Article Link: Apple Ceases Signing iOS 7.1.2, Downgrading No Longer Possible
I throw myself on the mercy of the court and plead pure ignorance as I have never had to downgrade an OS or even though of it before 8.0. True it's very sluggish on my 4S, but I'm likely to replace it with the 6+ before too long. Again, thank you for letting me know what's up with IPSWs