Apple Stops Signing iOS 18.6.2, iOS 26 Downgrades Now Impossible

[unsui_grep]

That would be like throwing the baby out with the bathwater, but yea the tieam needs a bit of a shakup, especially in management, you know the once that actually signed off on the release, the buc stops with them as they say, or at least it should

Underrated take. There's a lot to like in all the OS26 releases, a number of new features and under the hood improvements, but the GUI ain't it and it's not just an option of aesthetics. I was all for creating a more cohesive design language for a more unified ecosystem. It's a major selling point for me but it really feels like Apple has confused UI/UX design with graphic design. If its stated goal is to get the UI out of the way, it's achieved the opposite. The tech behind the rendering engines is neat but is distracting, confusing, poorly implemented, resource intensive, and garish. The worst offense, perhaps, is that they've locked us in early. I "downgraded" just in time but it's still infuriating, as the hardware is still top-notch if not pricey. To me, this a bigger misstep than the Apple Intelligence rollout.

 

[Codestud]

Thankfully I downgraded a few days ago. The "Apple Devices" Windows app didn't work, so I actually had to restore my iPad from a janky install of macOS running in VMWare.

 

[unsui_grep]

The same applies to the comments on Macrumors.

You'd think if Apple were so confident in iOS26, they would have been so quick to stop signing iOS18. Maybe the negative sample size is not so small after all and not limited to MacRumors. Or perhaps I'm being conspiratorial. 🤷‍♂️

 

[FeliApple]

I update and for the most part, things have just worked. I find a battery bank is less taxing than attempting to keep your phone on the initial release for a multitude of reasons of mentioned in past posts.

Yes, but you don’t expect like-new battery life forever.

You acknowledge a possible impact and choose to update. I have no issues with that.

But you see repeated posts of people with non-current devices (and some devices which are some years old) who repeatedly update everything to the latest version, who are stuck there, and then they complain.

What are you complaining about? You know how this works. You have a device whose original iOS version is four versions behind the current one. You know you can’t go back. You know this is a redesign and redesigns will impact battery life and performance irreversibly. What’s the news here? What didn’t you know before updating?

You knew it would affect it and you willingly updated it regardless. Why do you act all surprised when battery life tanks? You know what happens by now.

 

[FeliApple]

You'd think if Apple were so confident in iOS26, they would have been so quick to stop signing iOS18. Maybe the negative sample size is not so small after all and not limited to MacRumors. Or perhaps I'm being conspiratorial. 🤷‍♂️

Apple stopped signing iOS 17 in just a week last year, too.

 

[unsui_grep]

Yes, but you don’t expect like-new battery life forever.

You acknowledge a possible impact and choose to update. I have no issues with that.

But you see repeated posts of people with non-current devices (and some devices which are some years old) who repeatedly update everything to the latest version, who are stuck there, and then they complain.

What are you complaining about? You know how this works. You have a device whose original iOS version is four versions behind the current one. You know you can’t go back. You know this is a redesign and redesigns will impact battery life and performance irreversibly. What’s the news here? What didn’t you know before updating?

You knew it would affect it and you willingly updated it regardless. Why do you act all surprised when battery life tanks? You know what happens by now.

I really arguing that you should've known better? Is that like "you had it coming for trusting Apple"? I'll generous because you specifically cited that iOS26 is a (major) redesign, which is true, and often those efforts are buggy upon initial release and can take some time to remedy. But it's also fair to recognize that the new GUI that they've pushed on us is unusually buggy and resource intensive while being aesthetically divisive AND they've stop signing downgrades sooner than usual. People are right to complain and it's one of few options that we have.

 

[I7guy]

You'd think if Apple were so confident in iOS26, they would have been so quick to stop signing iOS18. Maybe the negative sample size is not so small after all and not limited to MacRumors. Or perhaps I'm being conspiratorial. 🤷‍♂️

Or maybe we just don’t know. With hundreds of millions of iPhones being sold what the masses think of iOS 26 can’t be succinctly determined.

 

[I7guy]

I really arguing that you should've known better? Is that like "you had it coming for trusting Apple"? I'll generous because you specifically cited that iOS26 is a (major) redesign, which is true, and often those efforts are buggy upon initial release and can take some time to remedy. But it's also fair to recognize that the new GUI that they've pushed on us is unusually buggy and resource intensive while being aesthetically divisive AND they've stop signing downgrades sooner than usual. People are right to complain and it's one of few options that we have.

I don’t agree iOS 26 is u usually buggy. (iOS 8 bricked iPhones). Is the gui resource intensive ? I don’t know. Is it aesthetically divisive? No more than other releases. People have a right to complain and a right to praise.

 

[TJFDenver]

 

[jpotisch2]

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

Until I clicked the iOS 26 upgrade link on my 13 Mini under General > Software Update it showed an available 18.7 update. Alas, it's now gone, so you'll have to take my word for it. Not sure about a manual option though.

