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Following the release of iOS 13.6.1 on August 12, Apple has stopped signing iOS 13.6, which means downgrading to that version of iOS is no longer possible.

iOS-13.6.1-on-iPhone-Feature.jpg

iOS 13.6 was a major update that introduced Car Keys support Apple News audio, and other features.

Apple routinely stops signing older versions of software updates after new releases come out in order to encourage customers to keep their operating systems up to date.

iOS 13.6.1, a bug fix issue that addressed problems with data storage, thermal management, and exposure notifications, is the only current publicly available version of iOS that can be installed on iPhones and iPads. Apple has also seeded betas of upcoming iOS and iPadOS 14 updates to developers and public beta testers, which can be downloaded instead.

Article Link: Apple Stops Signing iOS 13.6 Following Release of iOS 13.6.1
 
I love the iPhone and IOS but wish Apple would allow us to install older versions of IOS. I had a specific incident years ago on an old iPhone. I upgrade IOS then several months later learned some of my devices would no longer connect via Bluetooth (one of those was my car). So there are some legitimate reasons to be able to install an older version of IOS (jail breaking is not a viable solution for me).
 
I love the iPhone and IOS but wish Apple would allow us to install older versions of IOS. I had a specific incident years ago on an old iPhone. I upgrade IOS then several months later learned some of my devices would no longer connect via Bluetooth (one of those was my car). So there are some legitimate reasons to be able to install an older version of IOS (jail breaking is not a viable solution for me).

You don't own your device; Apple does.
They decide what version of os you can run and when you can run it.
They decide when your device goes obsolete.
Samsung and others are no better.
 
I love the iPhone and IOS but wish Apple would allow us to install older versions of IOS. I had a specific incident years ago on an old iPhone. I upgrade IOS then several months later learned some of my devices would no longer connect via Bluetooth (one of those was my car). So there are some legitimate reasons to be able to install an older version of IOS (jail breaking is not a viable solution for me).

Totally agree. And I've written this in Apple user surveys, forums, and written their Twitter support about it. There are unintentional regressions all the time, bugs that didn't exist in older versions of iOS, that just get haphazardly released. Rolling back iOS version should be a fallback plan for those kinds of gamebreaking bugs.

Power management is a common area noted in the news, but I've also had an iPad Pro that just kept draining battery even when turned off via power switch shutdown, so that when a fully charged 100% device got turned back on, it'd be at 70% after a day, 40% after two, then 0%, without so much as a single charge. Not plugged into power, not touched or used. It was fine in iOS 13.4, then bad in iOS 13.5. Then later versions not playing from car speakers when connected to CarPlay on certain vehicles, requiring multiple unplugs and replugs. So many little bugs here and there that compromise the user experience, that pop up in one version of iOS, not present before. All together, the experience doesn't feel like "it just works."

So often, this kind of problem happens because the OS is so deep, and little feature adds and changes in the code can cause unintentional problems elsewhere. If it's a non-automated-testbed problem that doesn't cross the Apple QA folk's workflow or other employees' use case -- for example, employees never turning off their devices -- then it just gets released unnoticed.

Human error is understandable, but with no fallback to a previous iOS, it just hurts users that live outside the "typical" user/QA workflow.

(To make matters worse, Apple constantly tells developers to support two versions back when building & submitting an app to the App Store. It's so hypocritical when they won't even support two versions of iOS at the same time, pulling the plug so quickly on signing a previous version. It's just such an extreme reaction to security compromises and this whole "get on the latest" mindset.)
 
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Totally agree. And I've written this in Apple user surveys, forums, and written their Twitter support about it. There are unintentional regressions all the time, bugs that didn't exist in older versions of iOS, that just get haphazardly released. Rolling back iOS version should be a fallback plan for those kinds of gamebreaking bugs.

Power management is a common area noted in the news, but I've also had an iPad Pro that just kept draining battery even when turned off via power switch shutdown, so that when a fully charged 100% device got turned back on, it'd be at 70% after a day, 40% after two, then 0%, without so much as a single charge. Not plugged into power, not touched or used. It was fine in iOS 13.4, then bad in iOS 13.5. Then later versions not playing from car speakers when connected to CarPlay on certain vehicles, requiring multiple unplugs and replugs. So many little bugs here and there that compromise the user experience, that pop up in one version of iOS, not present before. All together, the experience doesn't feel like "it just works."

So often, this kind of problem happens because the OS is so deep, and little feature adds and changes in the code can cause unintentional problems elsewhere. If it's a non-automated-testbed problem that doesn't cross the Apple QA folk's workflow or other employees' use case -- for example, employees never turning off their devices -- then it just gets released unnoticed.

Human error is understandable, but with no fallback to a previous iOS, it just hurts users that live outside the "typical" user/QA workflow.

(To make matters worse, Apple constantly tells developers to support two versions back when building & submitting an app to the App Store. It's so hypocritical when they won't even support two versions of iOS at the same time, pulling the plug so quickly on signing a previous version. It's just such an extreme reaction to security compromises and this whole "get on the latest" mindset.)

This is the best explanation I have read on this subject. Well said!
 
One thing I noted is that the update wasn't showing up on my phone until I manually removed the device management profile for the iOS 13 betas.
 
