Apple Releases iPadOS and iOS 15.7.1 With Important Security Fixes

[m.dricu]

Have you manage to clean install with 15.7.1 IPSW file? Downloaded mine from ioshacker and kept getting this pop up "This iPhone could not be restored. Declined to authorize this image on this device for this user."

Wonder if it's signed or OTA update only.

I’ve tried the steps here and worked effortlessly:

How To Downgrade iOS 16.0.2 To IOS 15.7 Without Losing Data

Are you trying to download iOS 16.0.2 to iOS 15.7? Yes, it’s still possible to downgrade to iOS 15.7 without losing data! Here is how to!

www.iphonetricks.org

 

[eastworm]

Okay, I finally updated my iPhone 8 with a clean install. This post is for @eastworm who has asked me, and for everyone else who may be considering avoiding OTA updates in favor of using the IPSW through Finder in Mac.

It is not possible to restore or update through the computer (using the iOS 15.7.1 IPSW) any iPhone eligible for iOS 16, and I suspect the same is happening with iPad. Apple is not signing the 15.7.1 IPSW files for iPhones that can be updated to iOS 16. Yes, there are IPSW files, but if Apple doesn’t sign them, they are pretty much useless.

So what did I do? Apple is still signing iOS 15.7, so I downloaded the IPSW files and restored my iPhone to that version. It’s better than staying in 15.4 right? Yeah there are some security holes here and there but at least now my iPhone is more secure than before.

So hurry up if you want to update your iPhone to 15.7, Apple might not be signing the IPSW for many more days, maybe hours.

By the way, regarding iOS 15.7 performance, so far, so good. Very smooth animations and transitions on an old iPhone 8, also the keyboard is very responsive, something it wasn’t on iOS 15.4

Hope that helps.

Thanks for the update bro, at least i know it's not my phone problem.

Btw, did you also get the same error pop out "This iPhone could not be restored. Declined to authorize this image on this device for this user." when u try to restore 15.7.1?

 

[Populus]

Thanks for the update bro, at least i know it's not my phone problem.

Btw, did you also get the same error pop out "This iPhone could not be restored. Declined to authorize this image on this device for this user." when u try to restore 15.7.1?

Yeah, I think that was the pop up message, although I’m not sure of the wording.

I’ve tried the steps here and worked effortlessly:

How To Downgrade iOS 16.0.2 To IOS 15.7 Without Losing Data

Are you trying to download iOS 16.0.2 to iOS 15.7? Yes, it’s still possible to downgrade to iOS 15.7 without losing data! Here is how to!

www.iphonetricks.org

Yeah, with iOS 15.7 it works effortlessly. With 15.7.1 IPSW it just won’t work.

 

[bw44]

Just to change the subject from backup/restore strategies: has anyone experienced a further degradation of MacMail functionality on iOS/iPadOS 15.7.1? I use it to access Google's mail server. Under 15.7 My phone worked quite well, but MacMail on my iPad would often take a long, long time to retrieve new messages (even when set to "Push"). Under 15.7.1 neither device works as expected, plus a new problem was introduced: messages I've filed or deleted don't disappear from the inbox, but cannot be displayed either. What the ...?

I've searched the Internet for suggestions and reset all applicable settings (that I can find) but no joy. Any help would really be appreciated! What about other mail clients? (NOT Gmail, thanks)

 

[MAlbi]

I'm installing it now on my Air 2. Wondering how much longer I'll get security updates for iPadOs 15 since I can't get iPadOS 16.

If iOS 15 is taken as example, December 2022.
At this moment imho update to new is only choice. Maybe not wait months for theoretical higher sublevel after 117 such as 15.7.1.118 before the 15.7.1 dissappears. I will update in a week or two. And would never ever update to anything lower than xx.3.1 if i had such choice. If you find something, please share.

Apple no longer offering iOS 14 security updates - 9to5Mac

For some unknown reason, Apple has backtracked and is no longer letting users stay on iOS 14 with security updates.

9to5mac.com

 

[MAlbi]

Just to change the subject from backup/restore strategies: has anyone experienced a further degradation of MacMail functionality on iOS/iPadOS 15.7.1? I use it to access Google's mail server. Under 15.7 My phone worked quite well, but MacMail on my iPad would often take a long, long time to retrieve new messages (even when set to "Push"). Under 15.7.1 neither device works as expected, plus a new problem was introduced: messages I've filed or deleted don't disappear from the inbox, but cannot be displayed either. What the ...?

I've searched the Internet for suggestions and reset all applicable settings (that I can find) but no joy. Any help would really be appreciated! What about other mail clients? (NOT Gmail, thanks)

No idea. Maybe restore & upgrade attempt #2. It is easier said than done.

 

[bw44]

No idea. Maybe restore & upgrade attempt #2. It is easier said than done.

Thanks for your suggestion. I could try that, but since the upgrade to 15.7.1 completed "successfully" . . .
But maybe it does have to do with my system, since no one else is reporting problems wth MacMail.

 

[bradl]

Yeah, I think that was the pop up message, although I’m not sure of the wording.


Yeah, with iOS 15.7 it works effortlessly. With 15.7.1 IPSW it just won’t work.

I just tried this on my 8 Plus which is running 16.1. I was getting "iPhone can not be restored because the file is not compatible with the device."

This is even before tweaking with Info.plist to restore the data. What this is telling me is that one may not be able to get back to 15.7 if the device has been presented/is supported by 16.x.

BL.

