Apple Stops Signing iOS 18.6.2, iOS 26 Downgrades Now Impossible

[MacRumors]

Apple has stopped signing iOS 18.6.2, which means that if you've upgraded to iOS 26, you're no longer able to downgrade to a version of iOS 18. Apple released iOS 26 a week ago.

When software is "signed," it means that it has passed a server-side verification check that Apple performs when a new version of iOS is downloaded on an iPhone. An update can't be installed unless it passes the verification check.

Unsigning software prevents Apple customers from installing outdated, less secure versions of iOS.

Apple isn't forcing users to install iOS 26, and there is an option to continue using iOS 18, but once a device has been upgraded to iOS 26, there's no going back.

Apple has also stopped signing iPadOS 18.6.2 and tvOS 18.6, so there's also no downgrade option available for iPads.

Article Link: Apple Stops Signing iOS 18.6.2, iOS 26 Downgrades Now Impossible

 

[smorrissey]

Nooooooooooooou

 

[helloapple1]

Damn.

 

[coolbreeze]

WTF I had the ipsw downloaded like 10 mins ago. Now the 13 mini is stuck on 26. Damnit!

Download and Install iOS 18.6.2 (22G100) for iPhone 13 mini / IPSW Downloads

Download and Install iOS 18.6.2 (22G100) for iPhone 13 mini

ipsw.me

Irritating they don't have a timeline or clarity on exactly when they will stop signing. Had I did the restore 2 hrs ago, it would have worked. Nice.

 

[ProbablyDylan]

Welp now I'm trapped. Oh well.

 

[TheSl0th]

What are you talking about, there’s iOS 18.7 to downgrade to…?

 

[jekim]

What are you talking about, there’s iOS 18.7 to downgrade to…

Yeah was going to say this as well

 

[Böhme417]

Forgive my ignorance, but why can’t you downgrade to 18.7?

 

[mprime_17]

Hope they improve battery life on 26.1 cause oh boy, it's quite bad even on moderate usage

 

[NapoleonIV]

Um, the current version of iOS 18 is 18.7. I don’t see why it would be impossible to revert.

 

[Paddle1]

What are you talking about, there’s iOS 18.7 to downgrade to…

How? There's no IPSW for 18.7 (except for XR and XS).

 

[i-Liam]

18.7 still being signed

 

[Two Appleseeds]

Hello darkness my old friend

 

[admanny]

What are you talking about, there’s iOS 18.7 to downgrade to…?

Yeah was going to say this as well

Forgive my ignorance, but why can’t you downgrade to 18.7?

Um, the current version of iOS 18 is 18.7. I don’t see why it would be impossible to revert.

18.7 still being signed

There is no IPSW file for 18.7 for devices that support 26. So, you would need to downgrade to 18.6.2 then update to 18.7 OTA. That path is now gone

 

[coolbreeze]

Where can I download the ipsw for the 13 mini? Don't see it anywhere..

Choose an IPSW for iOS 18.7 / IPSW Downloads

Download current and previous versions of Apple's iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, audioOS and macOS firmware and receive notifications when new firmwares are released.

ipsw.me

 

[klasma]

What are you talking about, there’s iOS 18.7 to downgrade to…?

Yeah was going to say this as well

Um, the current version of iOS 18 is 18.7. I don’t see why it would be impossible to revert.

18.7 still being signed

There is no IPSW for 18.7, hence no downgrade possible.

 

[Mlrollin91]

Um, the current version of iOS 18 is 18.7. I don’t see why it would be impossible to revert.

18.7 still being signed

No ipsw for 18.7.

 

[admanny]

Where can I download the ipsw for the 13 mini? Don't see it anywhere..

Choose an IPSW for iOS 18.7 / IPSW Downloads

Download current and previous versions of Apple's iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, audioOS and macOS firmware and receive notifications when new firmwares are released.

ipsw.me

Yep because Apple released none

 

[Populus]

How? There's no IPSW for 18.7 (except for XR and XS).

Exactly. This is a real pain. Dammit.

 

[coolbreeze]

Awesome, so no going back. Should have restored the ipsw like 2 hrs ago. Whatever

 

[Populus]

Forgive my ignorance, but why can’t you downgrade to 18.7?

Um, the current version of iOS 18 is 18.7. I don’t see why it would be impossible to revert.

Because in order to revert to a previous version, you need to do it using the IPSW file on a Mac. And Apple never provides an IPSW for the .7 version, which is released at the same time as the new .0 version, Apple only provides an OTA update.

No IPSW, no downgrade possible, and no clean installs of the .7 version either.

 

[MVMNT]

This is a nothing story when 18.7 is still signed

 

[bradl]

18.7 still being signed

iOS 18.7 is only OTA. There is no IPSW available for it, which is the problem.

BL.

 

[Populus]

This is a nothing story when 18.7 is still signed

What? That’s just an OTA update, stop confusing the other users. An OTA update cannot be executed backwards. In order to do that, you need the IPSW file, which Apple never provides for the .7 update.

 

[Char Aznable]

This is a nothing story when 18.7 is still signed

There’s no ipsw file for 18.7. AKA, you can’t downgrade.