Oliver Haslam·

Apple Stops Signing iOS 16 And iOS 16.01, Blocking Downgrades

If you’re using iOS 16.0.2 and find yourself wishing that you could downgrade to iOS 16 or iOS 16.0.1, you’re unfortunately out of luck.

Apple is no longer signing either of those software releases, meaning you’re left with no option but to stuck with what you have — unless you want to downgrade to iOS 15.7, that is.

You’re unlikely to want to actually do that, though. Going back to iOS 15.7 would mean losing access to things like the more customizable Lock Screen, editable iMessages, and more. There’s no real reason to downgrade anyway, and Apple’s decision to block downgrades isn’t a new one. It tends to stop signing older versions of iOS as a matter of course.

The reasons for that are pretty simple — it often does it to make sure people can’t install an old, compromised version of iOS onto a device that they want to hack. It also means that it can prevent people installing versions that can be jailbroken, too.

Beyond that, ensuring people use more modern versions of iOS means that Apple can be sure that they are using the latest APIs and features, too.

Apple released iOS 16 to the public on September 12 following a months-long beta program. The iOS 16.0.1 update was released ahead of the iPhone 14 models and was specific to those, aimed at fixing launch problems for Apple’s latest and greatest smartphones.

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