Update July 9, 3:28 p.m. ET: As Aaron Perris noted on X, Apple has resumed signing the iOS versions listed in this article. As a result, owners of the affected legacy iPhone and iPad models can once again restore to those software versions, most of which are the latest releases compatible with their respective devices. The original story follows below.
Latest Update
While it is more common for Apple to stop signing more recent versions of iOS and iPadOS, generally days after releasing important security fixes for newer releases, the company also occasionally stops signing older versions for legacy devices.
Update July 9, 3:28 p.m. ET: As Aaron Perris noted on X, Apple has resumed signing the iOS versions mentioned in the article.
Apple has resolved the issue. All legacy devices are signed again https://t.co/kvyNRoRMRn
As a result, owners of the affected legacy iPhone and iPad models can once again restore to those software versions.
Details
iPhone and iPad users hanging on to older devices will no longer be able to restore or downgrade to several older iOS versions starting today. Here are the details.
As spotted by Aaron Perris on X, Apple stopped signing over-the-air (OTA) and direct IPSW installs for several older iPads and iPhones:
Today, Apple has begun unsigning old iOS versions for legacy devices:iPhone 5c (GSM)/(CDMA) (iPhone5,3)/(iPhone5,4)10.3.3/10.3.4 IPSWiPad mini Wi-Fi + Cellular (iPad2,6)8.4.1 OTA9.3.5/9.3.6 IPSWiPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G (CDMA) (iPad2,3)6.1.3 OTA8.4.1 OTA9.3.5/9.3.6 IPSW
This means that starting today, Apple will no longer validate:
As a reminder, Apple split iOS and iPadOS starting with iPadOS 13, which means that iPads running older system versions ran iOS. Interestingly, iOS 10.3.4 came out only for the iPhone 5, while the iPhone 5c topped out with iOS 10.3.3. So it is possible that the iPhone 5 is also affected by today’s signing changes.
Of course, this move affects a relatively small percentage of its user base. However, it still closes off restore and install paths for users who keep legacy devices around for testing, app compatibility, or preservation.
Do you still own any of the affected devices? Let us know in the comments.