 

[FeliApple]

I really arguing that you should've known better? Is that like "you had it coming for trusting Apple"? I'll generous because you specifically cited that iOS26 is a (major) redesign, which is true, and often those efforts are buggy upon initial release and can take some time to remedy. But it's also fair to recognize that the new GUI that they've pushed on us is unusually buggy and resource intensive while being aesthetically divisive AND they've stop signing downgrades sooner than usual. People are right to complain and it's one of few options that we have.

Unless you are a new iOS user, of course I am arguing that you should’ve known better. Redesign or not, iOS updates always impact (especially) battery life and performance if updated far enough from the original iOS version.

Like I said, Apple also allowed only a week last year before they stopped signing iOS 17. No difference.

iOS 26 is not more impactful on battery life than iOS 13-15 were on the 6s, or iPadOS 16 on the 1st-gen and 2nd-gen iPad Pro, or iOS 11 on practically everything, or, or, or…

Long-term users either know or should know this.

As I also said, Apple’s signing policy which prevents downgrades is garbage. But it is what it is. You should know this and act accordingly.

iOS should work like on the first iPhone: unlimited downgrades to anything forever as software signatures hadn’t been implemented. It doesn’t.

What is surprising about this?

-You know Apple disallows downgrading
-You know iOS updates WILL impact battery life and performance

It’s been eighteen major updates of this. Eighteen years. For how long will you keep being surprised by this?

I willingly updated an iPod Touch 4G to iOS 5. I willingly updated an iPad 4th-gen to iOS 7. Both cases resulted in the devices being severely affected without the ability to go back.

I never updated anything willingly ever again. There was a bug with A9 devices on iOS 9 in which they were deactivated and forced to update. My 9.7-inch iPad Pro and my iPhone 6s on iOS 9 were deactivated and forced to iOS 12 and 13, respectively, in 2019 and 2020. But that was forced, I didn’t update willingly. Apple literally deactivated them and I couldn’t use them.

If you want a good device, stay behind. I’ve been doing it for twelve years with no exceptions. It works. But don’t complain when you ignore all of this, and update anything knowing there is no recourse.

 

[unsui_grep]

I don’t agree iOS 26 is u usually buggy. (iOS 8 bricked iPhones). Is the gui resource intensive ? I don’t know. Is it aesthetically divisive? No more than other releases. People have a right to complain and a right to praise.

You absolutely have that right and I respect that. I can't agree with you on the bugginess. I've been using it since the first beta and it's extremely buggy, iPadOS even more so. The graphics rendering engine that underpins Liquid Glass often obscures critical text, constant switching from light to dark mode graphics, Ui elements randomly disappearing, etc. Many of the issues are well documented. While it's not unusual for new updates to drain the battery this new update is full of memory leaks as well. Overall the UI has been really glitchy, sluggish, and distracting. While I understand that people differ on aesthetics, there are well established laws of good UI design that get out of the way and let the content shine, Alan Dye even mentioned that as a stated design goal. Unfortunately, INMO, Dye has confused graphic design with UI design. I'm really not interested in a light refracting toggle button. I can't imagine that's not going to get old real quick. I'm not trying to berate anyone for liking the design or belittling their personal taste, I'm trying to give voice to some real critiques that I think are important and represent a lot of concerns a lot of users have. It's really our only recourse, less we're gifted with iOS27 Anamorphic edition complete with JJ Abrams lens flares. Again, I appreciate your opinion and sorry for the long post.

 

[HiVolt]

they want to lock in people to the latest OS.

Easier for them to support, debug, do not have to maintain old OS, force you to buy new hardware because new OS "doesnt support" older hardware

That's fine, but why stop signing a previous version in just a bit over a week? Can they not give people more time to downgrade if they wish? a month maybe?

 

[JWD]

Darn, i was literally just looking to downgrade our phones, been on iOS 26 for a few days and for my use it’s been glitchy on my iPhone and iPad. Don’t mind the glass look, iMessage polls, photos/camera app improvement but they messed a lot up on the productivity end in basic email and safari tasks. Even iMessage typed words is somehow more difficult to edit and I don’t need a minor lightning strike animation every time I send a text. I know they’ll get through this awkward update eventually as they always do

 

[Che Castro]

How's it performing? The animations were sometimes a bit slow/erratic on 18.6 for me.

The 13 mini got slower on iOS 26 (so did iPad mini 6) , I immediately downgraded back to 18 and I’m staying here , until I get a new iPhone

 

[Paddle1]

The 13 mini got slower on iOS 26 (so did iPad mini 6) , I immediately downgraded back to 18 and I’m staying here , until I get a new iPhone

It can take hours or even days for a major update to settle because of indexing in the background, so it may not perform normally straight away.

 

[bn-7bc]

Good question. The answer is simply this: Apple doesn't want you to do that. So they simply refuses to allow this option.

