iTunes

Apple no longer signing iOS 14.1 following launch of iOS 14.2

Anthony Bouchard ∙ November 12, 2020

Apple unleashed iOS & iPadOS 14.2 to the general public last Thursday with a plethora of new Emojis, wallpapers, and other improvements. That said, no one should be astonished to learn that the company has stopped signing the older iOS & iPadOS 14.1 firmware this Thursday evening, just one week after the aforementioned release.

The unsigning of a particular version of firmware means that iPhone and iPad users can no longer officially downgrade to it via Finder or iTunes, and that’s because these platforms depend on ‘permission’ from Apple’s servers to continue the software restore on one of these devices. Third-party workarounds exist for the daring ones, of course.

Read More

Apple bars downgrades to iOS 14.0.1 following launch of iOS 14.1

Anthony Bouchard ∙ October 27, 2020
Leave the iOS 14 beta

In a rather unsurprising move, Apple closed the signing window for iOS & iPadOS 14.0.1 Tuesday evening, one full week after unleashing iOS & iPadOS 14.1 to the general public to introduce various bug fixes and improvements for the company’s user base.

By closing the signing window for this particular version of firmware, Apple has effectively built a firewall against those wanting to downgrade their iPhone or iPad’s firmware for one reason or another. But this shouldn’t take anyone by shock; after all, Apple loves being in control of its users and signaling what they can and can’t do with their devices. This is nothing new.

Read More

Apple cuts off downgrades from iOS 13.7 by no longer signing iOS 13.6.1

Anthony Bouchard ∙ September 8, 2020

One full week has passed since Apple released iOS & iPadOS 13.7 to the general public, and like clockwork, the Cupertino-based tech company has pulled the plug on its signage of the older iOS & iPadOS 13.6.1 firmware for iPhones and iPads alike Tuesday evening.

The rather predictable move means that iPhone and iPad owners are now unable to downgrade the firmware they run on their handset of choice after upgrading to the newer iOS or iPadOS 13.7 release.

Read More

Apple closes signing window for iOS 13.6 to stop downgrades from iOS 13.6.1

Anthony Bouchard ∙ August 19, 2020

Apple stopped signing iOS & iPadOS 13.6 Wednesday evening, a predictable move on the Cupertino-based company’s part that is known to prevent users of these particular devices from downgrading from the newer iOS & iPadOS 13.6.1 firmware that was released to the general public one week ago to address a ‘green tint’ issue exhibited by some OLED displays, among other things.

We say predictable because Apple follows this trend like clockwork every time the company releases a new version of iOS & iPadOS, but we digress…

Read More

Apple stops signing iOS 13.5.1, halting downgrades from iOS 13.6

Anthony Bouchard ∙ July 22, 2020

Apple stopped signing iOS & iPadOS 13.5.1 Wednesday evening, a move on the company’s part that effectively prevents iPhone and iPad users from downgrading from the newer 13.6 release that was released to the general public exactly one week ago from today.

The company is notorious for preventing firmware downgrades because it doesn’t want users downgrading to versions that are vulnerable to exploits – whether those exploits are being used maliciously or for the sake of jailbreaking. Compelling users to upgrade to newer firmware when restoring also buffs Apple’s new firmware adoption statistics that the company frequently enjoys flaunting at Keynote presentations.

Read More

Apple pulls plug on iOS 13.5.5 beta 1 following release of unc0ver v5.2.0

Anthony Bouchard ∙ June 11, 2020

Apple unsigned iOS & iPadOS 13.5 on Monday in a move intended to prevent downgrades to a publicly available jailbreakable firmware version. Hacker and unc0ver lead developer Pwn20wnd quickly responded to the act this week by releasing unc0ver v5.2.0 with support for iOS & iPadOS 13.5.5 beta 1, providing jailbreak hopefuls with a second chance to upgrade to jailbreakable firmware.

But as it would seem, this was a short-lived hoorah. Apple appears to have stopped signing iOS & iPadOS 13.5.5 beta 1 as of last night, effectively and once again preventing iPhone and iPad users from installing a jailbreakable firmware for the second time in the same week.

Read More