Totally agree. And I've written this in Apple user surveys, forums, and written their Twitter support about it. There are unintentional regressions all the time, bugs that didn't exist in older versions of iOS, that just get haphazardly released. Rolling back iOS version should be a fallback plan for those kinds of gamebreaking bugs.

Power management is a common area noted in the news, but I've also had an iPad Pro that just kept draining battery even when turned off via power switch shutdown, so that when a fully charged 100% device got turned back on, it'd be at 70% after a day, 40% after two, then 0%, without so much as a single charge. Not plugged into power, not touched or used. It was fine in iOS 13.4, then bad in iOS 13.5. Then later versions not playing from car speakers when connected to CarPlay on certain vehicles, requiring multiple unplugs and replugs. So many little bugs here and there that compromise the user experience, that pop up in one version of iOS, not present before. All together, the experience doesn't feel like "it just works."

So often, this kind of problem happens because the OS is so deep, and little feature adds and changes in the code can cause unintentional problems elsewhere. If it's a non-automated-testbed problem that doesn't cross the Apple QA folk's workflow or other employees' use case -- for example, employees never turning off their devices -- then it just gets released unnoticed.

Human error is understandable, but with no fallback to a previous iOS, it just hurts users that live outside the "typical" user/QA workflow.

(To make matters worse, Apple constantly tells developers to support two versions back when building & submitting an app to the App Store. It's so hypocritical when they won't even support two versions of iOS at the same time, pulling the plug so quickly on signing a previous version. It's just such an extreme reaction to security compromises and this whole "get on the latest" mindset.)
Very well said.
The speed at which Apple updates its products is several times faster than what other companies might be able to keep up with or find it useful to begin with. The car example is great, especially in this ‘lease now and again a new one in 3 years’ era, I have a Ford from 2017, CarPlay recently got introduced and it’s only a matter of time when an update will break it because there are almost no updates on the car side of things (nor is it as easy as just plugging a phone to wifi).
 
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UNSIGNING IOS versions should be illegal, restraint of trade! I buy a car and I cannot put a different radio in it?
This is the ONE single thing that Apple should have been sued over but not so far. It cost me over 25 games that worked and then didn't because Apple forced me to upgrade.
I never see Apple forcing you to update. You can even disable auto update on the latest iOS.
Do they nag you to update? Yes. Do they force you? I don't think so.
 
By maintaining only latest software, Apple can save a lot of money by not maintaining older versions and fixing legacy bugs. In turn, customers will suffer. I am lucky enough to not have too many game-breaking issues during updating, but who knows what’s going to happen next.
At the end of the day though, I doubt anything will change and Apple will keep their harsh stance against any user attempting to use older version software by scaring them off or forcing the upgrade when applicable.
 
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You don't own your device; Apple does.
They decide what version of os you can run and when you can run it.
They decide when your device goes obsolete.
Samsung and others are no better.
Well said. I had this idea several years ago and wonder why Apple still bother offering one-time payment of their iPhone despite most people in USA buying new iPhone under a plan anyways, plus the iPhone upgrade program. A hardware running only the latest software might not worth ”owning” imo.
 
I'm still on 13.6. I didn't upgrade because of some sites warning about the car play causing the phone to get hot and shut down over and over again problem.

I have an XS Max still on iOS 12 because the battery life seems so much better then the XS Max I have on 13.6.
 
I too would love if they allowed us to install older software. I understand the privacy concerns, but for me, iOS 13 has been very slow on my 6s. 12 was perfect in my opinion.
 
I’m still at 13.6 : what happens if I skip 13.6.1 and 13.6.2 comes out but 13.6.1 is not signed anymore?
I will stay in a limbo ?
If I only download the firmware and keep it there, will I be able to use it even if it’s not signed?
 
I too would love if they allowed us to install older software. I understand the privacy concerns, but for me, iOS 13 has been very slow on my 6s. 12 was perfect in my opinion.
How bad is it? I am on 12 on my 6s and was about to get 13 installed this weekend.
 
I'm still on 13.6. I didn't upgrade because of some sites warning about the car play causing the phone to get hot and shut down over and over again problem.
Can't say I've seen that or experienced that with iOS 13.6.1.
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By maintaining only latest software, Apple can save a lot of money by not maintaining older versions and fixing legacy bugs. In turn, customers will suffer. I am lucky enough to not have too many game-breaking issues during updating, but who knows what’s going to happen next.
At the end of the day though, I doubt anything will change and Apple will keep their harsh stance against any user attempting to use older version software by scaring them off or forcing the upgrade when applicable.
Well, they still put out updates for iOS 12.
 
I too would love if they allowed us to install older software. I understand the privacy concerns, but for me, iOS 13 has been very slow on my 6s. 12 was perfect in my opinion.
iOS 12 has remote execution vulnerabilities. How *dare* Apple fix those!
 
I never see Apple forcing you to update. You can even disable auto update on the latest iOS.
Do they nag you to update? Yes. Do they force you? I don't think so.
They don't, but for the Entitled, it always has to be someone else's fault.
 
I’m still at 13.6 : what happens if I skip 13.6.1 and 13.6.2 comes out but 13.6.1 is not signed anymore?
Nothing. iOS installs do not depend on previous versions. The most that would happen is that you can't use a delta OTA update. Makes your download bigger. No reasonable manufacturer supports delta updates between two arbitrary versions.
 
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