Apple just released iOS and iPadOS 16.3.1 last week with bug fixes and improvements for iPhone and iPad users, and as you’d probably expect, the company has gone back to its usual shenanigans of preventing users from downgrading to older iOS. and firmware iPadOS 16.3.
The news comes after Apple just tonight stopped signing iOS and iPadOS 16.3, a move that prevents iPhone and iPad users from using iTunes or the Finder to simply Shift+click the restore button on Windows or Option+click the restore button on macOS to select the old firmware file to install. Instead, users will be prompted to update to the latest version, which is version 16.3.1 at the moment.
Apple regularly removes old firmware one to two weeks after a new update is released because the company wants its users to use the latest software. This benefits Apple in two main ways: 1) blocking the jailbreak; and 2) ensure that users are using the latest features and security enhancements.
The latter is due to the fact that jailbreaks usually target older firmware versions that have the necessary security holes to allow arbitrary code execution. By blocking the path to install these versions of iOS or iPadOS, Apple can prevent more people from jailbreaking after they’ve already upgraded to unhackable firmware.
While it is still technically possible to install unsigned iPhone and iPad firmware using unofficial methods such as futurerestore to downgrade and DelayOTA to update, these methods are more confusing and require additional steps from the user.
However, apart from jailbreaking, there are other reasons why someone might want to downgrade their phone’s firmware. One of the best examples of this is when a software update contains new bugs that interfere with the user’s normal workflow. Great examples of how this has happened in the past include the following:
- iOS 16.0 excessively prompts users for clipboard access when pasting copied content into another app
- iOS 14.7 breaks the ability to unlock the Apple Watch using the Touch ID sensor of the host iPhone.
- iOS and iPadOS 13.2 impose incredibly aggressive background control on apps running in the background.
We believe that Apple should allow users to install whatever version of firmware they want on their iPhone or iPad, and many device manufacturers would agree. Unfortunately, it’s unlikely that Apple will change this stupid policy unless forced to do so by the government.
As always, you can use the handy ipsw.me online utility to find out which firmware versions are signed for your iPhone or iPad. You can also use our download page to get any firmware file you may need for your device.