 

[Populus]

I just tried this on my 8 Plus which is running 16.1. I was getting "iPhone can not be restored because the file is not compatible with the device."

This is even before tweaking with Info.plist to restore the data. What this is telling me is that one may not be able to get back to 15.7 if the device has been presented/is supported by 16.x.

BL.

One cannot get back to 15.7.1, if that device is supported by iOS 16, because it’s not signed.

However, one can restore to 15.7 even if it’s supported by iOS 16, at least if you haven’t installed iOS 16 yet.

I did that yesterday, so it’s possible to do. I restored my iPhone to 15.7 and updated (through Finder on my Mac) two iPads, 9th gen and Pro 11”, to iPad OS 15.7 using the IPSW without problems.

 

[Paddle1]

Thanks for the update bro, at least i know it's not my phone problem.

Btw, did you also get the same error pop out "This iPhone could not be restored. Declined to authorize this image on this device for this user." when u try to restore 15.7.1?

One cannot get back to 15.7.1, if that device is supported by iOS 16, because it’s not signed.

However, one can restore to 15.7 even if it’s supported by iOS 16, at least if you haven’t installed iOS 16 yet.

I did that yesterday, so it’s possible to do. I restored my iPhone to 15.7 and updated (through Finder on my Mac) two iPads, 9th gen and Pro 11”, to iPad OS 15.7 using the IPSW without problems.

Possibly that 15.7.1 IPSW is actually the Release Candidate version that broke Face ID, hence it no longer being signed. While the 15.7 IPSW was stable so it continues to be signed for now.

As I understand it the only way to gain access to those IPSWs on iOS 16 supported devices is from the RC downloads page during the testing period because Apple doesn't release them anywhere else.

 

[Populus]

Possibly that 15.7.1 IPSW is actually the Release Candidate version that broke Face ID, hence it no longer being signed. While the 15.7 IPSW was stable so it continues to be signed for now.

As I understand it the only way to gain access to those IPSWs on iOS 16 supported devices is from the RC downloads page during the testing period because Apple doesn't release them anywhere else.

It is the 117 build, and I think the release candidate was the 115. I tried to install the 117 and Finder was like… nope

 

[Paddle1]

It is the 117 build, and I think the release candidate was the 115. I tried to install the 117 and Finder was like… nope

Yeah I realized that when I found the files after, I guess they just didn't bother signing it as it's not for public use. No clue where they found those files.

 

[bradl]

One cannot get back to 15.7.1, if that device is supported by iOS 16, because it’s not signed.

However, one can restore to 15.7 even if it’s supported by iOS 16, at least if you haven’t installed iOS 16 yet.

I did that yesterday, so it’s possible to do. I restored my iPhone to 15.7 and updated (through Finder on my Mac) two iPads, 9th gen and Pro 11”, to iPad OS 15.7 using the IPSW without problems.

Exactly.. which is interesting, as the iphonehacks article shows that this should work for the iPhone 8 Plus, and even has links to 15.7 for it, even though 16.x supports the 8 Plus. That's why I was calling the article out, because it doesn't work for all of the devices it states should work.

What I was trying to do was go from 16.1 back to 15.7 on the iPhone 8 Plus, and that isn't working. And if that was successful, I could get to 15.7.1 from 15.7.

BL.

 

[m.dricu]

Yeah, I think that was the pop up message, although I’m not sure of the wording.


Yeah, with iOS 15.7 it works effortlessly. With 15.7.1 IPSW it just won’t work.

Why not downgrade to 15.7 and then update to 15.7.1? That’s what I did.

 

[bradl]

Why not downgrade to 15.7 and then update to 15.7.1? That’s what I did.

That would work, if the device wasn't already supported by 16.x. My dad's iPhone 8 Plus can't get to 15.7.x from 16.1.

BL.

 

[Populus]

That would work, if the device wasn't already supported by 16.x. My dad's iPhone 8 Plus can't get to 15.7.x from 16.1.

BL.

My iPhone 8 is supported by iOS 16, but I chose to install the iOS 15.7 IPSW doing a restoration through my Mac. I was on 15.4.1, maybe it didn’t work on your dad’s iPhone 8 Plus because you already installed iOS 16. I didn’t.

I tried with the iOS 15.7.1, and that one didn’t work, probably because 15.7.1 IPSW isn’t signed for devices supported by iOS 16.

Why not downgrade to 15.7 and then update to 15.7.1? That’s what I did.

I didn’t downgrade because I’ve never installed iOS 16 on my iPhone 8. I restored my iPhone 8 from iOS 15.4.1 to iOS 15.7 performing a long lasting clean install. Yeah, I could update now to 15.7.1 performing an OTA but I don’t trust OTAs updates. And the 15.7.1 IPSW isn’t signed for devices supported by iOS 16, for a strange reason.

 

[bradl]

My iPhone 8 is supported by iOS 16, but I chose to install the iOS 15.7 IPSW doing a restoration through my Mac. I was on 15.4.1, maybe it didn’t work on your dad’s iPhone 8 Plus because you already installed iOS 16. I didn’t.

I tried with the iOS 15.7.1, and that one didn’t work, probably because 15.7.1 IPSW isn’t signed for devices supported by iOS 16.

And the 15.7.1 IPSW isn’t signed for devices supported by iOS 16, for a strange reason.

You called it here. iOS 15.x isn't signed for my dad's iPhone 8 Plus, so that is why I can't go back to it. The last one that was supported on the 8 Plus was 15.6.1, which is no longer signed, so the iPhoneHacks article won't work at all.

BL.