That is, why I don't use any of their devices, except for an older Mac mini. But at least I can install Linux, Windows, etc. on it, when Apple puls the plugs. Oh, whait, they already did that!

well windiws migt be an issue, kit depends on wether microsoft ports to m series arcitecture or not, as for Linux it won't surprise me if the kernel and core utils +glib and gcc/clang arn't ported yet, when it comes to graphics drivers that's a more complex issue (etsp nvidia with theire somewhat hostile stands to oss)

 

[FeliApple]

That's fine, but why stop signing a previous version in just a bit over a week? Can they not give people more time to downgrade if they wish? a month maybe?

They used to. Back with iOS 16, they stopped signing the final version of iOS 16, 16.6.1, on Oct 4th, about two weeks after launch, and they stopped signing it following the release of iOS 17.0.3. With iOS 15 and 14 it was also two weeks.

To have a month, I had to go back to iOS 10, as they stopped signing iOS 9 on Oct 19, 2016, after releasing it on September 13.

Users should assume they have a single day to try it. Install it on day one, give it day two, and roll back.

Apple shouldn’t give more time. Apple should get rid of signatures and allow me to install whatever I want, whenever I want. Since I know that won’t happen, I just stay behind.

 

[bn-7bc]

I asked Apple in January 2021 to resolve a Mail app issue I started having on my MacBook after an OS update. Despite numerous promises, no fix. So it doesn't surprise me that Apple is this unresponsive to its customer base. The message it is sending: Be wary of, and hold off on as long as you can, future updates.

cheer up, rumours indicate that tunderbird for ios (and i hope a sepaarate iPADOS version optimized for a bigger screen as well) will release during 2026, so you can complitly drop the mail app

 

[bn-7bc]

The EU forced Apple to make a bunch of garbage changes. The one change that matters? “Nah, it’s okay, keep destroying iOS devices with irreversible malware, it’s fine”.

They had to do one thing.

Garbage changes, like what, allowing sideloading, giving other services a fsare shake in app store etc? These are all wins for the consumer, I must be missing something. Or are you jusdt salty because these changes are reliant on regulations to force apple to activate them in your region, which ofc apple won't do because regulators there don't have to comply wit eu regs as they're probably not in the EU? there is nothing stopping Apple from enabeling Sideloading and the rest globally (wel apart from places like China, North korea and Russia that might want an additional layer of control to avoid apps they don't want to get onto peoples devices.
TLDR: are you infarct salty at Apple for not enabling everything globally, rather than at the EU for making good chices on behalf of their citizens?

 

[FeliApple]

The EU forced Apple to make a bunch of garbage changes. The one change that matters? “Nah, it’s okay, keep destroying iOS devices with irreversible malware, it’s fine”.

Garbage changes, like what, allowing sideloading, giving other services a fsare shake in app store etc? These are all wins for the consumer, I must be missing something. Or are you jusdt salty because these changes are reliant on regulations to force apple to activate them in your region, which ofc apple won't do because regulators there don't have to comply wit eu regs as they're probably not in the EU? there is nothing stopping Apple from enabeling Sideloading and the rest globally (wel apart from places like China, North korea and Russia that might want an additional layer of control to avoid apps they don't want to get onto peoples devices.
TLDR: are you infarct salty at Apple for not enabling everything globally, rather than at the EU for making good chices on behalf of their citizens?

I don’t care about the changes either way. But the most harmful policy to consumers is the forced obsolescence of devices via irreversible iOS updates.

Not a single word when it comes to that.

 

[bn-7bc]

I don’t care about the changes either way. But the most harmful policy to consumers is the forced obsolescence of devices via irreversible iOS updates.

Not a single word when it comes to that.

well the devicr still works after the update, app compatibility is actually the developers responsability

 

[Shirasaki]

And just how long do you think you can all live in the past?

3 more years? 4 more years? It all depends on app support. But we can live with iOS 18 for quite a while unless Apple forces upgrading us to iOS 26 and beyond.

 

[Imperial926]

3 more years? 4 more years? It all depends on app support. But we can live with iOS 18 for quite a while unless Apple forces upgrading us to iOS 26 and beyond.

The problem being that people who refuse to move forward eventually have to and then find the changes even harder to make.
An example might be someone resisting online banking who is forced to eventually change as high street banks all close. This is happening in the UK right now. It's usually best to move forward and adapt to technological change to avoid a quantum leap down the line.

 

[FeliApple]

The problem being that people who refuse to move forward eventually have to and then find the changes even harder to make.
An example might be someone resisting online banking who is forced to eventually change as high street banks all close. This is happening in the UK right now. It's usually best to move forward and adapt to technological change to avoid a quantum leap down the line.

iOS Updates are far tamer than that.

In some years I’ll at best have to get used to Liquid Glass, no big deal.