Apple on Tuesday officially stopped signing iOS & iPadOS 18.1, more than two weeks after releasing the newer iOS & iPadOS 18.1.1 firmware that was launched to guard users against “actively exploited vulnerabilities.”
In doing so, Apple has now closed the door on firmware downgrades for anyone who upgraded to the newer iOS or iPadOS 18.1.1 firmware. So hopefully everyone who upgraded is now cozy where they are.
Before today, it was possible to downgrade an iPhone or iPad’s firmware from iOS or iPadOS 18.1.1 to 18.1 by Shift + Clicking on the Restore button in iTunes or Windows or Option + Clicking on the Restore button in Finder for macOS and then selecting the iOS or iPadOS 18.1 firmware file while your device was connected to the computer via USB. But now, Apple’s firmware servers have started denying such requests.
Firmware downgrades are a common occurrence among software beta testers who decide they want to return to a stable firmware version, and perhaps much less common among the average iPhone and iPad user. But another group that has a long history of using firmware downgrades is the jailbreak community, which routinely downgraded to firmware that could be jailbroken because it was vulnerable to security exploits.
Albeit uncommon among iPhone and iPad users who don’t jailbreak or run beta releases, firmware downgrades have always been the sole fix for installing firmware updates that introduce new bugs to the masses, at least until Apple could provide a fix via yet another update. There are countless past examples of this occurring, with the following being just a few examples:
- iPadOS 18.0 bricking M4 chip-equipped iPad Pros
- iOS 16.0 over-prompting users on clipboard access when pasting copied content into another app
- iOS 14.7 breaking the Apple Watch’s ability to be unlocked with the host iPhone’s Touch ID sensor
- iOS & iPadOS 13.2 imposing incredibly aggressive background management on backgrounded apps
Apple’s reasoning for doing this is to keep its user base in tune with the latest security patches so that their device(s) aren’t susceptible to malware. Likewise, the company would argue that the latest firmware updates introduce the latest and greatest features, so it makes little sense for anyone to want to downgrade. On the other hand, users have their own reasons, even if that is to be able to jailbreak their device, a choice that should be theirs, and theirs alone.
Having said that, the iDownloadBlog team has long supported the idea of firmware downgrades, and condemns Apple’s choice to lock iPhone and iPad users out of older releases that could benefit them. Unfortunately, Apple has a very strong track record of doing everything in the company’s power to thwart jailbreaking, and this is just one way they can hold the community at bay.
Sadly, it seems this may never change without some form of governmental action. Some countries, such as the European Union, have started targeting the Cupertino-based company for their anti-competitive and anti-user behaviorisms, which once included preventing third-party App Stores from existing and using a proprietary Lightning connector for charging the iPhone. It’s not far-fetched to think that Apple could one day be forced to unlock firmware downgrades for all users via the same means.
But for as long as Apple keeps unsigning older firmware, users can take advantage of the handy IPSW.me online utility to see what firmware is or isn’t being signed for their device, and they can also download any firmware file they may need for their iPhone or iPad from our dedicated Downloads page.
Has the unsigning of iOS & iPadOS 18.1 affected you in any way? Let us know in the comments section down below.