How to update 14.8 to 14.8.1 via Mac (not OTA)?

[ThomasJL]

How can I update an iPhone from 14.8 to 14.8.1 using a Mac? In the past, I’ve always installed every iOS update only using my Mac—I never do OTA. But now, my Mac only shows that 15.1 is available. How do I update my iPhone from 14.8 to 14.8.1 using my Mac?

 

[w5jck]

I heard that Apple was not going to release an IPSW file for 14.8.1. I think they are forcing us to use OTA so we can’t downgrade from 15.x. Downgrading requires an IPSW file, so no file equals no downgrade. OTA equals upgrade for eligible 14.x versions to 14.8.1.

 

[slyronit]

14.8.1 is not available as an IPSW, only OTA. If you have imposed such restrictions on your methodology of updating, you will have to live with the unsecure 14.8 or move to 15.x

You can still choose between 15.0.2 and 15.1 by downloading the ipsw file and updating with it.

 

[ThomasJL]

I heard that Apple was not going to release an IPSW file for 14.8.1. I think they are forcing us to use OTA so we can’t downgrade from 15.x. Downgrading requires an IPSW file, so no file equals no downgrade. OTA equals upgrade for eligible 14.x versions to 14.8.1.

14.8.1 is not available as an IPSW, only OTA. If you have imposed such restrictions on your methodology of updating, you will have to live with the unsecure 14.8 or move to 15.x

You can still choose between 15.0.2 and 15.1 by downloading the ipsw file and updating with it.

Has Apple ever done something similar in the past, i.e., releasing an iOS update as OTA only while never making it available as an IPSW?

 

[UKphilly]

Has Apple ever done something similar in the past, i.e., releasing an iOS update as OTA only while never making it available as an IPSW?

Apple have never released an update for an earlier major version of the iOS / iPadOS when a newer major release is available for the same hardware.

The nearest precedent are the security updates still being released for iOS 12 (12.5.5), but iOS 12 was a hardware defined boundary for lots of devices which they couldn't go beyond. The difference here is that any device which can run iOS / iPadOS 14 can also run 15.

 

[w5jck]

OTA updates are safe, fast, and quite frankly much less of a hassle than connecting to a Mac and dealing with iTunes. Backup your iPhone or iPad while it is on 14.8. Then do the OTA update. I've never had any issues doing OTA updates and I’ve done dozens of them for multiple devices over the past several years. But always backup the device first just to be safe.

 

[FlyingToasterStrudel]

I've never had any issues doing OTA updates and I’ve done dozens of them for multiple devices over the past several years.

Neither have I. Until now. When I try to do an OTA update from 14.8 to 14.8.1, I repeatedly get the error message "there was an error downloading," no matter what I do. And another forum user has experienced the same problem.

Without an IPSW file, I guess my only option for staying with iOS 14 and getting this security patch is wiping my device, hopefully successfully updating it, and then restoring from backup. Fun times.

 

[Isamilis]

OTA updates are safe, fast, and quite frankly much less of a hassle than connecting to a Mac and dealing with iTunes. Backup your iPhone or iPad while it is on 14.8. Then do the OTA update. I've never had any issues doing OTA updates and I’ve done dozens of them for multiple devices over the past several years. But always backup the device first just to be safe.

I think Apple didn’t want people to downgrade from 15.x which can be done only using ipsw. So the situation will be similar with iOS 12 on old hardware.

 

[w5jck]

Neither have I. Until now. When I try to do an OTA update from 14.8 to 14.8.1, I repeatedly get the error message "there was an error downloading," no matter what I do. And another forum user has experienced the same problem.

Without an IPSW file, I guess my only option for staying with iOS 14 and getting this security patch is wiping my device, hopefully successfully updating it, and then restoring from backup. Fun times.

Keep trying. There are often issues with the servers during peak activity times, but these work their way out. It is always hit and miss on OTA updating when the update has been recently released. You might have to wait a while until the high rate of upgrades goes down a bit. I went in as soon as they released 14.8.1, which was before most people knew it was even available, so the servers were not busy. I lucked out and was in the right place and the right time.

 

[FlyingToasterStrudel]

Hey w5jck. The issue was insufficient free space on my iPhone. As was pointed out by someone on the thread I linked above. Once I freed up > 5 GB, the update went ahead without a hitch.

A more informative error message would have been helpful! It would just complain "there was an error downloading..."

I thought iOS had a feature, when there's insufficient free space, whereby the update process would free up sufficient space by silently offloading a bunch of App Store apps, and then re-installing them once the update has been installed. Maybe I didn't have enough offload-able apps to make a difference...

 

[ThomasJL]

I have three questions:

1. What do you think is the likelihood of Apple releasing an IPSW of 14.8.1 sometime in the future?

2. How can someone on 14.8.1 who does backups to a Mac restore from a backup on the Mac if the only ISPW on the Mac is the older 14.8?

3. Won't Apple eventually stop signing 14.8 while simultaneously still offering 14.8.1?

 

[N69AP]

I have three questions:

1. What do you think is the likelihood of Apple releasing an IPSW of 14.8.1 sometime in the future?

2. How can someone on 14.8.1 who does backups to a Mac restore from a backup on the Mac if the only ISPW on the Mac is the older 14.8?

3. Won't Apple eventually stop signing 14.8 while simultaneously still offering 14.8.1?

1. Very unlikely. If Apple were planning to release the IPSW, they would have done so when the OTA went live.

2. The version used during the backup doesn't matter in that case. You can install a backup that was made with an older version of iOS with a newer version of iOS, you simply cannot do it the other way around (e.g. a backup made on 15.1 would not work on a device running 14.8, but using a 14.8 backup with 15.1 would work).

3. 14.8 is already no longer being signed. The only signed IPSWs for supported devices are 15.0.2 and 15.1. If your device is running iOS 14 and needs to be restored, it can only restore using one of those two versions. Finder (or iTunes on Windows) will restore with the latest version of iOS which as of right now is 15.1

 

[w5jck]

Hey w5jck. The issue was insufficient free space on my iPhone. As was pointed out by someone on the thread I linked above. Once I freed up > 5 GB, the update went ahead without a hitch.

A more informative error message would have been helpful! It would just complain "there was an error downloading..."

I thought iOS had a feature, when there's insufficient free space, whereby the update process would free up sufficient space by silently offloading a bunch of App Store apps, and then re-installing them once the update has been installed. Maybe I didn't have enough offload-able apps to make a difference...

If your battery is below a certain charge level, you get a message saying you can't update until it charges up to that level. So Apple should do the same with a message saying you don't have enough free space. Apple's developers just don't seem to have much guidance any more, or common sense.