Apple Stops Signing iOS 16.3 Following iOS 16.3.1 Launch, Downgrading No Longer Possible

[lkrupp]

Not really a surprise. Apple doesn’t want people downgrading to a vulnerable version of iOS.

If some have to be forced into security then so be it. Enough of this, “It’s mine and I can do what ever I want with it” nonsense. Just this morning we have a report of hackers getting data center passwords to over 2000 companies including Apple and Microsoft. This is apparently in China so we don’t know yet if or how this will affect non-Chinese users.

 

[Mousse]

Not really a surprise. Apple doesn’t want people downgrading to a vulnerable version of iOS.

If that's the case, they need to separate the OS from the system apps.

That's one thing Google did right. I find a lot of GApps useless. I don't want to have straddle my phone with a ton of bloatware just for the latest OS.

No software will work 100% for a 100% of users. If you’re the one that feels that iOS is hot garbage there is competition.

And downgrades are just that…downgrades in every sense.

If the downgrade functions better than the upgrade, the downgrade is an upgrade. The biggest example of this is Windows 7 is far, far superior to Window 8. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter...the original versions were all far and away better to the current spicy rubbish hot garbage they have become. The original Google search engine was, IMO, the best search engine of all time. Google's search now is crap.

 

[I7guy]

[…]

If the downgrade functions better than the upgrade, the downgrade is an upgrade. The biggest example of this is Windows 7 is far, far superior to Window 8. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter...the original versions were all far and away better to the current spicy rubbish hot garbage they have become. The original Google search engine was, IMO, the best search engine of all time. Google's search now is crap.

Some betas are real groaners. But other than betas I feel a downgrade is a downgrade and don’t remember felling like I had to go back. But ymmv and to each their own.

 

[Alp3r]

Apple is always quick to patch a good bug that’s why I don’t update my phone, ever. I’m loving my 13 mini on iOS 15.0 *🍎

 

[I7guy]

Apple is always quick to patch a good bug that’s why I don’t update my phone, ever. I’m loving my 13 mini on iOS 15.0 *🍎

Which undoubtedly has more security holes than Swiss cheese. https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...ion-to-third-party-apps.2331893/post-30790452

 

[7149041]

I'm not trying to diminish anyone's problems with their devices, but I do feel that "latest version bug bias" is a real placebo effect.

The amount of confidently wrong non-technical people in this world will be one of the main reasons of my early retirement.

 

[winxmac]

Given this is 1 week after release of 16.3.1, is the typical time frame to allow people to downgrade for 1 week and then stop signing the previous version? I've never downgraded before but I'd like to know what the signing timeframe is should I need that ability.

This is almost always the case... 1 week after the newest update is released, the previous latest version is no longer signed and cannot be used for downgrade... But if you really want to downgrade, there are still some beta/RC versions signed by Apple... I downgraded to iPadOS 15.6 RC even after iPadOS 15.6 and iPadOS 15.6.1 were no longer signed...